nounLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: rad ‘ride, journey’ 1[uncountable and countable] a specially prepared hard surface for cars, buses, bicycles etc to travel on → street, motorway, freewayalong the road
I was driving along the road when a kid suddenly stepped out in front of me.bedrivestepup the roadYou'll see the library a bit further up the road.bitefardown the roadI ran down the road to see what was happening.runbehappenMy sister lives just down the road.livein the roadProtestors sat down in the road to stop the lorries.sitlorryin the middle of the roadSomeone was standing in the middle of the road.bestandacross the roadI ran across the road to meet him.runby roadThe college is easily accessible by road.beon the roadThere are far more cars on the road now than there used to be.becaruseThere were lots of cars parked on the road.belotcarpark2Road (written abbreviation Rd.)NAME OF A THING used in addresses after the names of roads and streets: 65 Maple RoadHe lives on Dudley Road.live3on the road a)travelling in a car, especially for long distances: I’ve been on the road since 5:00 a.m. this morning.be b)TRAVELif a group of actors or musicians are on the road, they are travelling from place to place giving performances: They’re on the road for six months out of every year.month c)if your car is on the road, you have paid for the repairs, tax etc necessary for you to drive it legally: It would cost too much to put it back on the road.will4the road to something if you are on the road to something, you will achieve it soon, or it will happen to you soon: The doctor says she’s well on the road to recovery.sayIt was this deal that set him on the road to his first million.bethe first step along the road to democracy5go down a/this road to choose a particular course of action: Is there any scope for going down that road in the future?begoIt depends which road you want to go down.depend6along/down the road in the future, especially at a later stage in a process: You can always upgrade a bit further down the road if you want.bitefarSomewhere down the road, they’re going to clash.go7one for the road spoken a last alcoholic drink before you leave a party, pub etc8road to Damascus a situation in which someone experiences a sudden and complete change in their opinions or beliefs. The phrase is based on the story in the New Testament of the Bible, in which St Paul saw a blinding light and heard God's voice while he was travelling on the road to Damascus. He immediately became a Christian. → the end of the road at end1(17), → hit the road at hit1(13)COLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + roadbusy (=with a lot of traffic) The children have to cross a busy road to get to school.childquiet (=with little traffic) At that time of night, the roads were quiet.roadbeclear (=with no traffic or nothing blocking it) Before you overtake, make sure the road is clear.bea main road (=an important road that is used a lot) The main road was blocked for twenty-five minutes.beblockminutea minor road France has a huge network of minor roads.haveroada side road/a back road (=a small road that is not used much) He drove into a quiet side road and stopped the car.drivestopa country road He was driving along a quiet country road when a tyre suddenly burst.bedrivea mountain road A lot of concentration is needed on the narrow mountain roads.beneedroadthe coast road He continued along the coast road.continuethe open road (=without much traffic or anything to stop you getting somewhere) This car is at its best on the open road.bewella road is open (=it is not closed or blocked) We try to keep the mountain road open for most of the year.a road is closed The mountain road was closed by snow.beclosea road is blocked The main road was blocked for an hour while police cleared the accident.beblockclearverbscross a road She was standing on the pavement waiting to cross the road.bestandwaitrun out into a road He had to swerve when a child ran out into the road.haveruna road leads/goes/runs somewhere We turned into the road leading to the village.turnleada road winds (=it turns and curves, rather than going in a straight line) A long road wound through the park.winda road forks (=starts going ahead in two different directions) At Salen, the road forks right and left.forkleavea road narrows/widens After a couple of miles, the road narrows.milnarrowroad + NOUNa road accident Her husband was killed in a road accident.bekillroad safety We share parents' concern for road safety.parentroad sense (=knowledge of how to behave safely near traffic) Young children don't have any road sense.childa road junction (=place where two or more roads meet) It was a busy road junction.bea road network (=system of roads that cross or are connected to each other) the road network in northern Francephrasesthe side of the road We stopped and had something to eat by the side of the road.stophave | She was standing on the other side of the road talking to my mum.bestandtalkthe road ahead (=in front of you) The road ahead was completely flooded.beflooda fork in the road (=a place where a road goes in two different directions) We had to ask for directions each time we got to a fork in the road.havedirectiongetTHESAURUStypes of roadroad a hard surface for cars, buses etc to drive on: They're planning to build a new road.plan | My address is 42, Station Road.bestreet a road in a town, with houses or shops on each side: She lives on our street.live | We walked along the streets of the old town.walkstreet | Oxford Street is one of Europe's busiest shopping areas.bebusyshoparea | He was stopped by the police, driving the wrong way down a one-way street.bestopdrive | Turn left on Main Street (=the street in the middle of a town, where most of the shops are – used in American English).leave | These days the same shops are on every high street (=the street in the middle of a town, where most of the shops are – used in British English).dayshopbeavenue a road in a town, often with trees on each side: the busy avenue in front of the cathedral | He lived on Park Avenue.liveboulevard a wide road in a city or town – used especially in street names in the US, France etc. In the UK, streets are usually called avenue rather than boulevard: the world-famous Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.lane a narrow road in the country: a winding country lanewindcul-de-sac a short street which is closed at one end: The house is situated in a quiet cul-de-sac in North Oxford.besituatetrack especially British English, dirt road American English a narrow road in the country, usually without a hard surface: The farm was down a bumpy track.bering road British English a road that goes around a town: The airport is on the ring road.bebypass British English a road that goes past a town, allowing traffic to avoid the centre: The bypass would take heavy traffic out of the old city centre.willdual carriageway British English, divided highway American English a road with a barrier or strip of land in the middle that has lines of traffic travelling in each direction: I waited until we were on the dual carriageway before I overtook him.waitbeovertakefreeway/expressway American English a very wide road in a city or between cities, on which cars can travel very fast without stopping: Take the Hollywood Freeway (101) south, exit at Vine Street and drive east on Franklin Avenue. | Over on the side of the expressway, he saw an enormous sedan, up against a stone wall.seemotorway British English, highway American English a very wide road for travelling fast over long distances: The speed limit on the motorway is 70 miles an hour.bemil | the Pacific Coast Highwayinterstate American English a road for fast traffic that goes between states: The accident happened on Interstate 84, about 10 miles east of Hartford.happenmiltoll road a road that you pay to use: The government is planning to introduce toll roads, in an effort to cut traffic congestion.beplanroadturnpike American English a large road for fast traffic that you pay to use: He dropped her off at an entrance to the New Jersey Turnpike.drop
nounWord familyDate: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: pris, from Latin pretium ‘price, money’ 1[uncountable and countable]COST the amount of money you have to pay for somethingprice of
The price of fuel keeps going up.keepgoprice forWe agreed a price for the bike.agreeSupermarkets often offer you two products for the price of one.supermarketproduct → asking price, cost price, list price, market price2UNPLEASANT[singular] something unpleasant that you must suffer in order to be successful, free etc, or that you suffer because of a mistake or bad actionprice ofHe’s never at home, but that’s the price of success.The awful boat journey was a small price to pay for freedom.beThey may pay a high price for their few years of glory.yearThe country will pay a heavy price for the government’s failure.She was finally made senior executive, but at what price!bemake3half/full price used to talk about half the usual price of something, or the actual usual price: I bought these jeans at half price in the sale.buy4at a price for a lot of money: You can get goat’s cheese at the local delicatessen – at a price!5at any priceDETERMINED whatever the cost and difficulties may be: She was determined to have a child at any price.bedetermine6not at any priceSELL# used to say that you would not do something, even for a lot of money: Sorry, that painting’s not for sale at any price.paint7put a price on something to give something a financial value: You can’t put a price on what a mother does for her children.dochild8What price fame/glory etc? usually spokenPOINTLESS used to suggest that something was not worth achieving because too many bad things have happened as a result: What price progress?9be beyond priceVALUE to be extremely valuable or important10price on sb’s headGIVE a reward for catching or killing someone11everyone has their pricePERSUADE used to say that you can persuade people to do anything if you give them what they want → cheap at the price at cheap1(8), → name your price at name2(7), → pay the price at pay1(9)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 1ADJECTIVES/NOUN + pricehigh House prices in the UK are very high.pricebelow With such low prices, there are lots of eager buyers.pricebelotbuyerreasonable (=not too high) The price was reasonable for such good food.befair I am sure we can agree on a fair price.beastronomical (=extremely high) Many fans paid astronomical prices for their tickets.fanpaypriceticketexorbitant/extortionate (=much too high) £10,000 seemed an exorbitant price for the rug.seeminflated (=higher than is usual or reasonable) People seem willing to pay inflated prices for houses in central London.willinflatepricehousehouse/food/oil etc prices A poor harvest led to higher food prices.leadhighpricea good price (=quite high) Did you get a good price for your car?doa bargain price (also a knockdown/giveaway price) (=much lower than usual) We sell quality cars at bargain prices.carprice | The house is available at a knockdown price of $195,000.bethe market price (=the price of something on a market at a particular time) We think the stock’s current market price is too high.bethe asking price (=the amount of money that someone is asking for when they are selling something, especially a house) The property is worth more than the asking price.beaskthe purchase price formal (=the price that someone pays when they buy something, especially a house) You can obtain a loan for up to 90% of the purchase price.the retail price (=the price that the public pays for something in a shop) Tax is 40% of the retail price of a typical bottle of wine.bethe wholesale price (=the price that a business such as a shop pays to buy something) Wholesale coffee prices have fallen.pricefallverbsa price goes up/rises/increases When supplies go down, prices tend to go up.supplypricea price goes down/falls/decreases In real terms, the price of clothes has fallen over the last ten years.termclothehavefallyeara price shoots up/soars/rockets (=increases quickly by a large amount) The price of oil soared in the 1970s.soarprices fluctuate (=keep going up and down) Gas prices have continued to fluctuate in recent months.pricecontinuemonthprices start from £200/$300 etc Ticket prices start from £39.00.priceprices range from £30 to £65 etc Over 1,000 paintings will be shown with prices ranging from £50 to £5,000.paintingshowpricerangeput up/increase/raise a price Manufacturers have had to put their prices up.manufacturerhavepricecut/lower/reduce a price The company recently cut the price of its best-selling car.wellsellslash a price (=reduce it by a very large amount) Many carpet stores have slashed prices to bring in customers.storeslashpricecustomerfix a price (=decide on it, sometimes illegally with others) Publishers are not permitted to fix prices with one another.publisherbepermitpriceagree on a price Now all we need to do is agree on a price.bepay a good/low etc price I paid a very reasonable price for my guitar.payget a good/reasonable etc price (=be paid a particular amount for something) Farmers now get a decent price for their crop.farmerfetch a good/high etc price British English, bring a good, high etc price American English (=be sold for a particular amount of money) I’m sure the painting would fetch a good price in London.paintwillprice + NOUNa price rise/increase Consumers are facing more fuel price rises.consumerbefacerisea price cut/reduction Holiday sales were down, even with drastic price cuts.salebecuta price freeze (=when prices are kept at the same level by a company or by the government) A price freeze on nine basic goods was announced on June 14.goodbeannouncePHRASESa fall/drop in prices Poor demand led to a sharp drop in prices.leadpricea rise in prices The sharp rise in wholesale food prices will have to be passed onto customers.pricepasscustomerin/outside sb’s price range (=used when saying that someone can/cannot afford to pay for something) Unfortunately, there was nothing in our price range.beCOMMON ERRORS ► Do not say 'a convenient price'. Say a reasonable price or a fair price.COLLOCATIONSMeaning 2verbspay a price (=suffer) We paid a heavy price for our mistakes this season.paymistakecome at a price (also come at a high price) (=involve suffering or a bad result) She won fame, but it came at a high price.wincomeexact a price formal (=make someone suffer) The success of the nation’s businesses has exacted a dreadful price from the people.businesshaveexactadjectivesa high price Smokers often pay a high price in terms of their health.smokerterma heavy price Any country breaking international law will be made to pay a heavy price.breakmakea terrible price The sport can exact a terrible price from its participants.participantphrasessomething is a small price to pay (=something is worth suffering in order to achieve something more important) Changing his job would be a small price to pay to keep his marriage intact.changewillTHESAURUSprice noun [countable] the amount of money that you have to pay for something: The prices in that shop are rather high.pricebe | You can have a two-course meal for a special price of £9.95.cost noun [countable] the amount of money that you have to pay for services, activities, or things you need such as food and electricity: The cost of the two-day course is $1,295.be | Many banks are raising their borrowing costs.bankberaiseborrowcost | a sudden increase in energy costscostvalue noun [uncountable and countable] the amount of money that something is worth and that people are willing to pay if it is sold: The value of the painting was estimated at £500,000.paintbeestimate | Fine wines may increase in value.wine | The shares have gone down in value.sharego
priceverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplespricepricespricedpricingpriceprice2 verb [transitive]Word familyVerb form1[usually in passive] to decide the price of something that is for sale: a reasonably priced apartmentpricebe priced at somethingTickets are priced at £75 each.ticketbeprice2COSTto put the price on goods to show how much they cost3COMPAREto compare the prices of things: We spent Saturday morning pricing microwaves.spendpricemicrowave4price yourself out of the marketSELL to demand too much money for the services or goods that you are sellingCOLLOCATIONSadverbshighly priced (=expensive) The clothes shops all seemed to be full of highly priced designer clothes.clotheshopseempriceclothereasonably priced (=not too expensive) The food was good and reasonably priced.bepricemoderately priced (=not expensive) On the outskirts of many towns, you will find moderately priced motels.townpricemotelcompetitively/keenly priced (=not expensive compared with similar things) Lower costs meant that Japanese exports remained competitively priced.lowcostmeanexportremainpricemodestly priced (=cheap) There are some very modestly priced artificial plants to be had.bepriceplanthaveattractively priced (=not expensive) These figurines are attractively priced at £32.figurinebeprice
preposition
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: ofer 1ABOVEabove above or higher than something, without touching it OPP under:
A lamp hung over the table.hangShe leaned over the desk to answer the phone.leanThe sign over the door said ‘Mind your head’.sayWe watched a helicopter flying low over the harbour.watchfly2COVERcovering on something or covering it OPP under: Over the body lay a thin white sheet.lieShe wore a large jacket over her sweater.wearMind you don’t spill coffee over my best tablecloth.well3CROSSacross from one side of something to the other side of it: Somehow the sheep had jumped over the fence.havejumpThe road over the mountains is steep and dangerous.mountainbea bridge over the River ThamesTheir house has a magnificent view over the bay.have4OPPOSITE/FACEon the other side on the opposite side of something from where you already are: There’s a bus stop just over the road.They live over the river in Richmond.5DOWNdown from something down from the edge of something: The car plunged over a cliff.plunge6PLACEin many parts of something in or to many parts of a particular place, organization, or thing: He used to wander over the moors, losing all track of time.usemoorloseall over (something) (=in every part)They said they had cleaned up but there were bottles all over the place.sayhavecleanbebottleScientists from all over the world gather here.scientist7BETTER/RECOVEREDno longer affected if you are over an illness or a bad experience or situation, you are no longer affected by it → recover: I think we’re over the worst of the crisis now.illHe had a fever last night, but he seems to be over it now.haveseemSybil has never got over the shock of her mother’s death.havegetI’m over him now (=I am no longer in love with him).8MORE THAN A NUMBER OR AMOUNTmore than more than a particular number, amount, or level OPP under: The Japanese were producing over 100 million tons of steel.beproducetontoys suitable for children over the age of threetoychilddrivers who go over the speed limitdriverthe over-30s/50s etc (=people who are more than a particular age)a social club for the over-60s9DURINGduring during: Will you be home over the summer vacation?Over a period of ten years he stole a million pounds from the company.yearstealpoundCan we talk about this over dinner?10ABOUTconcerning about a particular subject, person, or thing: He’s having problems over his income tax.haveproblema row over public expenditureThere is concern over the bad image of the legal profession.be11CONTROLcontrolling in control of or influencing someone or something: Genghis ruled over an empire that stretched from Persia across to China.rulestretchShe had great personal influence and power over her followers.havefollower12better used to say that someone or something is more successful or better than someone or something else: Ipswich’s 3–1 win over Manchester CityCan Labour maintain its lead over the Conservatives?conservativeIt has one great advantage over its rivals.haverival13USE STHby telephone/radio using something such as a telephone or radio: I don’t want to talk about this over the telephone.I heard the news over the radio.hear14over and aboveMORE/EXTRA in addition to something: He gets a travel allowance over and above his existing salary.getexist15louder than something making a sound louder than another sound: ‘What?’ he yelled over the noise of the engine and the wind.yell16preferring if you choose one thing over another, you choose that thing rather than the other: What is your main reason for choosing one restaurant over another?bechooseTHESAURUSduring at one point in a period of time, or through the whole of a period of time: Did you hear the storm during the night?do | During the summer we spend a lot more time out of doors.doorall through (also throughout) /ɔːl ˈθruː, θruːˈaʊt/ during all of a period of time: The cafe’s closed all through the winter and opens again in April.closeopen | Throughout her career she has worked hard and achieved the highest standards.haveworkachievehighstandardover at one point or at various different points during a period of time: I’m going to redecorate my bedroom over the holidays.goholiday | She’s been a great help to me over the past year.bein the course of something formal during a particular process or period of time: In the course of the study we consulted with leading experts in global warming.consultleadexpertwarm | Many factors control the rise and fall of a species in the course of evolution.factor | There was huge social change in the course of the 1960s.bewithin during a period of time, or before the end of a period – used when you want to emphasize that it is a short or limited period: There have been five serious accidents within the last few days.beaccidentday | Payment must be made within 30 days.makeday | If we are inviting you for an interview, you will receive a letter within 14 days.beinviteday
overadverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesoveroverover2 S1 W1 adverb, adjective
1LIE DOWNfalling down from an upright position into a position of lying on a surface: He was so drunk he fell over in the road.bedrinkfallMind you don’t knock the candle over.Engineers are working to prevent the tower from toppling over.engineerbeworktopple2FOLDbending/folding so that someone or something is no longer straight or flat, but is bent or folded in the middle: As Sheila bent over, a sudden pain shot up her back.bendshootHe folded the paper over and put it in his pocket.fold3CROSSacross a)from one side of an object, space, or area to the other side: There are only three canoes so some people will have to swim over.becanoeThe wall was crumbling where children had climbed over.becrumblechildhaveclimbI went over (=crossed the room, street etc) to say hello, but Vincent didn’t recognize me.goover toWe flew over to the US to visit my Aunt Polly.flyover fromOne of my cousins is coming over from France with his wife and daughter.cousinbecomeCome over here and see what I’ve found.find b)in a place that is on the other side of a space or area: Bill lives over on the other side of town.liveShe was standing over by the window.bestandDo you see that building over there?build4PLACEin or to a place in or to a particular house, city etc: You really should come over and see our new house.shallI spent the whole day over at Gabby’s place.spendWe could drive over to Oxford this afternoon.can5finished if an event or period of time is over, it has finished: Is the meeting over yet?bemeetover (and done) with (=used about something unpleasant)I’m so glad the mid-term exams are over and done with.exambedoYou’d better give them the bad news. Do it now – get it over with.well6to the side towards one side: The bus pulled over to the side of the road.pullWould you move over, so I can sit next to you.will7GIVEgiving from one person or group to another: The attacker was ordered to hand over his weapon.beorderMost of the money has been signed over to his children.havebesignchild8EXCHANGEchanging from one position or system to another: The guards change over at midnight.guardWe switched over from electricity to gas because it was cheaper.switchbecheap9SIDEturning so that the bottom or the other side of something can now be seen: Turn the box over and open it at that end.Josh rolled over and went back to sleep.rollgo10MORE THAN A NUMBER OR AMOUNTmore than more than or higher than a particular number, amount, or level OPP under: Almost 40% of women are size 14 or over.womanbePeople earning £33,000 and over will pay the higher rate of tax.earnhigh11very/too used before an adjective or adverb to mean ‘very’ or ‘too’: She didn’t seem over pleased when I asked her to wait.pleaseaskPerhaps we were all over enthusiastic about the project.be12REMAIN/BE LEFTremaining an amount of something that is over is what remains after some of it has been used: There should be some money over when I’ve paid all the bills.shallpaybillThere was a little food left over from the party.beleave13COVERcovered used to show that something is completely covered with a substance or material: Most of the windows have been boarded over.windowbeboardParts of the river were iced over.partbeiceover withThe door had been painted over with a bright red varnish.havebepaint14above above someone or something: We stood on the roof watching the planes fly over.standwatchplane15CAREFULtalking/thinking/reading in a detailed and careful way: After talking it over with my wife, I’ve decided to retire.talkdecideI’ll need time to read the contract over before I sign.Think it over carefully before you make a decision.16again American English if you start or do something over, you do it again: I got mixed up and had to start over.getmixhave17over and over (again)AGAIN many times: The way to learn the script is to say it to yourself over and over again.be18twice over/three times over etc a)used to say how many times the same thing happens: He sings each song twice over.singThe pattern is repeated many times over.berepeattime b)used to say by how much an amount is multiplied: Trade between the two countries has increased five times over.countryhaveincreasetime19all over again used to emphasize that you do the whole of something again from the beginning, or that the same thing happens again: Their first plan had gone wrong, so they had to start all over again.havegohaveWe had quarrelled about the money before, and now it was happening all over again.havequarrelbehappen20over to somebodyDIFFERENT used to say that it is now someone else’s turn to do something, to speak etc: I’ve done my best. Now it’s over to the professionals.dowellprofessional21radio message spoken used when communicating by radio to show that you have finished speaking: Are you hearing me loud and clear? Over.behear22over against somethingCOMPARE formal used to say what something is compared to or preferred to: The Celtic Church maintained the Greek calendar over against that of Rome.maintain23it’s not over until the fat lady sings (also it’s not over until it’s over) used during a game, election etc to say that, although a particular result seems likely, the situation could still changeTHESAURUSfinished if something is finished, you have done all of it: She showed him the finished drawing.showfinishdraw | I was very pleased with the finished result.bepleasefinishdone [not before noun] finished - used especially in everyday English instead of finished: I can’t come out till my essay’s done.do | They promised the work would be done by April.promisewilldocomplete [not before noun] completely finished – used especially to emphasize that there is no more work to do: Six months later the job was complete.monthlatebe | The first stage of the project is now complete.beover finished – used about an event, activity, or period of time: Football practice is over at 4:30. Can you pick me up then?be | The summer was nearly over.bebe through informal to have finished doing something or using something: I probably won’t be through till about 6 o'clock.win | Are you through with those scissors?bescissor
overnounCollocations from other entriesThesaurus 1Word sets 1Phrases from other entriesCorpus examplesoveroversoverover3 noun [countable] the period of time in the game of cricket during which six or eight balls are thrown by the same bowler in one directionTHESAURUSfinished if something is finished, you have done all of it: She showed him the finished drawing.showfinishdraw | I was very pleased with the finished result.bepleasefinishdone [not before noun] finished - used especially in everyday English instead of finished: I can’t come out till my essay’s done.do | They promised the work would be done by April.promisewilldocomplete [not before noun] completely finished – used especially to emphasize that there is no more work to do: Six months later the job was complete.monthlatebe | The first stage of the project is now complete.beover finished – used about an event, activity, or period of time: Football practice is over at 4:30. Can you pick me up then?be | The summer was nearly over.bebe through informal to have finished doing something or using something: I probably won’t be through till about 6 o'clock.win | Are you through with those scissors?bescissor
noun (plural photos) [countable] informalWord familyDate: 1800-1900Origin: photograph PICTUREa photographphoto of
I’ll send Mom a photo of Sammy.Can you take a photo of me and Rachel?COLLOCATIONSverbstake a photo We all took photos of each other.takephotoget a photo (=take one successfully) Did you get some good photos in Greece?dophotoADJECTIVES/NOUN + photoa colour photo Send us a colour photo of yourself.a black-and-white photo There is a black-and-white photo of Sly Stone on the wall of their flat.bea digital photoa framed photo A small framed photo of his girlfriend sits on a bookcase.framesita signed photo I managed to get a signed photo of her.managesigna wedding photo Shall I show you our wedding photos?photophoto + NOUNa photo album (=a book in which you put photos) She took every picture of her ex-husband out of the family photo album.takeTHESAURUSphotograph a picture taken using a camera: Visitors are not allowed to take photographs inside the museum.visitorbeallowphotograph | our wedding photographsphotographphoto informal a photograph: a way of displaying your digital photosdisplayphoto | Do you want me to take your photo?picture a photograph of someone or something: I saw her picture in the paper the other day.see | This is a really good picture of Sarah.be | Can I take your picture?snap British English informal, snapshot especially American English a photograph that you take quickly and without thinking carefully about how it will look, for example when you are on holiday: Patrick showed me his holiday snaps.showsnap | She showed me a snapshot of her three children.showchildshot informal a photograph – used especially by people who often take photographs: I got some great shots of Mount Fuji.getshot | It's a lovely shot.shootprint a photograph that has been printed on photographic paper: a set of 4 by 6 inch printsprint
abbreviation for Strategic Arms Reduction Talks; talks between the US and the former Soviet Union, which aimed to reach agreement about reducing the number of nuclear weapons that each country kept. Two START Treaties (=official agreements) were signed, START I (1991) and START II (1993), in which each country promised to destroy several types of nuclear weapons → compare SALT
startverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1 2Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesstartstartsstartedstartingstartstart1 S1 W1 /stɑːt $ stɑːrt/
verb
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: styrtan ‘to jump’ Verb form1begin doing something [intransitive and transitive]START DOING STH to do something that you were not doing before, and continue doing it SYN begin:
There’s so much to do I don’t know where to start.Have you started your homework?startstart doing somethingThen the baby started crying.startcrystart to do somethingIt’s starting to rain.startHe got up and started running again.getstartrunI’d better get started (=start doing something) soon.wellstartstart somebody doing somethingWhat Kerry said started me thinking (=made me start thinking).saystartthink2begin happening [intransitive and transitive] (also start off)START TO HAPPEN, EXIST ETC to begin happening, or to make something begin happening: What time does the film start?doLightning started a fire that burned 500 acres.startburnacreThe party was just getting started when Sara arrived.begetstartarrivestarting (from) now/tomorrow/next week etcYou have two hours to complete the test, starting now.hourstart3begin in a particular way [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive] (also start off)START TO HAPPEN, EXIST ETC to begin something in a particular way, or to begin in a particular way: A healthy breakfast is a good way to start the day.bestart withThe festivities started with a huge fireworks display.festivitystartfireworkstart asThe restaurant started as a small take-out place.startstart badly/well/slowly etcAny new exercise program should start slowly.shallstart (something) by doing somethingChao starts by explaining some basic legal concepts.startexplainconcept4business/organization [transitive] (also start up)START STH/MAKE STH START to make something begin to existstart a business/company/firm etcShe wanted to start her own catering business.wantcater5job/school [intransitive and transitive]START DOING STH to begin a new job, or to begin going to school, college etc: When can you start?start school/college/workI started college last week.start6car/engine etc [intransitive and transitive] (also start up)SWITCH ON OR OFF if you start a car or engine, or if it starts, it begins to work: The car wouldn’t start this morning.get the car/engine etc startedHe couldn’t get his motorbike started.start7begin going somewhere [intransitive] (also start off/out)START DOING STH to begin travelling or moving in a particular direction SYN set out: We’ll have to start early to get there by lunchtime.8life/profession [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive] (also start off/out)START DOING STH to begin your life or profession in a particular way or placestart as/inShe started as a dancer in the 1950s.startIt’s difficult for new lawyers to get started in private practice.lawyerstart9road/river/path etc [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]START TO HAPPEN, EXIST ETC if a river, road, path etc starts somewhere, it begins in that place: The trail starts immediately behind the hotel.startstart in/atThe race will start at the town hall.10prices/amounts [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]START TO HAPPEN, EXIST ETC if prices, amounts, or rates start at or from a particular number, that is the lowest number at which you can get or buy somethingstart at/fromRoom prices start from £25 a night.price11start from scratch/zero to begin doing a job or activity completely from the beginning: There were no textbooks, so the teachers had to start from scratch.betextbookteacherhave12deliberately begin something [transitive] to deliberately make something start happening, especially something bad: I started a fire to warm the place up.startstart a fight/argumentOh, don’t go trying to start an argument.tryOther girls were starting rumours about me.girlbestartrumour13to start with spoken a)BEGINNINGsaid when talking about the beginning of a situation, especially when it changes later: I was pretty nervous to start with, but after a while I was fine.bebe b)FIRSTsaid to emphasize the first of a list of facts or opinions you are stating: There are problems. To start with, neither of us likes housework.beproblemlike14be back where you startedPROGRESS# to try to do something and fail, so that you finish in the same situation that you were in before: A lot of people who lose weight gain it back over time, and end up back where they started.start15sports [intransitive and transitive] if a player starts in a game, or if someone starts them, they begin playing when the game begins, especially because they are one of the best players on the teamstart forAstacio started for the Dodgers on Tuesday night.startdodger16start a familyFAMILY to have your first baby: We’re not ready to start a family yet.17start afresh/anew to stop doing what you are doing and begin doing it again in a better or different way: She saw her new job as a chance to start afresh.see18somebody started it! spokenFAULT/BE SB'S FAULT used to say that someone else has caused an argument or problem: ‘Don’t hit her!’ ‘But she started it!’start19start something/anythingFIGHT to begin causing trouble: It looks like Jess is trying to start something.lookbetry20move suddenly [intransitive]MOVE/CHANGE POSITION to move your body suddenly, especially because you are surprised or afraid SYN jump: A loud knock at the door made her start.makestart fromEmma started from her chair and rushed to the window.startrush21start youngYOUNG to begin doing something when you are young, especially when it is unusual to do it: Woods started young, and was coached by his father.woodstartbecoach22don’t (you) start! British English spokenCOMPLAIN used to tell someone to stop complaining, arguing, or annoying you: ‘Mum, I don’t like this ice cream.’ ‘Oh, don’t you start!’THESAURUSto start doing somethingstart to begin doing something: I’m starting a new job next week.start | It’s time we started.startbegin to start doing something. Begin is more formal than start, and is used especially in written English: He began to speak.begin | The orchestra began playing.beginplay | Shall we begin?commence formal to start doing something: The company will commence drilling next week.drill | Work was commenced on the next power station.becommenceget down to something to finally start doing something, especially your work: Come on, Sam – it’s time you got down to some homework.get | We’d better get down to business.wellset off to start a journey: What time do you have to set off in the morning? | I usually set off for work at about 8.30.set out to start a long journey: The ship set out from Portsmouth on July 12th.embark on something especially written to start something, especially something new, difficult, or exciting: The Law Society has embarked on a major programme of reform.haveembark | Jamaica was embarking on a decade of musical creativity.beembarkresume formal to start doing something again after stopping it or being interrupted: Normal train services will be resumed on April 5th.serviceresume | Trade was resumed after the end of the war.beresumeget cracking informal to start doing something or going somewhere: I think we should get cracking straightaway.shallcrackto start happeningstart/begin to begin: What time does the film start?dobegin to start. Begin is more formal than start and is used especially in written English: The trial began in March.begin | Work on the new bridge will begin early next year.open to start being shown to the public – used about a play, show, or exhibition: Lloyd Webber’s new musical opened in London last week.open | A major exhibition of her work will open in New York in November.commence formal to start happening: The voting has already commenced.votehavecommence | The work is scheduled to commence in April.bescheduleget under way to start happening or being done – used especially about something that is likely to last a long time: Construction work is getting under way on a new train network.beget | Discussions concerning the plan got under way on April 2.discussionconcerngetbreak out to start happening – used especially about a fire, a fight, war, or a disease: Police were called in when fighting broke out in the crowd.becallfightbreak | The blaze broke out on the third floor of the hotel.breakkick off informal to start – used especially about a football game or a meeting: The match is due to kick off this afternoon at Wembley Stadium.be | What time will the celebrations kick off?celebrationstart back phrasal verb to begin returning to the place you came fromstart back to/down/up etcI started back down the mountain to camp.startstart in phrasal verb American English1to begin doing something, especially with a lot of effort: I decided to just start in and see what I could do.decidecanstart in onLilly started in on her burger.start2to begin criticizing someone or complaining to them about somethingstart in onMom turned away from Rose and started in on me.turnrisestartstart off phrasal verb1START STH/MAKE STH STARTto begin something in a particular way, or to begin in a particular waystart something ↔ off with something/by doing somethingThe theater company started off their new season with a Shakespeare play.startstart off with something/by doing somethingI started off by drawing the flowers I had collected.startdrawflowerhavecollect2to be a particular thing or have a particular quality at the beginning of something, especially when this changes later: The puppies start off white, and get their black spots later.puppyspotlatestart off asThe games start off as a social event, but players soon become competitive.gameplayerI started off as a drummer.start3start something ↔ off to make something begin happening: We’re not sure what starts the process off.start4HELPstart somebody ↔ off to help someone begin an activitystart somebody ↔ off withHe started me off with some stretching exercises.startstretchexercise5START TO HAPPEN, EXIST ETCto begin going somewhere: I sat in the car for a few minutes before starting off.sitminutestartstart off to/towards/back etcShe started off to school in her new uniform.start6start somebody off British English informalANGRY to make someone get angry or start laughing, by saying something: Don’t say that; that’ll just start him off.start somebody off doing somethingHe made her jump, and that started her off giggling.makestartgigglestart on somebody/something phrasal verb1START DOING STHto begin doing something or using something: You’d better start on your homework.well2START DOING STHstart somebody on something to make someone start doing something regularly, especially because it will be good for them: Try starting your baby on solid foods at four months old.startfoodmonth3British English informalCRITICIZE to begin criticizing someone or complaining to them about somethingstart on somebody/something atRay’s wife started on at him about spending too much time in the pub.startspendstart out phrasal verb1to begin happening or existing in a particular way, especially when this changes laterstart out as‘The Star’ started out as a small weekly newspaper.startThe leaves start out a pale green, and later get darker.leavelatedark2to begin your life or profession, or an important period of time: When the band first started out, they played at small clubs.startplayclubstart out asShe started out as a model.startstart out onyoung couples starting out on their life togethercouplestart3to begin going somewhere: Oliver started out at five, when it was still dark.startbestart over phrasal verb American English START DOING STHto start doing something again from the beginning, especially because you want to do it better: If you make a mistake, just erase it and start over.start up phrasal verb1if you start up a business, company etc, or it starts up, it begins to exist: Tax breaks help new companies start up.breakcompanystart something ↔ upJordan started up a band of his own.start2if an engine, car etc starts up, or you start it up, it begins working: The driver got back into the car and started up.getstartstart something ↔ upRory started up the engine and got the vehicle moving.startgetmove3if a sound, activity, or event starts up, it begins to exist or happen: The crickets had started up now that it was evening.crickethavestartbeeven
startnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesstartstartsstartstart2 S1 W2 noun
Word family1of an activity/event [countable usually singular]BEGINNING the first part of an activity or event, or the point at which it begins to developstart ofWe arrived late and missed the start of the film.arrivemiss(right) from the startWe’ve had problems with this project right from the start.haveproblemShe read the letter from start to finish without looking up.lookget off to a good/bad etc start (=begin well or badly)a free bottle of wine to get your holiday off to a great starta rocky/shaky/slow etc start (=a bad beginning)After a rocky start, the show is now very popular.beHe wanted an early start on his election campaign.want2of a period of time [countable usually singular]BEGINNING the first part of a particular period of time SYN beginningstart ofSince the start of 1992, the company has doubled in size.havedoublethe start of the year/day/seasonthe start of an election year3make a start (on something) to begin doing something: I’ll make a start on the washing-up.wash4sudden movement [singular] a sudden movement of your body, usually caused by fear or surprisewith a startTed woke up with a start and felt for the light switch.wakefeelShe said his name, and Tom gave a start (=made a sudden movement).saygive5good/better/healthy etc start (in life)ADVANTAGE if you have a good etc start, you have all the advantages or opportunities that your situation, your parents etc could provide to help you succeed: Good health care for the mother before birth gives babies a healthy start.givebabyNaturally we want to give our kids the best possible start in life.kidwell6where race begins the start the place where a race begins: The horses were all lined up at the start.horsebeline7being ahead [countable usually singular]ADVANTAGE the amount of time or distance by which one person is ahead of another, especially in a race or competitionstart onThe prisoners had a three-hour start on their pursuers.prisonerhavepursuer → head start(2)8for a startFIRST British English informal used to emphasize the first of a list of facts or opinions you are stating: Well, for a start, the weather was horrible.be9be a start spoken used to say that something you have achieved may not be impressive, but it will help with a bigger achievement: One exercise class a week isn’t enough, but it’s a start.10job a)[countable usually singular] the beginning of someone’s job, which they will develop in the future, especially a job that involves acting, writing, painting etc: Pacino got his start on the stage, before his success in films.getfilmI gave you your start, so remember me when you win the Pulitzer Prize.give b)[countable usually plural] a job that has just started, a business that has just been started, or someone who has just started a new job: The number of business starts plummeted 10.5% during the second half of the year.numbstartplummeta training course for new startstrainstart11starts (also housing starts) [plural] technical when people begin to build a number of new houses12sport [countable usually plural] a)a race or competition that someone has taken part in: The horse Exotic Wood was unbeaten in five starts.bestart b)an occasion when a player plays when a sports match begins: Jackson played in 353 games, with 314 starts.playgamestart → false start, → fresh start at fresh(4), → in/by fits and starts at fit3(7)COLLOCATIONSadjectivesa good/great start A 3-0 win is a good start for the team.bea flying start (=a very good start) The appeal got off to a flying start at the weekend when the group held a raffle.getflyholda promising start (=a good start that makes success seem likely) Her teacher says she's made a promising start in learning Spanish.saymakepromiselearna bad/poor/disastrous start Things got off to a bad start when two people turned up late.thinggetturna rocky/shaky start (=a rather bad start) After a shaky start, they managed two wins in five matches.managewinmatcha disappointing start He accepted full responsibility for the club’s disappointing start to the season.acceptdisappointa slow start Work got off to a very slow start because of bad weather.getan auspicious/inauspicious start (=one that makes it seem likely that something will be good or bad) His second term in office has got off to an extremely inauspicious start.havegetan early/late start It was long trip so we had planned an early start.behaveplanverbsget off to a good/bad etc start On your first day at work, you want to get off to a good start.make a good/bad/early etc start He made a flying start at college, but then he didn't manage to keep it up.makeflyhave a good/bad etc start We’ve had a disappointing start but we are hoping to improve.havedisappointbehopeTHESAURUSbeginning the first part of something such as a story, event, or period of time: The beginning of the movie is very violent.beginbe | Let’s go back to the beginning.beginstart the beginning of something, or the way something begins: Tomorrow marks the start of the presidential election campaign.mark | It was not a good start to the day.be | The runners lined up for the start of the race.runnerlinecommencement formal the beginning of something – used especially in official contexts: the commencement of the academic year | the commencement of the contractorigin the point from which something starts to exist: He wrote a book about the origins of the universe.writeorigin | The tradition has its origins in medieval times.haveorigintimethe onset of something the time when something bad begins, such as illness, old age, or cold weather: the onset of winter | An active lifestyle can delay the onset of many diseases common to aging.diseaseagedawn literary the beginning of an important period of time in history: People have worshipped gods since the dawn of civilization.worshipgodbirth the beginning of something important that will change many people’s lives: the birth of democracy in South Africa | the birth of the environmental movement
verb [linking verb, not in progressive]Date: 1100-1200Language: Old Norse
Origin: sma ‘to be appropriate to’, from smr ‘appropriate’ Verb form1SEEMif something seems to be true, there are qualities or facts that make people think it is true:
Ann didn’t seem very sure.It seems a foolish decision now.seemseem to do somethingThe rainbow seemed to end on the hillside.seemseem important/right/strange etc to somebodyDoesn’t that seem weird to you?it seems to somebody (that)It seems to me you don’t have much choice.seemit seems (that)It seemed that Freeman had killed the man, and dumped the body in the lake.seemhavekilldumpit seems likely/unlikely/reasonable/clear (that)It seems likely that he will miss Ireland’s next match.seemseem likeTeri seemed like a nice girl.seemWell, it seemed like a good idea at the time.seemWe waited for what seemed like hours.waitseemhourseem as if/as though/likeIt seemed as if the end of the world had come.seemhaveIt seems like you’re catching a cold, Taylor.seemcatch‘So Bill’s leaving her?’ ‘So it seems (=that seems to be true).’leaveseemRegisterIn written English, people often prefer to use appear rather than seem, because it is more formal:It appears that the man had been murdered.appearhavebemurder2can’t/couldn’t seem to do somethingFAIL used to say that you have tried to do something but cannot do it: I just can’t seem to relax.3SEEMused to make what you are saying less strong or certain, and more politeseem to do somethingI seem to have lost my car keys.losekeyit seems (that)/it would seem (that)It would seem that someone left the building unlocked.willleavebuildunlockGrammarSeem can be followed by an adjective or by an adjective and noun: She seemed happy.seemHe seems a nice man.seemSeem can also be followed by like and a noun or by like and an adjective and noun: It seemed like a miracle.seemHe seems like a nice man.seemSeem can also be followed by a verb in the infinitive: His story seems to be true.seem ► Seem can be followed by as if or as though but not just by as: It seems a small thing (NOT It seems as a small thing), but it’s very important.seemseemIt seemed as if he wanted us to leave (NOT It seemed as he wanted ...).seemwantseemwantTHESAURUSappear a more formal word for ‘seem’: These reports appear to be unfounded.reportlook to seem to be something, often because of what can be seen: The future looks bleak.look | He looked pleased.lookpleasesound used to say that something or someone seems to be something because of what you have heard or read about them, or because of the noise or voice that you hear: This study sounds very ambitious.sound | They heard what sounded like a blow.hearsoundcome across as something to seem to have particular qualities: He comes across as a very sensitive man.come
noun [countable]Word familyDate: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: proces, from Latin processus, from procedere; → PROCEED 1ORDER/SEQUENCEa series of actions that are done in order to achieve a particular result:
the Israeli–Egyptian peace processRepetition can help the learning process.learnprocess ofthe process of economic changeslow/lengthy/laborious etc processGetting fit again has been a long slow process.gethavebethe mental processes involved in decision-makingprocessinvolvemake2ORDER/SEQUENCEa series of things that happen naturally and result in gradual changeprocess ofthe natural process of evolutionCoal forms by a slow process of chemical change.formthe digestive process3be in the process of (doing) somethingDEAL WITH to have started doing something and not yet be finished: The company is in the process of moving to new offices.bemoveoffice4be in process if something is in process, it is happening now: There was an armed revolt in process.bearm5in the processDOHAPPEN while you are doing something or something is happening: I spilt the coffee, burning myself in the process.spillburn6process of elimination a way of finding the right answer, the truth etc by gradually deciding that none of the other answers etc are possibleby (a) process of eliminationI solved the problem by a process of elimination.solve7a method of making or producing goods: the car production processRecycling is an industrial process.recyclebe → due processCOLLOCATIONSMeanings 1 & 2ADJECTIVES/NOUN + processslow Collecting the data is a slow process.collectdatumbelong/lengthy Try to be patient through the long process of healing.heallaborious (=taking a lot of time and effort) The copying of manuscripts was a laborious process.copymanuscriptbecomplex Getting a visa can be a complex process.geta natural process Birth is a natural process.bea formal process A decision will only be taken after a formal consultation process.takea mental process Cats have different mental processes from dogs.catprocessdogthe learning process The student is actively involved in the learning process.beinvolvelearnthe peace process They are frustrated with the lack of progress in the peace process.befrustratethe decision-making process Not all staff can participate in the decision-making process.makea selection process An interview normally forms part of the selection process.formverbsgo through a process (also undergo a process formal) (=experience a process) A lot of companies are going through a process of change.companybego | The system underwent a process of simplification.undergotake part in a process (also participate in a process) We encourage our clients to participate in the process at every stage.clientTHESAURUSsystem an organized set of ideas, methods, actions etc that you use to do something: the airport security system | the system for dealing with refugeesdealrefugeeprocess a series of actions that are done in order to achieve a particular result: the process of teaching children to readteachchild | Repeat the same process, until all the sugar has dissolved.havedissolveprocedure the official or usually agreed way of doing something: You must follow the normal complaints procedure.complaint | Large companies have a standard procedure for informing new employees about conditions of work.companyinformemployeeconditionformula a method or set of principles that you use to solve a problem or make sure that something is successful: The team are hoping to use the same winning formula that they used last season.behopewinuse | There is no magic formula for success (=a method that is certain to succeed).be
processverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Word sets 1 2 3Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesprocessprocessesprocessedprocessingprocessprocess2 AC verb [transitive]Verb form1to make food, materials, or goods ready to be used or sold, for example by preserving or improving them in some way: Goats’ cheese may be processed in many ways.goatprocesswayTwo million workers are employed processing goods for electronic firms.workerbeemployprocessgoodfirm2DEAL WITHto deal with an official document, request etc in the usual wayprocess an application/claim/transaction etcAll university applications are processed through this system.applicationbeprocess3to deal with information using a computer: The new network will enable data to be processed more speedily.datumprocess4to print a picture from a photographic film → data processing, word processorTHESAURUSdeal with something to take the necessary action, especially in order to solve a problem: We need to deal with problems like pollution and climate change.problem | I spend most of my day dealing with customer enquiries.dealenquiryhandle to deal with a problem or difficult situation by making particular decisions. Used especially when talking about how well or badly someone does this: He handled the situation very well.handle | Most customers were happy with the way their complaints had been handled.customerbecomplainthavebehandletackle to start to deal with a problem, especially one that is complicated: We need to tackle the issue of drugs in schools.drugschool | The government is introducing new measures to tackle online crime.beintroducemeasuresee to/attend to somebody/something to deal with all the practical details of something that needs to be done or organized. Attend to is more formal than see to: My son saw to all the funeral arrangements.seearrangement | I have some business to attend to.take care of something to do the work or make the arrangements that are necessary for something to happen. Used especially when you do this for someone else so that they do not have to worry about it: My secretary takes care of all the paperwork.takeprocess if a company or organization processes a letter, form etc, they do the things that are usually done as part of their official system, in order to deal with it: It will take a minimum of 14 days to process your passport application.day | I called their office, and they said that my request was still being processed.callsaybebeprocess
processverbCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entriesprocessprocessesprocessedprocessingprocesspro‧cess3 /prəˈses/ verb [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]Verb form LINE formal to walk or move along in a very slow and serious way, especially as part of a group
adjective
Date: 1200-1300Origin: Old past participle of pass 1previous [only before noun]PAST done, used, or experienced before now:
Judging by her past performance, Jane should do very well.judgeshallFrom past experience she knew that it was no use arguing with him.knowbeargueStudy some past exam papers to get an idea of the questions.paperquestion2recentPAST [only before noun] used to refer to a period up until now: the events of the past yeareventDuring the past two weeks, 12 people have died of the disease.weekdieShe has been feeling tired for the past few days.havebefeeltireday3finishedFINISH/COME TO AN END finished or having come to an end: Winter is past and spring has come at last.behavewriters from past centurieswritercenturya tradition rooted in times long pastroottime4formerPAST [only before noun] having held a particular position in the past or achieved a particular honour in the pastpast president/member/winner etca past president of the golf cluba celebration for past and present employees of the newspaperemployeeBruce Jenner, a past Olympic champion5grammar [only before noun] relating to the past tense
pastprepositionCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplespastpastpast2 S1 W2 preposition, adverb1later than a particular time: It’s ten past nine.I should be finished by half past (=30 minutes after the hour).shallfinishIt was past midnight when the party ended.beendCome on Annie, it’s long past your bedtime.2AFTERfurther than a particular place: The hospital’s just up this road, about a mile past the school.There are parking spaces over there, just past (=a little further than) the garage.beparkspace3PASS/GO PASTup to and beyond a person or place, without stopping: She waved as she drove past.wavedriveWill you be going past my house on your way home?gostraight/right past (=used to emphasize that someone passes close to you and does not stop)Monica hurried straight past me and down the steps.hurrystep4PASS/TIME PASSINGif a period of time goes past, it passes: Weeks went past without any news.weekgoThe hours seemed to fly past.hourseem5beyond or no longer at a particular point or stage: The roses were already past their best.rosebewellReid never really got past the stage of copying other artists.getcopyartista pot of yoghurt well past its sell-by datean Italian singer who was then past her prime (=no longer strong and active)beI’m past caring about my appearance (=I do not care about it any more).care6I wouldn’t put it past somebody (to do something) spokenTYPICAL used to say that you would not be surprised if someone did something bad or unusual because it is typical of them to do that type of thing: I wouldn’t put it past Colin to cheat.7past it British English spoken too old to be able to do what you used to do, or too old to be useful: People seem to think that just because I’m retired, I’m past it.retire8be past due American English something that is past due has not been paid or done by the time it should have been
pastnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplespastpastspastpast3 S1 W2 noun1the past a)PASTthe time that existed before the presentin the pastThe lake was smaller in the past.besmallGood manners have become a thing of the past (=something that does not exist any more).mannerIt’s time she stopped living in the past (=thinking only about the past) and began to think about her future.stoplivebeginthe recent/immediate/distant pastShe allowed her mind to drift towards the recent past.allowI did a law degree some time in the dim and distant past (=a long time ago).do b)the past tense2all in the past spokenFINISH/COME TO AN END used to say that an unpleasant experience has ended and can be forgotten: You mustn’t think about it. It’s all in the past now.3PAST[singular] the past life or existence of someone or something: At some time in its past the church was rebuilt.berebuildThe woman who ran the bar had a very shady past (=events in her past which might be considered bad).runhaveCOLLOCATIONSadjectivesthe recent past The optimistic economic climate of the recent past has gone.havegothe distant/remote past Rivers of molten lava clearly flowed here in the distant past.riverflowthe immediate past (=the very recent past) In order to understand the present, we must look at the immediate past.verbsforget the past Forget the past and focus on the future.be living in the past (=think only about the past) You’ve got to stop living in the past.getlivephrasesbe/become a thing of the past (=not exist any more, or stop existing) We hope that smoking will become a thing of the past.smokea break with the past (=when something is done in a completely different way to how it was done in the past) These policies are a break with the past.policybein the dim and distant past (=a very long time ago) I think she sang Ireland's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest sometime in the dim and distant past.singTHESAURUSin the past at a time before now, especially a long time ago: In the past, most children didn’t go to school at all.child | We had a big argument, but it’s all in the past now.havein those days/in the old days a long time ago in your life, or in your parents’ or grandparents’ lives, when things were different: £5 was a lot of money in those days.beday | In the old days, only very rich people had cars.dayhavecarat one time used for saying that something was true in the past, but is not now: At one time there were six schools in the village.beschool | I would have agreed with you at one time.willagreeback in the day informal used when you are talking about a time in the past, especially one that you remember as being very good: I loved Blondie back in the day.love | Back in the day, everyone would meet at the boys’ club.willboy
long.Word sets 1long.long.long. the written abbreviation of longitude
verb (past tense ran /ræn/, past participle run, present participle running)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: rinnan Verb form1move quickly using your legsRUN a)[intransitive] to move very quickly, by moving your legs more quickly than when you walkrun down/up/to/towards etcI ran down the stairs as fast as I could.runstaircanHe was running towards the door.berunShe turned and ran away.turnrunThe boys ran off into the crowd.boyrunrun to do somethingSeveral people ran to help her when she fell.runfallThe children came running out of the house.childcomerunWomen ran screaming, with children in their arms.womanrunscreamchildarmJane struggled free and ran for her life (=ran in order to avoid being killed).strugglerunHurry! Run for it (=run as quickly as possible in order to escape)!
He picked up the child and ran like hell (=ran very quickly, especially in order to escape).pickrun not polite b)[transitive] to run a particular distance: Firefighters are to run 500km to raise money for a children’s charity.firefighterbechildHe ran the length of the corridor.run2race a)[intransitive and transitive] to run in a race: I’d never run a marathon before.run inMurray has said she will consider running in the 3000 metres.havesayrunmetre b)[transitive usually passive] if a race is run at a particular time or in a particular place, it happens at that time or in that place: The Derby will be run at 3 o'clock.3organize/be in charge of [transitive]CONTROL to organize or be in charge of an activity, business, organization, or country: For a while, she ran a restaurant in Boston.runMany people don’t care who runs the country.runCourses are currently being run in London and Edinburgh.coursebebeMany people belong to a pension scheme run by their employers.employerwell/badly runThe hotel is well-run and extremely popular.bea state-run (=controlled by the government) television station4RUNdo something/go somewhere quickly [intransitive] to do something or go somewhere quickly: Run and ask your mother where she’s put the keys.keyrun toI need to run to the store for some more milk.5buses/trains etc a)[intransitive] if a bus, train etc service runs, it takes people from one place to another at fixed times: The buses don’t run on Sundays.busrun toThe number 61 bus runs to the city centre.numbrun b)[transitive] if a company or other organization runs a bus, train etc service, they make it operate: They’re running special trains to and from the exhibition.runtrain6computers a)[intransitive] if a computer program runs, it operatesrun onThe software will run on any PC. b)[transitive] if you run a program, you make it operate: The RS8 system runs both Unix and MPX-32.run7machine/engine a)[intransitive] if a machine or engine runs, it operates: She got out of the car and left the engine running.getleaverunrun on electricity/gas/petrol etc (=get its power from electricity etc)Most cars run on unleaded fuel.carrun off something (=use something for power)It runs off batteries.runbattery b)[transitive] if you run a machine or engine, you make it operate: You shouldn’t keep the engine running when the car is standing still.runbestandI often run the washing machine more than once a day.wash8tape a)[intransitive usually progressive] if a tape is running, it is recording: She didn’t realize the tape was running as she spoke.berunspeak b)[transitive] if you run a tape, you make it move backwards or forwards: Run the tape back to the beginning.begin9newspaper/television a)[transitive] to print something in a newspaper or magazine, or broadcast something on television: The company is running a series of advertisements in national newspapers.berunadvertisementnewspaperA local TV station ran her story.run b)[intransitive] if a program runs on television, it is shown. If a story runs in a newspaper or magazine, it is printed: The series ran for 20 episodes and was extremely popular.runepisodebeConan Doyle’s stories ran in ‘The Strand’ magazine.storyrun10fast/out of control [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]FAST/QUICK to move too fast or in an uncontrolled way: Her car ran off the road and into a tree.runThe truck ran out of control and hit a house.run11use a vehicle [transitive] especially British English to own and use a vehicle: I can’t afford to run a car.A bicycle is relatively cheap to buy and run.be12take somebody in your car [transitive always + adverb/preposition] informalTAKE/BRING to take someone somewhere in your car SYN drive: Shall I run you home?run somebody to somethingLet me run you to the station.13in an election [intransitive] especially American EnglishVOTE/ELECT to try to be elected in an election SYN stand British Englishrun forSalinas is running for a second term as President.berunan attempt to encourage more women to run for officewomanrun againstFeinstein will win if she runs against Lungren.run14something long [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition] if something long such as a road or wire runs in a particular direction, that is its position, or that is where you put it: The road runs along a valley.runDevelopers want to run a road right through his farm.developerRun the cables under the carpet.cableThe Sierra mountain range runs the length of the north west coast of Majorca.run15move something on a surface [transitive always + adverb/preposition]RUB to move something lightly along a surface: Charles ran his fingers through her hair.runfingerRun the scanner over the bar codes.code16flow [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]LIQUID to flow in a particular direction or place: Tears started to run down her cheeks.tearstartcheekWater was running off the roof.berun17tap [intransitive and transitive] if a tap is running, water is coming out of it, or if you run a tap, you make water come out of it: Did you leave the tap running?dorunHe ran the tap until the water was really hot.runbe18run a bath to fill a bath with water: I could hear her running a bath upstairs.canrunrun somebody a bathCould you run me a nice hot bath while I finish my meal?can19sb’s nose [intransitive] if someone’s nose is running, liquid is flowing out of it20official papers [intransitive]USE STH if something runs for a particular length of time, it can officially be used for that time: The contract runs for a year.runMy car insurance only has another month to run.have21play/film [intransitive] to continue being performed regularly in one place: The play ran for two years.runyear22happen [intransitive]PLAN to happen in a particular way or at a particular time: Andy kept things running smoothly (=happening in the way they should) while I was away.keepthingrunbeHe was given a further three month prison sentence to run concurrently.begivefarThe course runs over a three year period.run23amount/price [intransitive] to be at a particular level, amount, or pricerun atInflation was running at 5%.berunrun toThe cost of repairing the damage could run to $5000.repaircan24story/account etc [intransitive and transitive]STORY if a story, discussion etc runs in a particular way, it has those particular words or events: The story runs that someone offered Lynch a further $500.runofferfar‘President’s marriage really over’ ran the headline in a national newspaper.run25run its courseHAPPEN if something runs its course, it continues in the way you expect until it has finished: Recession in the country has run its course and left an aftermath of uncertainty.haveleave26something will run and run British EnglishCONTINUE/NOT STOP if a subject, discussion, event etc will run and run, people will continue to be interested in it for a long time: This is a story that will run and run.be27thoughts/feelings [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]THINK STH/HAVE A THOUGHT if a feeling runs through you, or a thought runs through your mind, you feel it or think it quicklyrun through/downA feeling of excitement ran through her body as they touched.feelruntouchThe same thought kept running through his mind.thinkkeeprunA cold shiver ran down my back.runI felt a sharp pain run down my leg.feel28run highEMOTIONAL if feelings run high, people are very angry, upset, excited etc: Tension ran high and fights broke out among the crowd.runfightbreakFeelings have been running high in the town, following the murder of a young girl.feelingberunfollow29run sb’s life informalADVISE to keep telling someone what they should do all the time, in a way that annoys them: Don’t try to run my life!30run for cover a)to run towards a place where you will be safe, especially to avoid bullets: He was shot in the leg as he ran for cover.beshootrun b)to try to protect yourself from a bad situation or from being criticized: His success at backing winning horses has had the bookmakers running for cover.backwinhorsehavehavebookmakerrun31colour in clothes [intransitive]SPREAD if colour runs, it spreads from one piece of clothing or one area of cloth to another when the clothes are wet: The T-shirt ran and made all my other clothes pink.runmakeclothe32paint/ink [intransitive]SPREAD if paint runs, it moves onto an area where you did not intend it to go33run a check/test/experiment etcCHECK/MAKE SURE to arrange for someone or something to be checked or testedrun a check/test/experiment etc onAsk your doctor to run a test on your blood sugar levels.level34hole in clothes [intransitive]HOLE if a hole in tights or stockings runs, it gets bigger in a straight line35run drugs/guns to bring drugs or guns into a country illegally in order to sell them → drug runner, gun-running36run in the familyFAMILY if something such as a quality, disease, or skill runs in the family, many people in that family have it: Diabetes appears to run in families.appearfamily37run a temperature/fever to have a body temperature that is higher than normal, because you are ill38run a mile informalAVOID to try very hard to avoid a particular situation or person because you do not want to deal with them: If someone asked me to marry them, I’d probably run a mile.ask39run late/early/on timeLATE to arrive, go somewhere, or do something late, early, or at the right time: I’m running late, so I’ll talk to you later.runlateIf the train runs on time, we’ll be there by ten.run40be running scaredWORRIED to feel worried because someone who you are competing against is becoming very successful or powerful: The party are running scared.berunscare41come running a)informalOBEY to react in a very eager way when someone asks or tells you to do something: He thinks he’s only got to look at me and I’ll come running.thinkgetrun b)especially spokenSYMPATHIZE to ask someone for help, advice, or sympathy when you have a problemcome running toWell I warned you, so don’t come running to me when it all goes wrong!warnrungo42run your eyes over/along etc somethingLOOK AT to look quickly at something: He ran his eyes along the books on the shelf.runeyebook43run before you can walk to try to do something difficult before you have learned the basic skills you need: A lot of language students want to run before they can walk.student44run a (red) light informal to drive quickly through a red traffic light instead of stopping →, → cut and run at cut1(38), → run deep at deep2(4), → run dry at dry1(4), → run low at low1(4), → run somebody ragged at ragged(5), → run rings around somebody at ring1(8), → run riot at riot1(2), → be running short at short2(2), → run somebody/something to earth at earth1(14), → run to fat at fat2(6), → run somebody/something to ground at ground1(19), → run to seed at seed1(4), → run wild at wild2(1), → be up and running at up1(22)THESAURUSrun to move very quickly, by moving your legs more quickly than when you walk: My five-year-old son runs everywhere.run | I go running twice a week.runjog to run quite slowly for exercise over a long distance: A few people were jogging in the park.bejograce/dash to run somewhere as quickly as you can, especially because you have to do something urgently: He dashed across the road to the police station.dash | We raced to the bus stop and got there just in time.racegetsprint to run as fast as you can for a short distance: I saw the runners sprinting past.seerunnersprint | He sprinted up the stairs.sprintstairtear to run very quickly and without really looking where you are going, because you are in a hurry: He tore down the street and around the corner.tearcharge to run quickly and with a lot of energy, so that you might knock down anyone or anything that gets in your way: They all charged out of the school gates at 4 o'clock.chargegate | Dennis charged through the door into my office.chargetake to your heels to start running away very quickly, especially to escape or because you are afraid: The men took to their heels as soon as they saw the police.mantakeheelseeleg it British English informal to run away very quickly, in order to escape from someone or something: I legged it before the cops came.legcopcomelope especially literary to run easily with long steps – used especially about tall people with long legs: John loped across the street to meet me.lopeanimals runningtrot to run fairly slowly, taking short steps – used especially about horses and dogs: A little dog was trotting behind her.betrotgallop if a horse gallops, it runs very quickly: The horse galloped off across the field.gallopbolt to suddenly run somewhere very fast, especially in order to escape: Suddenly a fox bolted out from beneath a hedge.boltrun across somebody/something phrasal verb MEETto meet someone or find something by chance: I ran across him at a conference in Milan.runI ran across some old love letters while I was clearing out a cupboard.runletterbeclearrun after somebody/something phrasal verb1RUNto chase someone or something: He ran after her, calling her name.runcall2informalSEX/HAVE SEX WITH to try to start a sexual relationship with someone: He’s always running after younger women.runyoungwoman3spokenDO to do a lot of things for someone else as though you were their servant: I can’t keep running after you all day!runrun along phrasal verb spoken used to tell a child to leave, or to tell someone that you must leave: Run along now! I’ve got work to finish.getOh, it’s late. I’d better be running along.wellrunrun around (also run roundrun round British English) phrasal verb1RUNto run in an area while you are playing: The children were running around in the garden.childberun2informalBUSY/HAVE A LOT TO DO to be very busy doing many small jobs: Maria was running around trying to get the house tidy.beruntryWe were all running around like headless chickens (=trying to do a lot of things, in an anxious or disorganized way).berunchicken → runaroundrun around after somebody phrasal verb informal to do a lot of things for someone else as though you were their servant: I’ve spent all day running around after the kids.spendrunkidrun around with somebody phrasal verb informal to spend a lot of time with someone, especially someone that other people disapprove of: He started running around with a gang of teenagers.startrunteenagerrun away phrasal verb1LEAVE A PLACEto leave a place, especially secretly, in order to escape from someone or somethingrun away fromToby ran away from home at the age of 14.run → run yourself into the ground at ground1(13)run off phrasal verb1LEAVE A PLACELEAVE A RELATIONSHIPto leave a place or person in a way that people disapprove of: Amy’s husband had run off and left her with two children to bring up.haveleavechild2run something ↔ off to quickly print several copies of something: I’ll run off a few more copies before the meeting.copymeet3run somebody off something to force someone to leave a place: Someone tried to run me off the road.trySmith had run them off his property with a rifle.have4run something ↔ offWRITE to write a speech, poem, piece of music etc quickly and easily: He could run off a five-page essay in an hour.can5run off at the mouth American English informalTALK TO SB to talk too much6run something ↔ offTHIN PERSON to get rid of weight by running: I’m trying to run off some of my excess fat!tryrun off with somebody/something phrasal verb informal1SEX/HAVE SEX WITHto secretly go away with someone in order to marry them or live with them – used to show disapproval: Liz shocked us all by running off with a married man.shockrunmarry2STEALto steal something and go away: a con-man who makes a habit of running off with people’s savingsmakerunsavingrun on phrasal verb LONG TIMEto continue happening for longer than expected or planned: These things always run on longer than people imagine.thinglongrun out phrasal verb1a)FINISH/USE ALL OF STHto use all of something and not have any more left: I’ve got money you can borrow if you run out.getrun out ofThey ran out of money and had to abandon the project.runhaveHe’d run out of ideas.idea b)FINISH/USE ALL OF STHif something is running out, there will soon be none left: We must act now because time is running out.berunMy patience was running out.berunHis luck had run out (=there was none left).have2FINISH/COME TO AN ENDif an agreement, official document etc runs out, the period for which it is legal or has an effect ends SYN expire: My contract runs out in September.run3run out of steam informal (also run out of gas American English)FINISH/USE ALL OF STH to have no more energy or no longer be interested in what you are doing: The team seemed to have run out of gas.seem4run somebody out of town old-fashionedLEAVE A PLACE to force someone to leave a place, because they have done something wrong5run somebody ↔ out to end a player’s innings in the game of cricket by hitting the stumps with the ball while they are runningrun out on somebody phrasal verb to leave someone when they are in a difficult situation – used to show disapproval: He ran out on her when she became pregnant.runbecomerun over phrasal verb1run somebody/something ↔ overHIT/BUMP INTO to hit someone or something with a vehicle, and drive over them: He was run over and killed by a bus.bekillShe got run over outside the school.get2run over somethingTHINK ABOUT to think about something: Mark’s mind raced, running over all the possibilities.racerunpossibility3run over somethingPRACTISE/PRACTICE to explain or practise something quickly: I’ll just run over the main points again.point4run over (something)LONG TIME to continue happening for longer than planned: The meeting ran over.meetrunThe talks have run over the 15 November deadline.talk5FULLif a container runs over, there is so much liquid inside that some flows out SYN overflowrun something past somebody phrasal verb to run something by someonerun round phrasal verb British English to run aroundrun through phrasal verb1run through somethingPRACTISE/PRACTICE to repeat something in order to practise it or make sure it is correct: Let’s run through the first scene again.2run through somethingLOOK AT to read, look at, or explain something quickly: Briefly, she ran through details of the morning’s events.rundetailevent3run through somethingCONTINUE/NOT STOP if a quality, feature etc runs through something, it is present in all of that thing: This theme runs through the whole book.run4run somebody through literaryINJURE to push a sword completely through someone → run-throughrun to somebody/something phrasal verb1REACHto reach a particular amount: The cost of repairing the damage could run to $1 million.repaircanThe treaty ran to 248 pages.runpage2[usually in negatives] British EnglishENOUGH to be or have enough money to pay for something: Our budget won’t run to replacing all the computers.winreplacecomputer3to ask someone to help or protect you: You can’t keep running to your parents every time you have a problem.runparent4sb’s taste runs to something if someone’s taste runs to something, that is what they like: His taste ran to action movies and thrillers.runmoviethrillerrun up something phrasal verb1run up a debt/bill etcUSE STH to use so much of something, or borrow so much money, that you owe a lot of money: She ran up an enormous phone bill.run2to achieve a particular score or position in a game or competition: He quickly ran up a big lead in the polls.runpoll3MAKErun something ↔ up to make something, especially clothes, very quickly: She can run up a dress in an evening.even4UPrun something ↔ up to raise a flag on a polerun up against something/somebody phrasal verb PROBLEMto have to deal with unexpected problems or a difficult opponent: The museum has run up against opposition to its proposals.haveproposalrun with something phrasal verb to be covered with a liquid that is flowing down: His face was running with blood.berun
runnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5Word sets 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesrunrunsrunrun2 noun
Word family1on foot [countable]RUN a period of time spent running, or a distance that you run → jog, sprint: a five-mile runShe usually goes for a run before breakfast.goHe was still following me, and in a panic I broke into a run.befollowbreakat a runSarah left the house at a run.leave2in the long runLONG TIME later in the future, not immediately → long-term: Moving to Spain will be better for you in the long run.movewell3in the short runSHORT TIME in the near future → short-term: Sufficient supply, in the short run, will be a problem.4the usual/normal/general run of something the usual type of something: The place was very different from the normal run of street cafes.be5series [countable usually singular] a series of successes or failures → string, streak: an unbeaten run of 19 gamesgamerun of good/bad luckLosing my job was the start of a run of bad luck that year.losebea run of defeats/victories etcHis extraordinary run of successes has been stopped.successhavebestop6amount produced [countable] an amount of a product produced at one time: a limited run of 200 copieslimitcopy7be on the run a)ESCAPEto be trying to escape or hide, especially from the policebe on the run fromwanted criminals on the run from policewantcriminal b)if an army or opponent is on the run, they will soon be defeated c)to be very busy and continuously rushing about: Typical of stress is this feeling of being continuously on the run.befeelbe8do something on the run to do something while you are on your way somewhere or doing something else: I always seem to eat on the run these days.day9make a run for itESCAPE to suddenly start running, in order to escape10the run of somethingUSE STH if you have the run of a place, you are allowed to go anywhere and do anything in it: We had the run of the house for the afternoon.have11a run on somethingBUY a)a situation in which lots of people suddenly buy a particular product → rush: There’s always a run on roses before Valentine’s Day.rose b)a run on the dollar/pound etc a situation in which lots of people sell dollars etc and the value goes down c)a run on the bank an occasion when a lot of people take their money out of a bank at the same time12give somebody a (good) run for their money to make your opponent in a competition use all their skill and effort to defeat you: They’ve given some of the top teams a run for their money this season.giveteam13have a (good) run for your money informal to succeed in doing something successfully for a long time: Investors have also had a good run for their money.investorhave14illness the runs informal diarrhoea15play/film [countable] a continuous series of performances of a play, film etc in the same place: His first play had a three-month run in the West End.have16journey [singular] a)TRAVELa journey by train, ship, truck etc made regularly between two places: It’s only a 55-minute run from London to Brighton.the daily school run (=the journey that parents make each day taking their children to and from school) British English b)informalTRAVEL a short journey in a car, for pleasure: Let’s take the car out for a run.17for animals [countable] an enclosed area where animals such as chickens or rabbits are kept: a chicken run18sport [countable] a point won in cricket or baseball: Jones made 32 runs this afternoon.makerun19winter sports [countable] a special area or track on a mountain for people to ski or sledge down: a ski run20election [countable usually singular] American English an attempt to be elected to an important positionrun forHe is preparing a run for the presidency.beprepare21in clothes [countable] American EnglishTEAR a line of torn stitches in tights or stockings SYN ladder British English22music [countable] a set of notes played or sung quickly up or down a scale in a piece of music23card games [countable] a set of cards with numbers in a series, held by one player → dry run, dummy run, fun run, milk run, print run, trial run
verb
Word familyDate: 1200-1300Origin: Probably from Old English talian ‘to count, consider, tell’ Verb form1conversation [intransitive]TALK TO SB to say things to someone as part of a conversation:
I could hear Sarah and Andy talking in the next room.cantalktalk aboutEnglish people love to talk about the weather.All through the afternoon, they sat and talked about their trip.sittalktalk toShe spent a long time talking to him.spendtalkShe’s very easy to talk to.talk withI got the truth from talking with Elena.gettalktalk togetherThey were talking together in the hall.betalkSue and Bob still aren’t talking (=are refusing to talk to each other).talktalk in a low voice/a whisper etcThey were talking in low voices, and I couldn’t catch what they were saying.betalkvoicebesaytalk of (=used especially in formal or literary contexts)We talked of old times.talktime2serious subject [intransitive]TALK TO SB to discuss something serious or important with someone: Joe, we need to talk.Is there somewhere we can talk in private?betalk toYou should talk to a lawyer.shalltalk aboutWe’ve been talking about getting married.betalkgetmarrytalk withParents should talk with their children about drug abuse.parentshallchildtalk sport/politics/business etc‘Let’s not talk politics now,’ said Hugh impatiently.sayRegisterIn written English, people usually say that they are going to discuss, deal with, or address a subject rather than talk about it:In this essay I will discuss the problem of over-population.3say words [intransitive] to produce words and express thoughts, opinions, ideas etc: She was talking so fast I could hardly understand her.betalkcanHow do babies learn to talk?babySome residents were frightened to talk publicly.residentbefrightentalk (in) French/German etcThey started talking in Spanish.starttalkDon’t let Dad hear you talking like that (=expressing things in a particular way).talk4a speech [intransitive]TALK/MAKE A SPEECH to give a speechtalk on/aboutProfessor Davis will talk about ‘Trends in Network Computing’.trendcompute5secret information [intransitive]TELL A SECRET if someone who has secret information talks, they tell someone else about it: Even under torture, Maskell refused to talk.refuseHe tried to stop his ex-wife from talking on live TV.trytalkWe should stop meeting like this. People will talk.shallmeet6talk sense/rubbish/nonsense etc especially British English spoken used to say that you think someone is saying something sensible, something stupid etc: You do talk rubbish sometimes, Jules.7talk (some) sense into somebodyPERSUADE to persuade someone to behave sensibly: She hoped Father McCormack would be able to talk some sense into her son.hopewill8talk to yourself to say your thoughts out loud: ‘What did you say?’ ‘Sorry, I was just talking to myself.’dobetalk9know what you are talking about spokenKNOW STH to know a lot about a particular subject: I worked in hotels for years, so I know what I’m talking about.workhotelyeartalk10talk the hind leg(s) off a donkey informalSPEAK A LANGUAGE to talk a lot, especially about unimportant things11talk about lazy/cheap/hungry etcVERY spoken used to emphasize that someone or something is very lazy, cheap, hungry etc: Talk about lucky. That’s the second time he’s won this week!win12talking of/about somethingMENTION spoken used to say more about a subject that someone has just mentioned: Talking of Venice, have you seen the masks I bought there last year?talkseemaskbuy13what are you talking about? spoken used when you think what someone has said is stupid or wrong: What are you talking about? We got there in plenty of time.betalkget14I’m talking to you! spoken used when you are angry that the person you are talking to is not paying attention: Rob! I’m talking to you!talk15be like talking to a brick wall spoken used to say that it is annoying to speak to someone because they do not pay attention to you16talk sb’s ear off American English spoken to talk too much to someone17talk trash American English informal to say rude or offensive things to or about someone, especially to opponents in a sports competition: Both teams were talking trash on the court.teambetalk18talk the talk American English informal to say the things that people expect or think are necessary in a particular situation: She didn’t talk the talk of feminism, but her career was the most important thing in her life.be → walk the walk at walk1(12)19I’m/we’re/you’re talking (about) something spoken used in conversation to emphasize a fact or remind someone of it: I’m not talking about ancient history, I’m talking about last season’s performance.talktalk20now you’re talking spokenAGREE used to say that you think someone’s suggestion is a good idea: ‘Fancy an ice cream?’ ‘Now you’re talking.’talk21look who’s talking, you’re a fine one to talk, you can talk spokenCRITICIZE used to tell someone they should not criticize someone else’s behaviour because their own behaviour is just as bad: ‘Peggy shouldn’t smoke so much.’ ‘Look who’s talking!’talk22we’re/you’re talking £500/three days etc spoken used to tell someone how much something will cost, how long something will take to do etc: To do a proper job, you’re talking £750 minimum.talk23talk your way out of something informalESCAPE to escape from a bad or embarrassing situation by giving explanations, excuses etc: She’s good at talking her way out of trouble.talk24talk nineteen to the dozen British English informal, talk a blue streak American English informalSPEAK A LANGUAGE to talk very quickly without stopping25talk in riddles to deliberately talk in a strange and confusing way: Stop talking in riddles and explain what’s going on.talkriddlego26talk tough (on something) informalTELL/ORDER SB TO DO STH to give people your opinions very strongly: The President is talking tough on crime.betalk27talk shop if people talk shop, they talk about their work when there are people present who are not interested or involved in it – used to show disapproval: Are you two going to talk shop all night?bego28talk dirty (to somebody) informalSEX/HAVE SEX WITH to talk in a sexual way to someone in order to make them feel sexually excited29be talking through your hat British English informalSTUPID/NOT SENSIBLE if someone is talking through their hat, they say stupid things about something that they do not understand30talk smack American English informal to criticize someone or something in an unpleasant way31talk to the hand spoken informal used to tell someone rudely that you do not want to listen to anything he or she is going to say to you. When people use this expression, they also usually turn their face away from the other person and hold the palm of their hand out towards them.THESAURUStalk to use words to communicate with someone about something: I need to talk to you about your work. | She always enjoyed talking to Jim.enjoytalk | Can we talk?speak to talk. Speak is a little more formal than talk. You often use it when saying that someone speaks in a particular way, or that you will speak to someone in order to try to get something done. You only use speak when saying that someone speaks a language: He spoke with confidence and authority.speak | She was speaking quietly so she didn’t disturb anyone.bespeak | I’d like to speak to the manager. | Do you speak German?go on/drone on/ramble to talk too much or for too long about something, in a way that makes people bored: He went on about how great the team was.gobe | I’d better stop rambling and let you get on with your work.wellramblewaffle /ˈwɒfəl $ ˈwɑː-/ British English disapproving informal to talk using a lot of words but without saying anything important: I wish he would stop waffling and get to the point!willwaffleprattle on disapproving informal to talk continuously about silly and unimportant things: She prattled on about her boyfriend for the entire journey.prattle | What’s he prattling on about now?prattleto talk about everyday thingshave a conversation to talk to someone for a long time about everyday things: She was having a conversation with one of her friends.behavefriend | When I arrived, Joe and Jane were deep in conversation (=very involved in a conversation).arrivebe | I can order food in a restaurant in French, but not have a conversation.chat/have a chat informal to have a friendly informal conversation about things that are not very important: The girls were chatting outside the house.girlbechat | It’s been nice having a chat with you.behavegossip to talk about other people’s private lives when they are not there, especially about things that you have heard, which are not completely true: What are you two gossiping about?begossipvisit with somebody American English informal to have a conversation with someone: I visited with him last week.visitconverse formal to have a conversation with someone: We met once and conversed briefly.meetconverseto talk seriouslydiscuss to talk seriously about problems, ideas, or plans: They met to discuss how the building should be designed.meetbuildshalldesign | She refuses to discuss the matter.refusetalk something over to discuss something with someone because it will affect them, especially someone close to you: Before you accept the job, talk it over with your family. | You two need to sit down and talk things over.thingdebate to discuss a subject formally when you are trying to make a decision or solve a problem: The issue will be debated on Tuesday.debate | The UN Security Council debated whether to impose sanctions.debatesanctiontalk around/round phrasal verb British English1talk somebody around/roundPERSUADE to persuade someone to change their opinion about something: Leave Betty to me. I’ll soon talk her round.2talk around/round somethingDISCUSS to discuss a problem without really dealing with the important parts of it: They had spent half the night talking round the subject.havespendtalktalk back phrasal verb ANSWER/REPLYto answer someone in authority such as a teacher or parent in a rude or impolite waytalk somebody/something ↔ down phrasal verb1CRITICIZE British English to make something seem less successful, interesting, good etc than it really is: the pessimists who are talking down Britainpessimistbetalk2to help a pilot land an aircraft by giving them instructions from the ground by radiotalk down to somebody phrasal verb TALK TO SBto talk to someone as if they are stupid, although they are not SYN patronize: The students felt that they were talked down to as though they were children.studentfeelbetalkbechildtalk somebody into something phrasal verb PERSUADEto persuade someone to do somethingtalk somebody into doing somethingMy husband talked me into going skiing.talkgoskitalk something ↔ out phrasal verb informal1SOLVE/DEAL WITH A PROBLEMto discuss a problem thoroughly in order to solve it: We need to spend a little time talking this out.talktalk something ↔ out withIt might help if you talked it out with Dad.talk2British English if politicians talk out a proposal, they talk about it for a long time deliberately so that there will not be enough time to vote on it SYN filibuster: The Land Protection Bill was talked out by MPs from rural areas.betalkareatalk somebody out of something phrasal verb PERSUADEto persuade someone not to do somethingtalk somebody out of doing somethingCan’t you talk them out of selling the house?selltalk something ↔ over phrasal verb DISCUSSto discuss a problem with someone before deciding what to dotalk something ↔ over withTalk over any worries with your GP.worrytalk through something phrasal verb1talk something ↔ throughDISCUSS to discuss something thoroughly so that you are sure you understand it: Allow time to talk through any areas of difficulty.area2talk somebody through something to help someone understand a process, method etc by explaining it to them carefully before they use it: Trevor talked me through loading the software.talkloadtalk something ↔ up phrasal verb to make something appear more important, interesting, successful etc than it really is: Jones talked up the idea at the meeting.talkmeet
talknounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplestalktalkstalktalk2 S1 W1 noun
Word family1conversation [countable]TALK TO SB a conversation: After a long talk, we decided on divorce.decideJohn, I’d like to have a talk with you.talk aboutWe must have a talk about money.2discussion talks [plural]TALK TO SBDISCUSS formal discussions between governments, organizations etcpeace/trade etc talksThe peace talks look promising.talkpromiseThe president held talks with Chinese officials.holdtalkofficialtalks withTalks with the rebels have failed.talkrebelfail3speech [countable]TALK/MAKE A SPEECH a speech: an entertaining talkentertaintalk on/abouta talk on local historygive/do/deliver a talkDr. Howard will give a talk on herbal medicine.4news [uncountable] information or news that people talk about and hear about a lot, but that is not officialtalk ofTickets sold so quickly there’s talk of a second concert.ticketselltalk of doing somethingthe administration’s talk of reducing weaponsreduceweapontalk thatThere’s talk that she’s difficult to work with.just/only talkIt’s just talk. He’ll never do it.5type of conversation [uncountable]TALK TO SB type of conversation: That’s enough of that kind of talk.persuasive sales talksaleThat’s fighting talk (=brave and confident words) from Italy’s manager.fight6be all talk spokenBOASTDO STH/TAKE ACTION someone who is all talk talks a lot about what they intend to do, but never actually does it7be the talk of the town/Paris etcRUMOUR/RUMOR someone who is the talk of the town has done something bad, shocking, exciting etc and everyone is talking about them: She’s the talk of London’s theatre-goers since her last performance.goer8talk is cheap used to say that you do not believe someone will do what they say → pep talk, small talk, → idle talk at idle1(2), → pillow talk at pillow1(3)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 1verbshave a talk I must have a talk with Frank before I leave.adjectivesa long talk I had a long talk with Nora this morning.havea little talk I’m glad we’ve had this little talk.havea serious talk Before she went to college, her father sat her down for a serious talk.gosita quiet/private talk She asked if she could have a private talk.askcana good talk (=a long talk about important or interesting things) She was upset, but we’ve had a good talk and things are okay now.behavethingbea nice talk We all had lunch together and a nice talk.haveCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2verbshave/hold talks He called on the rebels to hold talks with the government.callrebeltalkenter into talks (=start having talks) The Ambassador stated that France was prepared to enter into talks on the issue.statebepreparetalktalks begin Talks began in October and Venezuela said it expects an agreement to be signed soon.talkbeginsayexpectsigntalks continue/are underway Talks will continue through the weekend.talktalks break down/collapse (=stop because of disagreement) Talks broke down today between the Russian and Japanese delegations.talkbreakdelegationtalks resume/are resumed Talks resumed in Geneva on April 19 after a month’s break.talkresumetalks end The talks ended without a settlement being reached.talkendbereachADJECTIVES/NOUN + talks peace talks All four Arab delegations walked out of the Middle East peace talks yesterday.delegationwalktalktrade talks Trade talks between the EU and the Americans have once again collapsed.talkcollapsehigh-level talks (=involving important people) The announcement came after a morning of high-level talks.cometalkbudget talks The dollar fell as U.S. budget talks appeared unlikely to produce an agreement.falltalkappeardirect talks The President declared that he was now prepared to enter into direct talks with the rebels.declarebepreparetalkrebelbilateral talks (=involving two groups or countries) Bilateral talks led to the resumption of diplomatic relations.talkleadrelationround-table talks (=when everyone can discuss things in an equal way) An election law, agreed during round-table talks, gave every voter the right to two votes.agreetalkgivevoteurgent talks The Prime Minister called ministers together for urgent talks.callministertalkcrisis talks (=talks to stop a situation getting worse or more dangerous) The unions will hold crisis talks with the company in a bid to save jobs.uniontalkjobphrasesa round of talks (=a series of talks that is part of a longer process) A third round of talks was held in May.talkbeholdthe breakdown/collapse of talks The collapse of the talks sent shock waves round the world.talksendwave
verb
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: libban Verb form1in a place/home [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]LIVE SOMEWHERE if you live in a place, you have your home therelive in/at/near etc
They lived in Holland for ten years.liveyearHe lives just across the street from me.liveWe live only a few miles from the coast.milA rather odd family came to live next door to us.comeAs soon as I saw the place, I knew I didn’t want to live there.seeknowDoes Paul still live here?doWe’re still looking for somewhere to live.lookThey’ve finally found a place to live.findlive withMy grandmother came to live with us when I was ten.comebeMost seventeen-year-olds still live at home (=live with their parents).I’m quite happy living alone.liveThe house has 3,600 square feet of living space (=the areas of a house you live in).havefootlivelive rough British English (=live outside because of having no home)I ran away from home and lived rough for nine months.runlivemonth2plant/animal [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]LIVE SOMEWHERE a plant or animal that lives in a particular place grows there or has its home therelive in/on etcThese particular birds live on only one island in the Pacific.bird3at a particular time [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]LIVING/ALIVE if you live at a particular time, you are alive thenlive before/in/atHe lived in the eighteenth century.liveShe lived at a time when women were not expected to work.livewomanbeexpectGladstone lived during a period of great social change.livethe best/greatest etc that/who ever lived (=the best, greatest etc who has been alive at any time)He’s probably the best journalist who ever lived.welllive4be/stay alive [intransitive]SURVIVE to be alive or be able to stay alive: Without light, plants couldn’t live.plantHe is extremely ill and not expected to live.beexpectThe baby only lived a few hours.livehourPeople on average are living much longer than before.belivelongI’ll never forget this for as long as I live.live to (be) 80/90 etc/live to the age of 80/90 etcMy grandmother lived to 85.liveShe lived to the age of 79.livehave two weeks/six months etc to liveHe knows he’s only got a few months to live.knowgetmonthHe did not live to see (=live long enough to see) the realization of his dream.do5way of life [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive]LIFE to have a particular type of life, or live in a particular waylive in peace/poverty etcThe people in this country just want to live in peace.People should not live in fear of crime.shallWe live in hope that a cure will be found.findlive peacefully/quietly/happily etcThe two communities live peacefully alongside each other.communityShe thought that she would get married and live happily ever after (=like in a children’s story).thinkwillmarrySome people like to live dangerously.Most elderly people prefer to live independently if they can.They earn enough money to live well (=have plenty of food, clothes etc).I just want to live my life in my own way.He’s not well enough to live a normal life.live a quiet/active/healthy etc lifeShe lives a very busy life.liveHe had chosen to live the life of a monk.havechooseShe’s now in Hollywood living a life of luxury.livelive byI have always tried to live by my faith (=according to my religion).tryWe struggle on, living from day to day (=trying to find enough money each day to buy food etc).liveHe was tired of living out of a suitcase (=spending a lot of time travelling).betirelive6earn a living [intransitive] the way that someone lives is the way that they earn money to buy food etc: Fishing is the way their families have lived for generations.fishbefamilylivegenerationlive by doing somethingThey live by hunting and killing deer.huntkill7exciting life [intransitive]EXCITED to have an exciting life: She wanted to get out and live a little.wantWe’re beginning to live at last!begin8imagine something [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]IMAGINE to imagine that things are happening to youlive inHe lives in a fantasy world.livelive throughShe lived through her children’s lives.livechildliveYou must stop living in the past (=imagining that things from the past are still happening).live9be kept somewhere [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] British English informalKEEP/STORE the place where something lives is the place where it is kept: Where do these cups live?cupThose big dishes live in the cupboard next to the fridge.dish10still exist/have influence [intransitive]EFFECT/INFLUENCE if an idea lives, it continues to exist and influence people: Democracy still lives!liveHis name will live forever.That day will always live in my memory.11living quarters the part of a building where people live, especially a building that is used by many people or is used for several different purposes: the White House living quarterslivequarter12living expenses the money you need to spend in order to live, for example on food or a house: His tuition is paid, but he’ll work to cover his living expenses.bepayliveexpense13living arrangements the way someone organizes how and where they will live: Her mother disapproved of the living arrangements, saying that two girls living with four boys was bound to cause problems.disapprovelivearrangementsaygirlliveboybebindproblem14live it up informalENJOY/LIKE DOING STH to do things that you enjoy and spend a lot of money: Sam was living it up in London.belive15live by your witsDISHONEST to get money by being clever or dishonest, and not by doing an ordinary job16live a liePRETEND to pretend all the time that you feel or believe something when actually you do not feel that way: I knew that I could not continue to live a lie.knowcan17be living on borrowed timeSURVIVE to be still alive after the time that you were expected to die: She’s been living on borrowed time for the last year.beliveborrow18live in sin old-fashionedLIVE WITH SB if people live in sin, they live together and have a sexual relationship without being married → live together19live and breathe somethingENJOY/LIKE DOING STH to enjoy doing something so much that you spend most of your time on it: Politics is the stuff I live and breathe.be20you live and learn spokenSURPRISED used to say that you have just learned something that you did not know before21live and let liveSTRICT used to say that you should accept other people’s behaviour, even if it seems strange22you haven’t lived (if/until ...)BORING spoken used to say that someone’s life will be boring if they do not do a particular exciting thing: You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted champagne.livetaste23somebody will live to regret itREGRET/FEEL SORRY used to say that someone will wish that they had not done something: If you marry him, you’ll live to regret it.24live to see/fight another daySURVIVE to continue to live or work after a failure or after you have dealt with a difficult situation: Hopefully, the company will live to fight another day.25live life to the full to enjoy doing a lot of different things: She believes in living life to the full.believelive26live high on the hog used to say that someone has a nice life because they have a lot of money and buy expensive things – often used to show disapproval27live from hand to mouth to have only just enough money to buy food: We lived from hand to mouth, never knowing where the next meal was coming from.liveknowbecome28long live the King/Queen! etc spokenSUPPORT A PERSON, GROUP, OR PLAN used as an expression of loyal support for a person29long live democracy/freedom etc used to say that you hope something continues to exist for a long time: Long live free education!THESAURUSlive to have your home somewhere: He lives with his parents.liveparent | Where do you live? | Do you like living in Tokyo?live | Jo lives next to a busy road.live | Judy lives in that nice house on the corner.live | How do you like living in the city again after so many years away from it?liveyear | In 1905 Russell was living at 4 Ralston Street.belivebe from/come from use this when talking about the country, city, or area where you usually live: My name’s Sharon and I’m from Harlow. | The man is believed to be from somewhere in the north of England.bebelieve | ‘Where are you from?’ ‘I’m from Japan.’be | The winner came from Australia.comeinhabit if a group of people or animals inhabit an area, they live there. Used especially in written descriptions: The island is mainly inhabited by sheep.beinhabit | Some tribes still inhabit the more remote mountains and jungles of the country.tribemountainjunglereside formal to live in a particular country, city etc: She now resides in the US.reside | Miss Badu grew up in Dallas but now resides in Brooklyn.growreside | At that time there were many American writers residing in Paris.bewriterreside | Miss Tonelli, how exactly did you come to reside at your current address?do | The government bureau has prepared a booklet for US citizens residing abroad.havepreparecitizenresidegrow up to live somewhere when you are a child or teenager: This is the neighborhood where my father grew up.begrow | I grew up on a farm in South Africa.growlive something ↔ down phrasal verb if someone does not live something down, people never forget about it and never stop laughing at them for it: She’ll never live that down!live for something phrasal verb if you live for something, it is the thing that you enjoy or hope for most in your life: He lived for his art.liveShe had nothing left to live for.haveleaveShe lives for the day when she can have a house of her own.livelive in phrasal verb British English LIVE SOMEWHEREif someone lives in, they live in the place where they work → live-in: Sometimes it can be easier if you have a nanny who lives in.easylivelive off somebody/something phrasal verb EARNto get your income or food from a supply of money or from another person: Mom used to live off the interest from her savings.usesavingDad lost his job and we had to live off welfare.losehaveMost people in the countryside live off the land (=live by growing or finding their own food).live on phrasal verb1SURVIVEif something lives on, it continues to exist: Alice’s memory will live on.2live on something to have a particular amount of money to buy food and other necessary things: I don’t know how they manage to live on £55 a week.the number of families who live on benefitsnumbfamilybenefit3live on something to eat a lot of a particular type of food: They live on bread and potatoes.potatoHe practically lives on fish and chips!livechiplive out phrasal verb1LIVE SOMEWHERE British English if someone lives out, they do not live in the place where they work: Most home helps prefer to live out.help2live out somethingEXPERIENCE to experience or do something that you have planned or hoped for SYN fulfil, realize: The money enabled them to live out their dreams.enabledream3live out your lifeLIFE to continue to live in a particular way or place until you die: He lived out his life in solitude.livelive through something phrasal verb EXPERIENCEto experience difficult or dangerous conditions SYN endure: the generation that lived through the Second World WarliveIt was hard to describe the nightmare she had lived through.behavelivelive together phrasal verb if people live together, they live in the same house and have a sexual relationship but are not married → live with: They lived together for two years before they got married.liveyeargetmarrylive up to something phrasal verb GOOD ENOUGHif something or someone lives up to a particular standard or promise, they do as well as they were expected to, do what they promised etc: The bank is insolvent and will be unable to live up to its obligations.beobligationThe film has certainly lived up to my expectations.haveliveexpectationlive with somebody/something phrasal verb1DEAL WITHto accept a difficult situation that is likely to continue for a long time SYN put up with, tolerate: You have to learn to live with stress.He has lived with his illness for most of his life.havelive2to live in the same house as someone and have a sexual relationship with them without being married → live together: She’s living with her boyfriend now.live3if something lives with you, it stays in your mind: That episode has lived with me all my life.havelive
liveadjectiveCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2Word sets 1 2 3 4 5Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesliveliverlivestlivelive2 S3 W3 /laɪv/ adjective
Word familyDate: 1500-1600Origin: alive 1living [only before noun]LIVING/ALIVE not dead or artificial SYN living OPP dead:
experiments on live animalsexperimentanimalProtesters want to stop the export of live sheep and cattle.protesterthe number of live births per 1,000 populationnumbbirthWe were so excited to see real live elephants.beexciteelephant2tv/radioTIME/AT THE SAME TIME a live television or radio programme is seen or heard on television or radio at the same time as it is actually happening OPP prerecorded: a live radio phone-in showThere will be live TV coverage of tonight’s big match.3music/theatreTIME/AT THE SAME TIME a live performance is one in which the entertainer performs for people who are watching, rather than a film, record etc: A lot of the bars have live music.barThe band will be giving a live concert performance next week.giveWe’ll be playing you a track from his new live album (=album that was recorded from a live performance).playIt’s always different when you perform in front of a live audience (=an audience watching a live performance).4electricity a wire or piece of equipment that is live has electricity flowing through it: Be careful – those wires are live.wirebe5bombs a live bomb still has the power to explode because it has not been used: They came across a field of live, unexploded mines.comemine6bullets live bullets are real ones that are made of metal and can kill people OPP blank: Troops fired live ammunition to disperse the crowd.troopfire7STILLissue a live subject or problem is one that still interests or worries people: Drink-driving is still very much a live issue.drivebe8live coalsBURN pieces of coal that are burning: She threw the paper onto the live coals.throwcoal9yoghurt live yoghurt contains bacteria that are still alive
liveadverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus exampleslivelivelive3 /laɪv/ adverbWord family1TIME/AT THE SAME TIMEif something is broadcast live, it is broadcast on television or radio as it is actually happening → prerecorded: The ceremony will be broadcast live on television.The match will be shown live by the BBC.show2TIME/AT THE SAME TIMEif people perform live, they perform in front of people who have come to watch, rather than for a film, record etc: I love their music, but I’ve never seen them perform live.seeThe band is playing live in Birmingham tonight.beplayTheir latest CD was recorded live (=recorded at a live performance) in New York.lateberecord3go live when a system or project goes live, people start to use it after it has been planned and discussed for a long time: Their new information retrieval system went live last month.goa new security project which will go live in October
verb
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: ræcan Verb form1development [transitive]REACH if someone or something reaches a particular point in their development or in a process or competition, they get to that point:
Chelsea could reach the final of the European Cup.canreach the point/level/stage etcI had reached the point where I was earning a good salary.havereachbeearnThe kids have reached the age when they can care for themselves.kidreachRegisterIn everyday English, people often use get to rather than reach:The kids have got to the age where they can care for themselves.kidget2rate/amount [transitive] if something reaches a particular rate, amount etc, it increases until it is at that rate or amount: By 2008, that figure is expected to reach 7 million.beexpectwind speeds reaching up to 180 mphspeedreachPrices rose steadily to reach record levels.priceriselevel3agree [transitive]SUCCEED IN DOING STH to agree on something or decide something after a lot of discussion or thoughtreach a decision/agreement etcThe theatre has reached an agreement with striking actors.havereachstrikeactorIt took the jury three days to reach a verdict.takedayThe talks will continue until a conclusion is reached.talkbereach4reach a target/goal to achieve what you wanted to achieve: We hope to reach our £1 million target by the autumn.5touch a)[intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition]REACH to move your arm in order to touch or lift something with your hand: She reached into her bag and produced a business card.reachproduceHe reached down to help her to her feet.reachfootreach forKelly reached for his gun.reachLuisa reached out her hand to stroke the cat.reach b)[intransitive, transitive not in progressive]REACH to touch something by stretching out your arm: It’s no good – I can’t reach.She’s too small to reach the table. c)[transitive]REACH to get something from a high place by stretching up your armreach something downShe fell while reaching down a vase from the top shelf.fallreach6length/height [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive not in progressive]REACH to be big enough, long enough etc to get to a particular point: The phone lead isn’t long enough to reach the bedroom.a skirt that reaches halfway down her legsreachlegreach as far as something/reach down to somethingHer hair reaches down to her waist.reach7arrive [transitive]ARRIVE to arrive at a place: We reached London late at night.reachThe pyramids can be reached by public transport.pyramidreachRegisterIn everyday English, people often use get to rather than reach:We got to the airport just in time.getYou can get to the pyramids by public transport.pyramid8speak to somebody [transitive]CONTACT SB if you reach someone, you succeed in speaking to them on the telephone SYN contact: I can probably reach him on his mobile.9be seen/heard [transitive]CONTACT SB if a message, television programme etc reaches a lot of people, they hear it or see it: Cable TV reaches a huge audience.reach10information [transitive] if information reaches you, you hear about it: The news reached us in Lahore.reach11communicate [transitive] to succeed in making someone understand or accept what you tell them SYN get through to: I just can’t seem to reach Ed anymore.12reach for the stars to aim for something that is very difficult to achieveCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1nounsreach a point/stage I’ve reached the point in my life where I need a new challenge.reachreach a level He eventually reached the level of Senior Instructor.reachreach an age The payments will be made until the child reaches college age.paymentmakereachreach the end Some of these power stations are reaching the end of their useful life.stationbereachreach maturity (=be fully grown or developed) It takes ten years for these fish to reach maturity.takeyearreach your peak (=be the best or most successful that you will ever be ) Most players don’t reach their peak until their late twenties.playertwentyCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 3nounsreach a decision I hope that they reach a decision soon.reach a conclusion We reached the conclusion that the man had been murdered.reachhavebemurderreach a verdict The jury failed to reach a verdict.failreach an agreement/compromise/settlement (=decide on an arrangement that is acceptable to both groups) Substantial progress was made toward reaching an agreement.bemakereachreach agreement/consensus (=agree about something) The experts seem unable to reach consensus on this point.expertTHESAURUSarrive to get to the place you are going to: I arrived at the party at around 7 o'clock.arrive | They were due to arrive home from Spain yesterday.beget to arrive somewhere. Get is much more common in everyday English than arrive: What time do you usually get to work? | I’ll call you when I get home.reach to arrive somewhere, especially after a long journey: When we finally reached the port, we were all very tired.reachbetirecome if someone comes, they arrive at the place where you are: She came home yesterday.come | What time did the plumber say he’d come?doturn up (also show up) informal to arrive somewhere, especially when someone is waiting for you: I’d arranged to meet Tom, but he never turned up.arrangeturnroll in informal to arrive somewhere later than you should and not seem worried about it: Rebecca usually rolls in around noon.rollget in to arrive somewhere – used especially about people arriving home, or a plane, train etc arriving at an airport, station etc: I usually get in at around 6 o'clock. | What time did your plane get in?docome in if a plane, train, or ship comes in, it arrives in the place where you are: We liked to watch the cruise ships come in.likeshipland if a plane or the passengers on it land, they arrive on the ground: We finally landed at 2 a.m.land | They watched the planes taking off and landing.watchplanetakelandreach out to somebody phrasal verb to show people that you are interested in them and want to listen to them: So far, his administration has failed to reach out to hard line Republicans.havefailrepublican
reachnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesreachreachesreachreach2 noun1DISTANCE[singular, uncountable] the distance that you can stretch out your arm to touch somethingout of/beyond (sb’s) reachKeep chemicals out of the reach of children.chemicalchildwithin reach (of somebody)Keep a glass of water within reach.2[singular, uncountable]within (easy) reach of somethingNEAR close to a place: The beach is within easy reach of the hotel.be3FAR[singular, uncountable] the limit of someone’s power or ability to do somethingbeyond the reach of somebodyHe lives in Paraguay, well beyond the reach of the British authorities.liveauthority4reaches [plural] a)the parts of a place that are furthest from the centrethe further/outer reaches of somethingthe further reaches of the junglefarreach b)the straight part of a river between two bends: the upper reaches of the Nilereach5the higher/lower reaches of something the high or low levels of an organization or system: They lingered in the lower reaches of the Football League.lingerlowreach
noun
Date: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: papier, from Latin papyrus; → PAPYRUS
1for writing/wrapping [uncountable] material in the form of thin sheets that is used for writing on, wrapping things etc: I’ll get you a piece of paper so you can write the number down.numbDo you have a pen and paper?2newspaper [countable] a newspaper: Have you seen today’s paper?seeYou’ll read about it in tomorrow’s papers.paperthe Sunday paperspaper3documents/letters papers [plural] a)pieces of paper with writing on them that you use in your work, at meetings etc: I left some important papers in my briefcase.leavepaper b)documents and letters concerning someone’s private or public life: While I was organizing Simon’s papers I came across his diaries.beorganizepapercomediary c)divorce papers documents concerning a divorce d)official documents such as your passport, identity card etc: My papers are all in order (=they are legal and correct).paperbe → White Paper, green paper, order paper4on paper a)WRITEif you put ideas or information on paper, you write them downput/get something down on paperYou need to get some of these thoughts down on paper.thought b)TRUEif something seems true on paper, it seems to be true as an idea, but may not be true in a real situation SYN in theory: It’s a nice idea on paper, but you’ll never get it to work.5examination [countable] British English a set of printed questions used as an examination in a particular subject, and the answers people write: an exam paperI have a stack of papers to mark.paperhistory/French etc paperThe geography paper was really easy.be6speech/piece of writing [countable] a piece of writing or a talk on a particular subject by someone who has made a study of it: a scientific paperpaper ona paper on psychologyProfessor Usborne gave a paper on recent developments in his field.givedevelopment7piece of schoolwork [countable] especially American English a piece of writing that is done as part of a course at school or university SYN essaypaper ona paper on the Civil War8official publication [countable] a report prepared by a government or committee on a question they have been considering or a proposal for changes in the law: We will publish a discussion paper on the future of the BBC.paper onthe 1998 White Paper on political reforma working paper (=a report that is not final) on funding the Health Serviceworkfund9for walls [uncountable and countable] paper for covering and decorating the walls of a room SYN wallpaper: a floral paper10financial [uncountable and countable] stocks and shares that can be bought and sold on a financial market11toilet [uncountable] soft thin paper used for cleaning yourself after you have used the toilet SYN toilet paper, toilet roll12not worth the paper it is written on/printed onVALUE if something such as a contract is not worth the paper it is written on, it has no value because whatever is promised in it will not happen → put/set pen to paper at pen1(3), → waste paperCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1phrasesa sheet of paper Each recipe was written down on a separate sheet of paper.bewritea piece of paper Can I have another piece of paper?a scrap/slip of paper (=a small piece) He scribbled Pamela’s address on a scrap of paper.scribblea pad of paper (=many sheets of paper fixed together at one edge) Chris took out a pad of paper and started writing.takestartwriteADJECTIVES/NOUN + paperwriting/note paper (=good quality paper for writing letters) Can you fetch me a piece of writing paper and a pen?writeplain paper (=with nothing written or printed on it) The package was wrapped in plain brown paper.bewraplined paper (=printed with horizontal lines, for writing) a note written on lined paperwritelinewrapping paper (=coloured paper for wrapping presents ) He carefully removed the wrapping paper so it wouldn’t tear.removewraptissue paper (=very thin paper for wrapping things) All the clothes were wrapped in tissue paper.clothebewraprecycled paper (=paper made from waste paper) The envelopes are made from 1OO percent recycled paper.envelopebemakerecycleCOMMON ERRORS ► Do not say 'write on a paper'. Say write on a piece of paper.COLLOCATIONSMeaning 2ADJECTIVES/NOUN + papera local paper You could try putting an advert in the local paper.canputa national paper The story had been in all the national papers.havebepapera daily paper Which of these daily papers do you usually read?papera Sunday paper I only get a Sunday paper if I’ve got lots of spare time.getlotan evening paper Ian usually buys an evening paper on his way home.buyevena tabloid paper (=one with small pages, especially one without much serious news) Don’t believe everything you read in the tabloid papers.papera broadsheet paper (=one with large pages, usually one containing serious news) Tabloid newspapers are usually about half the size of a broadsheet paper.newspaperbea quality paper British English (=one intended for educated readers ) Readers of quality papers, such as the Telegraph and the Guardian, are mainly employed in professional jobs.readerpaperbeemployjob
paperadjectiveCollocations from other entriesWord sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplespaperpaperpaper2 adjective [only before noun]1made of paper: a paper bag2written or printed on paper: The brochure is available in electronic and paper versions.beversion3paper qualifications an expression meaning documents showing that you have passed particular examinations, used specially when you think that experience and knowledge are more important: Paper qualifications are no guide to ability.qualificationbe4VALUEexisting only as an idea but not having any real value: paper profits (=a record of the value of something, that is not real until the thing is sold)profitpaper promisespromise
paperverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplespaperpaperspaperedpaperingpaperpaper3 verb [transitive]Verb form1to decorate the walls of a room by covering them with special paper SYN wallpaper2paper over the cracksHIDE/NOT SHOW to try to hide disagreements or difficulties: We need to discuss disagreements honestly without papering over the cracks.disagreementpapercrack
noun [countable]
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: weall 1around an area an upright flat structure made of stone or brick, that divides one area from another or surrounds an area → fencestone/brick/concrete wall
The estate is surrounded by high stone walls.besurroundwallcity/garden etc wallthe ancient city wallswallthe Great Wall of ChinaWe climbed over the wall into the orchard.climb2in a building one of the sides of a room or buildingon the wallI put some pictures up on the walls.picturewallBob leaned against the wall.leanbedroom/kitchen etc wallWe decided to paint the bathroom walls blue.decidewall3SIDEbody the side of something hollow, especially within the body: The walls of the blood vessels had been damaged.wallvesselhavebedamagecell wallswall4wall of fire/water etcAMOUNT a tall mass of something such as fire or water, that stops anything from getting past: The boat was hit by a wall of water.be5wall of silence/secrecySAY a situation in which nobody will tell you what you want to know: The police investigation was met with a wall of silence.bemeet6up the wall spokenANGRY very angry or annoyed: That noise is driving me up the wall (=making me annoyed).bedrivego up the wall British English: I’ve got to be on time or Sarah will go up the wall.get7off the wall informal very strange or unusual, often in an amusing way: Some of Krista’s ideas are a little off the wall.ideabe8go to the wall informalFAIL if a company goes to the wall, it fails, especially because of financial difficulties: Many small investors will go to the wall.investor9these four walls spokenPRIVATE/PERSONAL the room that you are in, especially considered as a private place: I don’t want anything repeated outside these four walls.repeatwall10be/come up against a (brick) wall to reach a point where you cannot make progress, especially because something or someone is stopping you: We seem to have come up against a brick wall in this investigation.11be climbing/crawling (up) the walls informalANNOY to be feeling extremely anxious, unhappy, or annoyed, especially because you are waiting for something or are in a situation which you cannot get away from: The kids soon had him climbing the walls.kidhaveclimbwall12walls have earsWARN used to warn people to be careful what they say, because other people, especially enemies, could be listening13hit the wall informal to reach the point when you are most physically tired when doing a sport → have your back to/against the wall at back2(21), → like talking to a brick wall at talk1(15), → the writing is on the wall at writing(8), → off-the-wallTHESAURUSwall an upright flat structure made of stone or brick, that divides one area from another or surrounds an area: The estate is surrounded by high stone walls.besurroundwall | a brick wallfence a structure made of wood, metal etc that surrounds a piece of land: The garden was surrounded by an old wooden fence.besurround | the chain link fence around the schoolrailings a metal fence that is made of a series of upright bars: the iron railings in front of the houserailing | The boy was leaning over the railing on the side of the boat.beleanrailbarrier a type of fence or gate that prevents people from moving in a particular direction: A guard stood near the barrier.stand | The police had put up barriers to keep the crowd under control.havebarrierscreen a piece of furniture like a thin wall that can be moved around and is used to divide one part of a room from another: the screen around his hospital bed | a Japanese bamboo screen | a fire screen (=that you put near a fire)partition a thin wall that separates one part of a room from another: The room was divided into two by a thin partition.bedivide | The offices are separated by partitions and you can hear everything that is said in the next office.officebeseparatepartitionbesaybarricade a line of objects that people have put across a road, to prevent people getting past, especially as part of a protest: The soldiers used tanks to smash through the barricades.soldierusetankbarricade
wallverbCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entrieswallwallswalledwallingwallwall2 verbVerb formwall something ↔ in phrasal verb AROUND/ROUNDto surround an open area with wallswall something ↔ off phrasal verb SEPARATEto keep one area or room separate from another, by building a wall: The control room is walled off by soundproof glass.bewallwall somebody/something ↔ up phrasal verb1a)to fill in an entrance, window etc with bricks or stone: The entrance had long since been walled up.havebewall b)to fill in all the entrances and windows of a place so that someone cannot get out2PRISONto keep someone as a prisoner in a building
adjective (comparative lower, superlative lowest)
Word familyDate: 1100-1200Language: Old Norse
Origin: lagr 1small amount/level/value a)LITTLE/NOT MUCHsmall, or smaller than usual, in amount, level, or value OPP highlow income/pay/wages
families existing on very low incomesfamilyexistincomeIn May, the price of cocoa fell to its lowest level since 1975–76.falllowMorale has been low since the latest round of job cuts.havebelatecutIn this sort of investment, the risks are fairly low.riskbelow temperaturestemperaturethe need for low-cost housinghousea low-security prison b)low in somethingLITTLE/NOT MUCH having less than the usual amount of a substance or chemical OPP high: food that is low in caloriesbecalorielow-fat/low-salt etclow-alcohol beer c)in the low 20s/50s etcLITTLE/NOT MUCH if a number, temperature, or level is in the low 20s, 30s etc, it is between 21 and 23, 31 and 33 etc: Tonight, temperatures in most areas will be in the low 50s.temperaturearea2
height a)LOWhaving a top that is not far above the ground OPP high: a low walla long low buildingbuild b)LOWat a point that is not far above the ground or near the bottom of something OPP high: low cloudscloudThe sun was low in the sky now.beStore raw meat on the lowest shelf.low c)LOWbelow the usual height OPP high: a low bridgea low ceilingThe river is very low today.be3standards/qualityGOOD ENOUGH bad, or below an acceptable or usual level or quality SYN poor OPP high: Their safety standards seem to be pretty low.standardCost-cutting has led to a lower quality of service.cuthaveleadlowthe children’s low achievement in schoolchild4supplyLITTLE/NOT MUCH if you are low on something, or if your supply of something is low, there is not much of it leftbe/get/run low (on something)We’re running low on gas.runStocks are getting low.stockbeget5voice/sound a)QUIETnot loud: I heard a low moaning noise.hearmoanThe volume is too low – turn it up.bea low whisper b)not high: a low note6lightBRIGHT a light that is low is not bright SYN dim: Use low lighting to give the room a romantic atmosphere.light7heat if you cook something over a low heat or in a low oven, you cook it using only a small amount of heat OPP high8battery a battery that is low does not have much power left in it9clothes a low dress, blouse etc does not cover your neck and the top of your chest → low-cut10unhappy [not before noun]SAD/UNHAPPY unhappy and without much hope for the future SYN depressed: He was feeling a bit low, so I did my best to cheer him up.befeelbitedowellTerry seems to be in rather low spirits today.seemspirit → be at a low ebb at ebb1(2)—lownesslownesseslowness noun [uncountable]THESAURUSvoices/sounds that are not highlow a low voice or sound is not high on the scale of musical sounds: I can’t sing the low notes.note | He’s got quite a low singing voice.getsing | Boys’ voices usually become much lower as they get older.boyvoicelowolddeep a deep voice or sound is low, strong, and pleasant: He has a lovely deep voice.have | The engine has a wonderfully deep sound to it, like it’s ready to race.havehusky a husky voice is deep, quiet, and rough-sounding, especially in a way that is attractive: Monroe sang 'Happy Birthday, Mr President’ in a slow husky voice.sing | His voice dropped to a husky whisper.dropgravelly a gravelly voice is very low and rough sounding: The singer is famous for his gravelly voice.be
lowadverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleslowlowlow2 adverb (comparative lower, superlative lowest)Word family1LOWin or to a low position or level: He bent low over the engine.bendShe pulled her hat low down over her eyes.pulleyeI had the radio on low.have2LOWnear the ground or the bottom of something: That plane’s flying too low!flyThere was a hole low down in the hedge.be3LOW SOUND OR VOICEif you play or sing musical notes low, you play or sing them with deep notes: Sing those bars an octave lower.barlow4be brought low old-fashionedHARM/BE BAD FOR to become much less rich or important → search/look high and low at high2(6), → lay somebody low at lay2(20), → lie low at lie1(7)
lownounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleslowlowslowlow3 noun [countable]Word family1a low price, level, or value OPP highfall to/hit/reach etc a new low (=be worth less than ever before)The euro has fallen to a new low against the dollar.havefallPublic confidence in the legal system is at an all-time low (=much lower or worse than ever before).be2SERIOUS SITUATIONa very difficult time in someone’s personal or working lifehighs and lows (of something) (=good times and bad times)the highs and lows of an actor’s lifehighlow3a)the lowest point that the temperature reaches during a particular time OPP high: The overnight low will be 8°C. b)an area of low pressure in the air OPP high: a low moving in over the Pacificmove4the lowest of the low a)informalBAD PERSON someone you think is completely unfair, cruel, immoral etc b)CLASS IN SOCIETYsomeone from a low social class – often used humorously
lowverbCollocations from other entriesWord sets 1Phrases from other entrieslowlowslowedlowinglowlow4 verb [intransitive] literaryLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: hlowan Verb form if cattle low, they make a deep sound
noun [countable]Language: Old EnglishOrigin: sweostor 1FAMILYa girl or woman who has the same parents as you → brother, half-sister, step-sister:
Janet and Abby are sisters.besisterHe has two sisters and a brother.havesisterolder/big sisterMy older sister is a nurse.oldbeyounger/little sisterWhere’s your little sister?She’s my twin sister.2sister paper/publication/company etcCONNECTED WITH a newspaper etc that belongs to the same group or organization: the Daily Post’s sister paper, the Liverpool Echo3(also Sister) a nun: Good morning, Sister Mary.4British English (also Sister) a nurse in charge of a hospital ward: the ward sisterI’m feeling a bit better today, Sister.feelbitewell5FRIENDLYa word used by women to talk about other women and to show that they have feelings of friendship and support towards them: We appeal to our sisters all over the world to stand by us.sister6American English spokenTALK TO SBWOMAN a way of talking to or about an African-American woman, used especially by African AmericansCOLLOCATIONSadjectivesan older sister (also an elder sister especially British English) He had two older sisters, Karen and Jacqueline.haveoldsistera big sister (=an older sister) She misses her big sister dreadfully.missa younger sister Mary showed a lot of aggressive behaviour towards her younger sister.showyounga little/kid sister (=a younger sister) She was very fond of her little sister.bea baby sister (=a sister who is still a baby) He wanted a baby sister.wanta twin sister He is devoted to his twin sister.bedevotea half-sister (=a sister with only one parent the same as yours) She doesn't see her half-sister very often.
trademark a chain of petrol stations in the UK, owned by the European company TotalFinaElf
totaladjectiveCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplestotaltotalto‧tal1 S1 W1 /ˈtəʊtl $ ˈtoʊ-/
adjectiveDate: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: Medieval Latin totalis, from Latin totus ‘whole’ 1[usually before noun]COMPLETE complete, or as great as is possibletotal failure/disaster
The sales campaign was a total disaster.salebea total ban on cigarette advertisingadvertiseHe looked at her with a total lack of comprehension.looka sport that demands total commitmentdemand2total number/amount/cost etcTOTAL the number, amount etc that is the total: total sales of 200,000 per yearsaleHer total income was £10,000 a year.be
totalnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplestotaltotalstotaltotal2 S2 W2 noun [countable]1TOTALthe final number or amount of things, people etc when everything has been counted: That’s £7 and £3.50, so the total is £10.50.bea total of 20/100 etcA total of thirteen meetings were held to discuss the issue.meetingbeholdin totalThere were probably about 40 people there in total.bethe sum total (=the whole of an amount when everything is considered together)2grand total a)TOTALthe final total, including all the totals added together → subtotal b)TOTALused humorously when you think the final total is small: I earned a grand total of $4.15.earnCOLLOCATIONSverbsmake a total of 100 etc The £1,750 raised by staff has been matched by the company, making a total of £3,500.raisehavebematchmakebring the total to 100 etc Police arrested more than 200 protesters yesterday, bringing the total detained to nearly 500.arrestprotesterbringdetainadd to a total He wants to add to his total of three Olympic gold medals.wantmedaladjectivesthe final total Mrs Menzies said the final total could be as much as £750.saycanthe sum total (=the whole of an amount, when everything is added together) This was the sum total of her grandfather's possessions.bepossessiona combined/overall total (=the sum of two or more amounts added together) The Jones family has a combined total of 143 years' service with the company.havecombineyearan annual/monthly/weekly/daily total The Government plans to increase the annual total of 2,500 adoptions by up to 50%.planadoption
totalverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2Word sets 1 2Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplestotaltotalstotalledtotaledtotallingtotalingtotaltotal3 verb (past tense and past participle totalled, present participle totalling British English, totaled, totaling American English)Verb form1[linking verb, transitive]TOTAL to reach a particular total: The group had losses totalling $3 million this year.havelosstotalRegisterTotal is used especially in journalism. In everyday English, people usually say that something makes or adds up to a particular total:Three and six make nine.2[transitive] especially American English informalDAMAGE to damage a car so badly that it cannot be repaired: Chuck totaled his dad’s new Toyota.totaltotal something ↔ up phrasal verb COUNT/CALCULATEto find the total number or total amount of something by adding: At the end of the game, total up everyone’s score to see who has won.havewinTHESAURUScalculate formal to find out an amount, price, or value by adding numbers together: The students calculated the cost of printing 5000 copies of their book.studentcalculateprintcopywork out to calculate something. Work out is less formal than calculate, and is more common in everyday English: You need to work out how much you will need to borrow.figure out (also figure American English) informal to calculate an amount: We still haven't figured out how much it's all going to cost.figurego | the method for figuring welfare paymentsfigurepaymentcount to find out the total number of things or people in a group by looking at each one and adding them all together: The teacher counted the children as they got on the bus.countchildgettotal (also total up) to add a number of things together to get a final number: Once the scores have been totaled, we will announce the winner.scorebetotal | Okay, now let's total up who had the most points.havepointquantify formal to say how much something costs, how much of it there is, how serious or effective it is etc: I think it's difficult to quantify the cost at the moment, for a variety of reasons.reason | How do you quantify the benefits of the treatment?benefit | a reliable method for quantifying the amount of calcium in the bloodquantifyassess formal to calculate what the value or cost of something is, or decide how good, bad etc something is: The value of the paintings was assessed at $20 million.paintingbeassess | They are still assessing the damage.beassess | We need to have a better way of assessing students' progress.wellassessstudentestimate to guess an amount, price, or number as exactly as you can, based on the knowledge you have: The police department estimates that the number of violent crimes will decrease by 2%.estimatenumbcrimeput a figure on something to say what you think the exact total amount or value of something is, especially when it is a lot: It's hard to put a figure on it, but the final cost is likely to be over £225 million.be | The company has refused to put a figure on its losses.haverefuselossproject to calculate what an amount will be in the future, using the information you have now: The company projects sales of $4 million this year.projectsale
noun
Word familySense 1, 3-7:Language: Old English
Origin: mæccaSense 2:
Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: meiche ‘wick’ 1game [countable] especially British EnglishGAME/MATCH an organized sports event between two teams or people:
It’s our last match of the season.cricket/football/tennis etc matchThey’re preparing for a big (=important) match tomorrow.preparematch against/between/withthe match between Nigeria and Irelandhome/away match (=a match played at a team’s own sports ground, or at a different ground)Good teams win their home matches.teammatchMcClaire’s goal earned him the title of man of the match (=the person in a team who plays best).earn2fire [countable]BURN a small wooden or paper stick with a special substance at the top, that you use to light a fire, cigarette etc: a box of matchesmatchDon’t let your children play with matches.childmatchstrike/light a match (=rub a match against a surface to produce a flame)Peg struck a match and lit the candle.strikelightI tore up the letter and put a match to it (=made it burn, using a match).tear3colours/patterns [singular]SAME something that is the same colour or pattern as something else, or looks attractive with itmatch forThat shirt’s a perfect match for your blue skirt.4BETTERBEAT/DEFEATgood opponent [singular] someone who is much stronger, cleverer etc than their opponent: Carlos was no match for the champion.beThis time you’ve met your match, Adam Burns! I’m not giving up without a fight!meetburngiveGuerrilla tactics proved more than a match for the Soviet military machine.tacticprove5shouting match (also slanging match British English)ARGUE a loud angry argument in which two people insult each other: The meeting degenerated into a shouting match.meetdegenerateshout6marriageSUIT/LOOK GOOD TOGETHER [singular] a marriage or two people who are married: They’re a perfect match.a match made in heaven (=a marriage of two people who are exactly right for each other)Claire made a good match (=married someone suitable).make7suitability [singular]SUITABLE a situation in which something is suitable for something else, so that the two things work together successfullymatch betweenWe need to establish a match between students’ needs and teaching methods.studentneedteachmethod → mix and match at mix1(6)COLLOCATIONSverbsgo to a match I love going to football matches.gomatchwatch a match I watched the match on TV.watchplay a match We played the match in heavy rain.playlose a match They lost the match, despite playing very well.loseplaywin a match Do you think we'll win our next match?draw a match (=finish with the score even) United have drawn their last two matches.unitedrawmatchhave a match (=be scheduled to play a match) Do we have a match on Sunday?postpone a match (=arrange for it to happen at a later time) Our first match was postponed because of bad weather.bepostponemiss a match (=not play in a match) He missed two matches because of an ankle injury.missmatchlevel the match (=make the score level) Woods won the last two holes to level the match.woodwinholeclinch the match (=to win a match by scoring a goal, hitting a winning ball etc) Ronaldo clinched the match with a brilliant goal.clinchreferee a match (=be the person on the field who makes sure players follow the rules) The matches are refereed by the children's parents.matchberefereechildparenta match kicks off (=it starts) The match kicks off at 3.30 pm.kickADJECTIVES/NOUN + match great/brilliant (=very good to watch) We're sure it's going to be another great match.goexciting The match could not have been more exciting.canbeexcitethrilling (=very exciting) There were some thrilling matches at Wimbledon this year.bethrillmatchtough (=difficult) At this stage of the competition, every match is tough.beclose (=with each team playing equally well) Germany won the match, although it was close.winbean important/crucial match Luckily, all their players are fit for such an important match.playerbea big match (=an important match) Are you going to watch the big match on TV?begoa football/rugby/tennis etc match There was a rugby match going on on the school field.begoa home match (=played at the place where a team usually practises) They have won their last five home matches.winmatchan away match (=played at the place where the opponent usually practises) This is their last away match of the season.bea live match (=shown on TV as it happens) There is a live match on TV every Wednesday evening.beevena friendly match (=not part of a competition) Fitness is still important in friendly matches.bematcha qualifying match (=to decide who plays in a competition) They won all their qualifying matches.winqualifymatcha semi-final match (=between two of the last four teams left in a competition) Spain beat Russia in their semi-final match last night.phraseman of the match (=the best player in a match) Henri was named man of the match.bename
matchverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesmatchmatchesmatchedmatchingmatchmatch2 S3 W2 verb
Word familyVerb form1look good together [intransitive and transitive]SUIT/LOOK GOOD TOGETHER if one thing matches another, or if two things match, they look attractive together because they are a similar colour, pattern etc → matching: We painted the cabinets green to match the rug.paintcabinetDo you think this outfit matches?matcha beech dining table with four chairs to match (=chairs that match it)dinechair ► Do not say that one thing ‘matches to’ or ‘matches with’ another. Say that one thing matches another.2look the same [intransitive and transitive]SAME two things that match look the same because they are a pair: Your socks don’t match.sock3seem the same [intransitive and transitive] if two things match, or if one matches the other, there is no important difference between them: The suspect matched the descriptions provided by witnesses.matchdescriptionprovidewitnessTheir actions do not match their words.actionwordmatch exactly/closely/perfectlyThe copy closely matches the original.match4suitable [transitive] to be suitable for a particular person, thing, or situation SYN suit: Teaching materials should match individual students’ needs.teachmaterialshallstudentneedWe’ll help you find a home that will match your requirements.requirementwell-matched/ill-matcheda well-matched pairmatch5connect [transitive]SUITABLE to put two people or things together that are similar to or somehow connected with each othermatch something to/with somebody/somethingCan you name the animals and match them to the correct countries?animalcountryAll checked-in baggage must be matched with a passenger travelling on the aircraft.checkmatchtravel6be equal [transitive]EQUAL to be equal to something in value, size, or quality: His strength is matched by his intelligence.bematchFew cities in Europe can match the cultural richness of Berlin.cityFancy designer labels tend to come with fancy price tags to match.labeltagevenly/equally matchedThe two candidates are fairly evenly matched.candidatebematch7make equal [transitive] to make something equal to something elsematch something to somethingLindsey matched her steps to those of the other girl as they walked.matchstepwalkan attempt to match financial resources to needresource8give money [transitive] to give a sum of money that is equal to a sum given by someone else: The government has promised to match any private donations to the earthquake fund.havepromisedonation9COMPETE WITH/TRY TO BEATcompetition [transitive usually passive] if you are matched against someone else in a game or competition, you are competing against thembe matched against/with somebodyFederer was matched against Nadal in the final.bematchTHESAURUSmatch if something matches something else, they look good together because they are very similar in colour or style: a black suit with a handbag and shoes to matchshoe | The earrings matched her eyes.earringmatcheyego with something to look good with something else - Go with is very common in everyday English: Do you think that blue wallpaper will go with the carpet?go together if two things go together, they look good when they are worn or seen with each other. Go together is very common in everyday English: That jacket and skirt don’t really go together. | The blue and the yellow go together well.complement formal if a piece of clothing or a colour complements something, it makes it look more attractive: A simple string of pearls will complement any outfit.pearlwell coordinated/perfectly coordinated if clothes, decorations etc are well or perfectly coordinated, they look good together because they have similar colours and styles: Her outfits are always perfectly coordinated.outfitbecoordinatematch up phrasal verb1match somebody/something ↔ upLIKE/SIMILAR to put two people or things together that are related to or suitable for each other: The employment agency exists to match up graduates and IT companies.existgraduatecompanymatch somebody/something ↔ up withMy mother spent her life trying to match me up with various women.spendtrywoman2SAMEif two things match up, they seem the same or are connected in some way: Their accounts just don’t match up.accountmatch up withThe DNA samples found on her body did not match up with a sample taken from the accused.samplefinddotakeaccuse3match up to sb’s hopes/expectations/ideals etcSUCCEED IN DOING STH to be as good as you hoped, expected etc SYN measure up to: Unfortunately, the product’s performance did not match up to the manufacturer’s promise.do
verb (past tense wrote /rəʊt $ roʊt/, past participle written /ˈrɪtn/)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: writan ‘to scratch, draw, write’ Verb form1book/article/poem etc a)[intransitive and transitive]WRITE to produce a new book, article, poem etc:
He wrote some very famous books.writebookWho wrote ‘Harry Potter’?writeI can’t come with you – I have an essay to write.write aboutO'Brien often writes about her native Ireland.writewell/badly/poorly etc writtenThe article is very well written.bewrite b)[intransitive] someone who writes earns money by writing books, plays, articles etc: Sean decided he wanted to write, and quit his job.decidewantwrite forMaureen Dowd writes for ‘The New York Times’.writetime2letter [intransitive and transitive]WRITE to put words in a letter to someonewrite toI’ve written to my MP, and to the city council.writewrite somebody American English: Chris hasn’t written me for a long time.writeI wrote her several letters, but she didn’t reply.writeletter3form words [intransitive and transitive]WRITE to form letters or numbers with a pen or pencil: Kerry could read and write when she was five.canbe4state something [transitive] to state something in a book, letter, advertisement etc, or on a labelwrite (that)Isabella wrote that she was dying, and asked him to visit her for the last time.writebedieaskbe written on somethingThe price is written on the label.bewrite5music/song [transitive] to write a piece of music or a song: Mozart wrote the music.writeThe song was originally written by Leonard Cohen.bewrite6computer program [transitive] to make a program for a computer to use: He writes software programs for financial institutions.writeprograminstitution7a computer records something [intransitive and transitive] if a computer writes something, it records it on a disk or in its memorywrite to/ontodata that had been written to diskdatumhavebewrite8cheque/document etc (also write out) [transitive]WRITE to write information on a cheque, form etc: Wouldn’t it be easier if I just wrote a cheque for the lot?easywriteThe doctor wrote me a prescription for sleeping pills.writesleeppill9penWORKING/NOT BROKEN [intransitive] if a pen writes, it works properly: Do any of these pens write?pen10have something/be written all over your faceOBVIOUS to show very clearly what you are feeling or thinking: He had guilt written all over his face.havewriteI know you’re lying, Tyrell – it’s written all over your face.liewrite11have something written all over it to show a particular quality or fact very clearly: This awful film has ‘career-killer’ written all over it for the actors involved.havewriteactorinvolve12nothing to write home about informalBAD not particularly good or special: The hotel was good, but the food was nothing to write home about.bebe13somebody wrote the book on something spokenKNOW STH used to say that someone knows a lot about a subject or is very good at an activity: Motorola wrote the book on quality control.write14that’s all she wrote American English spoken used to mean that you cannot stop what happens next in a situation, especially when it is badTHESAURUSwrite to use a pen or pencil to make words, letters etc: Have you written a shopping list?writeshop | The children are learning to read and write.childbelearnwrite something down to write something on paper, in order to remember it or make a record: He wrote down everything she said.writesayput to write something in a particular place, or to write particular words: I’ve put the dates of the meetings in my diary.datemeeting | At the end of the email she put ‘PS I love you’.put something in writing to write something that you have agreed or promised, so that there is an official record: They said they would pay me 50%, but they haven’t actually put it in writing.saywillwritemake a note of something to write information that you might need later: I’ll just make a note of your address. | Make a note in your diary.take notes to write things while someone is speaking or while something is happening, so that you can use them later: His lawyer was with him taking notes.betakenotescrawl /skrɔːl $ skrɒːl/ to write something carelessly and untidily, especially in big letters – often used to show disapproval: Someone had scrawled graffiti on the school wall.havescrawl | He’d scrawled a few unhelpful comments at the bottom of my work.scrawlcommentfill something in/out to write information on a form or other official document: Please fill in the application form in black ink. | Would you mind filling out a questionnaire?willfillsign to write your name at the end of a letter, document etc: Read the contract carefully, and then sign it. | Don’t forget to sign your name.to write something quicklyjot something down to write something very quickly: Start your essay by jotting down a few ideas.jotidea | He checked the meter and jotted something down.checkjotscribble to write something quickly and in an untidy way: Andy scribbled a quick note and handed it to the chairman.scribblehand | I’ve scribbled something here but I can’t read it now.scribbleto write something on a computerenter to make words or numbers appear on a computer screen by pressing the keys: You have to enter your password twice. | The patients medical records are entered into a database.patientrecordbeenterkey something in/type something in to write or record information on a computer, especially something you are copying: I’ve keyed in my credit card details.keydetail | To visit our website, just type in our the address.write away for something phrasal verb ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STHto write a letter to a company or organization asking them to send you goods or information: I’ve written away for their free catalog.writewrite back phrasal verb ANSWER/REPLYto reply to a letter that someone sent you, by writing a letter to them: I sent them a card once, but they never wrote back.sendwritewrite back toI wrote back to them immediately, thanking them for their kind invitation.writethankwrite something ↔ down phrasal verb1WRITEto write something on a piece of paper: This is the address. Do you want to write it down?be2to officially say that a debt no longer has to be paid, or officially accept that you cannot get back money you have spent or lost SYN write offwrite in phrasal verb1WRITEto write a letter to an organization to give an opinion, ask for information etc: If you would like a copy of our fact sheet, please write in, enclosing a stamped addressed envelope.willenclosestampaddresswrite in toAnd so I wrote in to Radio Brighton.write2write something ↔ in to write a piece of information in the space provided for it on a form or document: Provide some space for students to write in their hobbies.studenthobby3write somebody ↔ in American English to add someone’s name to the official list on your voting form, to show that you want to vote for them: The campaign to write in Johnson for governor failed.fail → write-inwrite something into something phrasal verb ADDto add or include something in a contract, agreement etc: It was written into his contract that he had to make two records a year.bewritehaverecordwrite off phrasal verb1ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STHto write a letter to a company or organization asking them to send you goods or information SYN send off, write awaywrite off forAre you going to write off for that free poster?bego2write somebody/something ↔ offSTOP DOING STH to decide that someone or something is useless, unimportant, or a failure SYN dismisswrite somebody/something ↔ off asAfter six months of work, we eventually wrote the project off as a non-starter.monthwrite → write-off3write something ↔ offOWE to officially say that a debt no longer has to be paid, or officially accept that you cannot get back money you have spent or lost: The United States agreed to write off debts worth billions of dollars.unitestateagreedebtdollarThe Inland Revenue wrote off £900 million in unpaid taxes.writetax4write something ↔ off to make an official record of the amount of money that you have spent on things relating to your business, in order to reduce the amount of tax that you have to paywrite something ↔ off againstThe costs of setting up a business can be written off against tax.costsetwrite5write something ↔ off British EnglishDESTROY to damage a vehicle so badly that it can never be used again: At thirteen he stole a car and wrote it off.stealwrite → write-offwrite somebody/something ↔ out phrasal verb1WRITEto write something on paper, especially in a neat and clear way, including all the necessary details: The children were asked to choose their favourite poem and write it out in their best handwriting.childbeaskwell2WRITEto write information on a cheque or a form: She calmly wrote out a check for $500 and handed it to Will.writehand3GET RID OFto remove a character from a regular radio or television programme, by making him or her leave or die in the storywrite somebody/something ↔ out ofIt was revealed last week that Alma is being written out of the series.berevealbebewritewrite something ↔ up phrasal verb1WRITEto write a report, article etc using notes that you made earlier: I have to write up my report before the meeting.meet2to write something on a wall, board etc where people can see it: The teacher repeated the word, and then wrote it up on the blackboard.repeatwrite3JUDGEbe written up if something is written up in a newspaper, magazine etc, someone describes what it is like and gives their opinion of it: We’re going to a Spanish restaurant that was written up in Time Out’s good food guide.gobewrite → write-up
especially British English, to‧wardtoward /təˈwɔːd $ tɔːrd, twɔːrd/ especially American English preposition
1TOWARDSdirection used to say that someone or something moves, looks, faces etc in the direction of someone or something: He noticed two policemen coming towards him.noticepolicemancomeAll the windows face toward the river.windowHe was standing with his back towards me.bestand2TO/IN ORDER TOproducing a result in a process that will produce a particular result: These negotiations are the first step toward reaching an agreement.negotiationbereachThe crisis continued as Britain drifted towards war.continuedrift3ABOUTfeeling/attitude your feeling, attitude, or behaviour towards someone or something is how you feel or think about them or how you treat them: Brian’s attitude towards his work has always been very positive.havebeHer parents had been more sympathetic towards her.parenthavebe4PAY FORhelp pay for money put, saved, or given towards something is used to pay for it: The money collected will be put towards repairing the church roof.collectrepair5beforeBEFORE just before a particular time: Toward the end of the afternoon it began to rain.begin6nearNEAR near a particular place: Uncle Dick and Aunt Mavis live at High Burnton out towards the coast.
noun [countable]
Word familySense 1-25:Language: Old English
Origin: toppSense 26-27:
Date: 1000-1100
Origin: Origin unknown 1highest partTOP the highest part of something OPP bottomtop of
The tops of the mountains were still covered with snow.topmountainbecoverShe could only just see over the tops of their heads.cantopheadat the top (of) somethingHe was standing at the top of the stairs.bestandstairWe’ll sit down once we’re at the top.Write your name at the top of the page.to the top (of) somethingStop and wait for us when you get to the top of the slope.I filled the glass right to the top.fillThe book I wanted was at the very top of the pile.wantbecliff top/mountaintop/hilltop/treetopWe could just see the white cliff tops in the distance.cantop2upper surfaceSURFACE the flat upper surface of an object: a low wooden table with a glass toptop ofWe walked along the top of the ancient city walls.walkwallon (the) top of somethingShe put the papers down on the top of the piano.paperHer fingers drummed on the table top.fingerdrum3best position the topBEST the best, most successful, or most important position in an organization, company, or profession OPP bottomthe top ofHe has reached the top of his profession.havereachat the top (of something)It’s the people at the top who make the decisions.decisionto the top (of something)All young footballers dream of making it to the top.footballermakethe groups that are currently at the top of the tree (=the highest position in a profession) in the pop worldgroupbe4cover something that you put on or over an object to cover it, protect it, or prevent liquid coming out of it: I can’t get the top off the jar.You’ve left the top off the toothpaste again!leaveCan you put the top back on the bottle when you’ve finished with it?finishbottle top/pen top etcHas anyone seen my pen top?havesee5clothes a piece of clothing that you wear on the upper part of your body: She was wearing a stripy knitted top.bewearknita skirt with a matching topmatcha bikini topI can’t find my pyjama top.6be (at the) top of the list/agendaIMPORTANT something that is at the top of a list will be dealt with or discussed first: Europe is once again at the top of the political agenda.be7on top a)ON/ON TOP OFon the highest part or surface of something: The cake was a bit burnt on top.bebiteburna high roof with a chimney on top b)on the highest part of your head: Can you cut it quite short on top, please. c)WINwinning in a game or competition: After the first set, the Australian was comfortably on top.be8on top of something a)on the highest surface of something: There should be an envelope on top of the fridge.shall b)in complete control of a situation: Don’t worry; I’m back on top of things now.thingI should be more on top of my work next week.shall c)if something bad happens to you on top of something else, it happens when you have other problems: On top of everything else, I now have to go to work next Saturday!9one on top of the other (also on top of one another) in a pile: We stacked the crates one on top of the other.stackcrate10on top of somebody if something dangerous or threatening is on top of you, it is very near you: The truck was almost on top of us.be11get on top of somebodySAD/UNHAPPY if your work or a problem gets on top of you, it begins to make you feel unhappy and upset: Things are starting to get on top of him.thingbestart12come out on topWIN to win a difficult struggle or argument, especially one that has continued for a long time: It’s difficult to predict who will come out on top.13on top of the world informalHAPPY extremely happy: When I heard she’d been released I felt on top of the world!hearbereleasefeel14plant the part of a fruit or vegetable where it was attached to the plant, or the leaves of a plant whose root you can eat: Cut the tops off the tomatoes.toptomatoI’ve found a recipe for beetroot tops.findtop15street/field etcFAR the part of the street or of a piece of land that is the furthest away from you: I waited at the top of East Street.wait16the top of the milk British English the cream that rises to the top of a bottle of milk17the top of the tableSIT the part of a long dinner table where the most important people sit18off the top of your head informalIMMEDIATELYTHINK ABOUT if you say something off the top of your head, you say it immediately, without thinking carefully about it or checking the facts: Just off the top of my head, I’d say there were about 50.be19sing/shout at the top of your voiceLOUD/NOISY to sing or shout as loudly as you can: Angela ran out of the house, shouting at the top of her voice.runshout20be at the top of your game (also be on top of your game) to be doing your job, especially playing a sport, very well21from the top spokenBEGINNING an expression meaning from the beginning, used especially in the theatre: Right, let’s take it from the top once more.22from top to bottomCOMPLETE if you clean or search somewhere from top to bottom, you do it very thoroughly: The whole house needs cleaning from top to bottom.needclean23from top to toeCOMPLETE if a person is dressed or covered in something from top to toe, they are completely dressed or covered in it: They were covered in mud from top to toe.becover24the top and bottom of it British English spokenMEANING the general result or meaning of a situation, expressed in a few words: He’s trying to embarrass you, that’s the top and bottom of it.try25not have much up top British English spokenSTUPID/NOT INTELLIGENT to be not very intelligent: Poor Nigel, he doesn’t have very much up top.26tops spokenMOST used after a number to say that it is the highest possible amount of money you will get: It’ll cost you £200, £250 tops.top27toy a child’s toy that spins around on its point when you twist it28spin like a topTURN to spin or turn round very quickly: The impact of the blow sent me spinning like a top.sendspin
topadjectiveCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplestoptoptop2 S1 W1 adjective
Word family1highestTOP [only before noun] nearest to the top of something OPP bottom: We have a flat on the top floor of the building.buildthe top button of his shirtI managed to scrape off the top layer of paint.manageI found the letter in the top drawer of his desk.find2bestBEST [usually before noun] best or most successful: our top tennis playersplayera top New York salonone of the world’s top engineering companiesengineercompanypeople in top jobsjobShe got top marks.getmarkThe top score was 72.be3winning winning in a game or competitiontop ofBarcelona remain top of the league after beating Real Madrid.beatDespite losing last night, Manchester United are still top (=the highest in a list of clubs in a competition).loseunitebe4top left/right/centre expressions meaning the picture at the top of a page on the left or right or in the centre, used in magazines and newspapers: Top right: silk blouse £195 from Harrods.5top speedFAST/QUICK the fastest speed a vehicle can move at: We tore down the motorway at top speed.teara sports car with a top speed of 140 miles per hoursportmil6top priority the thing that you think is most important: Education is this government’s top priority.be7good British English spoken informal very good: Clive’s a top bloke.8top copy British English a letter or document from which copies can be made
topverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplestoptopstoppedtoppingtoptop3 verb (past tense and past participle topped, present participle topping) [transitive]
Word familyVerb form1be higherHIGHMORE THAN STH OR SB ELSE to be higher than a particular amount: Their profits have reportedly topped £1,000,000 this year.profittop2be most successful to be in the highest position in a list because you are the most successful: The Tower of London tops the list of London’s most popular tourist attractions.topattractionthe team that has topped the Premiership for the last three seasonshavetopseasonIn 1998 the group topped the charts with the song ‘Don’t Stop Loving Me’.topchartlove3do betterBETTER if you top something, you do something that is better than it: He topped his previous best performance, coming second in the 100 metres.topwellcomemetre4top an offer/a bid etcMORE THAN A NUMBER OR AMOUNT to offer more money than someone else: A rival company topped our offer by $5 million.top5be topped by somethingON/ON TOP OF to have something on top: The roof was topped by a chimney.betopa hill topped by pine treestoptree6ON/ON TOP OFbe topped (off) with something if food is topped with something, it has that thing on it or over the top of it: a strawberry tart topped with whipped creamtopwhipThe cake can be topped off with fresh fruit.top7to top it all spokenAND/ALSO in addition to other bad things that have happened to you: To top it all I lost my job.lose8top that spoken used when you are asking someone if they have done something more exciting or successful than you: Well, I’ve been asked to appear on a TV show later this year, so top that!beasklate9top and tail British English to cut the top and bottom off a piece of fruit or a vegetable10top yourself British English informalKILL to kill yourself deliberately11reach the top literaryTOP if you top a hill, you reach the top of it: We topped the hill and looked down towards the valley below us.toplooktop something ↔ off phrasal verb COMPLETEto complete something successfully by doing one last thing: Let’s top off the evening with a drink.eventop out phrasal verb HIGHif something such as a price that is increasing tops out, it reaches its highest point and stops rising: Do you think interest rates have topped out now?ratetoptop something/somebody ↔ up phrasal verb especially British English1FULLto add more liquid to a container that is partly full: I’ll just top up the coffee pot.2POURto put more drink in someone’s glass or cup after they have drunk some: Can I top you up?3INCREASE IN ACTIVITY, FEELINGS ETCto increase the level of something slightly so as to bring it back to the level you want: He had to do extra jobs at the weekend to top up his income.havejob → top-up
verb
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: missan Verb form1not do something/fail to do something [transitive]NOT DO STH to not go somewhere or do something, especially when you want to but cannot:
I’m absolutely starving – I missed lunch.starvemissHe missed 20 games after breaking a bone in his wrist.missgamebreakShe was upset at missing all the excitement.bemissmiss doing somethingHe had missed being elected by a single vote.havemissbeelect2not hit/catch [intransitive and transitive]CATCH# to fail to hit or catch an object that is close to you, or to fail to hit a distant object that you are aiming at: Every time she missed the ball she became more angry.missbecomeHe fired, missed and loaded again.firemissloadThe bullet narrowly missed her heart.miss3feel sad about somebody [transitive]ALONE to feel sad because someone you love is not with you: She missed her family badly.missWill you miss me?John will be sorely missed by his family and friends.missfriend4feel sad about somethingNOT HAVE [transitive] to feel sad because you do not have something or cannot do something you had or did before: I miss the car, but the bus system is good.bemiss doing somethingBen knew he would miss working with Sabrina.knowwillwork5too late [transitive]LATE to be too late for something: We got there late and missed the beginning of the movie.getmissbeginmiss the train/bus etcI overslept and missed the train.oversleepmiss6miss a chance/opportunityCHANCE/OPPORTUNITY to fail to use an opportunity to do something: He certainly wasn’t going to miss the chance of making some extra money.gomakeDon’t miss the chance to see the breathtaking Dolomite Mountains.mountainThe opportunity was too good to miss so we left immediately.beleave7not see/hear [transitive]NOTICE# to not see, hear, or notice something, especially when it is difficult to notice: Maeve’s sharp eyes missed nothing.eyemissPerhaps there’s something the police have missed.missIt’s a huge hotel on the corner. You can’t miss it (=it is very easy to notice or recognize).You don’t miss much, do you (=you are good at noticing things)?John didn’t miss a trick (=noticed every opportunity to get an advantage) when it came to cutting costs.comecutcost8miss the pointUNDERSTAND# to not understand the main point of what someone is saying9something is not to be missed used to say that someone should do something while they have the opportunity: A journey on one of the steam trains is certainly not to be missed!trainbemiss10avoid something [transitive]AVOID to avoid something bad or unpleasant: If we leave now we should miss the traffic.shallmiss doing somethingAs he crossed the street, a bus just missed hitting him.crossmisshitThey narrowly missed being killed in the fire.missbekill11I wouldn’t miss it for the world spokenWANT used to say that you really want to go to an event, see something etc: ‘Come to the party.’ ‘I will. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.’12notice something isn’t there [transitive]NOTICE to notice that something or someone is not in the place you expect them to be: I didn’t miss my wallet till it came to paying the bill.comepay13miss the mark to not achieve something you were trying to do: Their efforts to improve quality have somewhat missed the mark.effortmiss14miss the boat informalCHANCE/OPPORTUNITY to fail to take an opportunity that will give you an advantage: You’ll miss the boat if you don’t buy shares now.share15without missing a beatCALM if you do something without missing a beat, you do it without showing that you are surprised or shocked: She handled all of their questions without missing a beat.handlequestionmiss16sb’s heart misses a beatSURPRISED used to say that someone is very excited, surprised, or frightened: Glancing up at Rick’s face, she felt her heart miss a beat.glancefeel17engine [intransitive] if an engine misses, it stops working for a very short time and then starts againmiss out phrasal verb1GETto not have the chance to do something that you enjoy and that would be good for you: Some children miss out because their parents can’t afford to pay for school trips.childparenttripmiss out onPrepare food in advance to ensure you don’t miss out on the fun!2miss somebody/something ↔ out British EnglishINCLUDE to not include someone or something: Make sure you don’t miss any details out.detailTHESAURUSnotice to realize that something is there or that something is happening, because you can see, hear, or feel it: I noticed that he was rather quiet during dinner.noticebe | Children don’t seem to notice the cold.child | ‘Julie’s home.’ ‘Yes, I noticed her bicycle outside.’noticedetect to notice something that is difficult to see, hear etc because it is very small, faint, or unclear. Detect is used about people and machines, and is more formal than notice: X-ray telescopes can now detect virtually every type of astronomical object.telescope | He thought he detected a flicker of interest in her eyes.thinkdetecteyespot to notice something, especially something that is difficult to see or that you see for a short time only. Spot is more informal than notice: Can you spot the difference between these two pictures?picture | I’m glad you spotted the mistake before it was too late.spotbebecome aware/conscious to gradually begin to notice that something is happening or is true: I became aware that Mum was getting a lot older.becomebegetold | Tessa became conscious of a feeling of guilt.becomefeelcan tell to be able to notice something because you can see, smell, hear it etc: I could tell that she had been drinking.canhavebedrink | Can you tell I've lost weight?losesomething/somebody catches your eye used to say that you suddenly notice something or someone because they are interesting, attractive, or good at something: I saw this shirt in the shop window and it just caught my eye.seecatch | Clarke caught the eye of boss Bryan Robson when he scored for Newry last week.catchscoreobserve formal to notice something as a result of watching or studying it closely: Psychologists observed that the mice became more aggressive in smaller cages.psychologistobservemousebecomesmallcageperceive formal to notice something, especially that something is happening, or is true, or needs to be done: The company quickly perceived the need for change.perceive | Doctors perceive that they do not have adequate time to spend with their patients.doctorpatientwitness to see something happen because you are there at the time: People have witnessed some great economic changes during the last ten years.witnesschangeyearmiss to not notice something because it is difficult to see: It’s easy to miss the entrance – the sign is hidden behind a tree.behide
missnounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesmissmissesmissmiss2 S2 noun
Word familySense 1-4, 7:Date: 1600-1700
Origin: mistressSense 5-6:
Date: 1200-1300
Origin: → MISS1 1MissWOMAN used in front of the family name of a woman who is not married to address her politely, to write to her, or to talk about her → Mrs, Mr:
I’d like to make an appointment with Miss Taylor. ► Some unmarried women prefer to be addressed as Ms because it does not draw attention to whether or not they are married.2Miss Italy/Ohio/World etcNAME OF A PERSON used to refer to a woman who represents a country, city etc in a beauty competition3young woman spokenWOMAN used as a polite way of speaking to a young woman when you do not know her name → madam, sir: Excuse me, miss, you’ve dropped your umbrella.drop4teacher British English spokenNAME OF A PERSON used by children when speaking to a female teacher, whether she is married or not → sir: I know the answer, Miss.5give something a miss British English informalNOT DO STH to decide not to do something: I’d better give the coffee a miss. I’m due at a meeting in half an hour.wellmeet6not hit/catch [countable]HIT#CATCH# an occasion when you fail to hit, catch, or hold something: Will he score a goal this time? No, no it’s a miss.7young girl [countable] British English spokenWOMAN a young girl, especially one who has been bad or rude: She’s a cheeky little miss. → hit-and-miss, → near miss at near2(6)
noun
Date: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: saison, from Latin satio ‘act of planting seeds’, from serere ‘to sow’ 1time of year [countable] one of the main periods into which a year is divided, each of which has a particular type of weather. The seasons are spring, summer, autumn, and winter:
the effect on plants as the seasons start to changeplantseason2usual time for something [countable usually singular]PERIOD OF TIME a period of time in a year during which a particular activity takes place, or during which something usually happens: the first game of the seasonthe football/cricket etc seasonthe end of the football seasonthe racing/fishing/hunting etc seasonThe racing season starts in June.racestartSome footpaths are closed during the shooting season.footpathbecloseshootout of season (=when an activity is not allowed)He was caught fishing out of season.becatchfishseason forThe season for strawberries (=when they are available to buy) usually starts in early June.strawberrystartthe rainy/wet/dry season (=the time when it rains a lot or does not rain at all)African rivers turn to hard mud during the dry season.riverthe growing/planting etc seasonThe planting season is in spring, with harvest in the fall.plantbe3holiday [singular, uncountable] the time of the year when most people take their holidayshigh/peak season (=the busiest part of this time)There are two boat trips a day, more in high season.betriplow/off season (=the least busy part of this time)An off-season break costs £114.costout of seasonIt’s quieter out of season.quiettourist season (also holiday season )British English: We arrived at the height of the tourist season (=the busiest time).arrivethe holiday season American English (=Thanksgiving to New Year, including Christmas, Hanukkah etc)the festive season British English (=Christmas and New Year)4fashion [singular] the time in each year when new styles of clothes, hair etc are produced and become fashionable: This season’s look is fresh and natural.be5be in/out of season vegetables and fruit that are in season are cheap and easily available because it is the time of year when they are ready to eat. If they are out of season, they are expensive or not available: Vine tomatoes are in season from April to October.tomatobe6films, plays etc [countable usually singular] a series of films, plays, television programmes etc that are shown during a particular period of timeseason ofa new season of comedy on BBC1summer/fall etc seasonThe network has several new dramas lined up for the fall season.havedramalineGlyndebourne’s season opens with a performance of Tosca.open7animals [singular] the time of the year when animals are ready to have sexthe mating/breeding seasonTheir dog was coming into season.become8season’s greetings written used on cards to tell someone you hope they have a happy Christmas, Hanukkah etc9the season of goodwill old-fashionedPERIOD OF TIME the time around Christmas → close season, open season, silly seasonCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2ADJECTIVES/NOUN + season a good/successful season The club has had another successful season.havehavea poor/disappointing season It's been a disappointing season for Arsenal.bedisappointthe football/cricket etc season The football season will be starting soon.startthe hunting/shooting/fishing season Autumn was traditionally the hunting season.behuntthe holiday season (=when most people go on holiday) The roads are always busy during the holiday season.roadbethe tourist season (=when a lot of tourists visit an area) It's almost impossible to get a hotel room in the tourist season.the rainy/wet/dry season (=when the weather is rainy, wet, dry etc) In the rainy season, roads became a quagmire.roadbecomethe growing/planting etc season (=for growing or planting crops) The growing season is short in these mountainous areas.growbeareathe festive season (=the period around Christmas) More people are choosing to go abroad for the festive season.bechooseTHESAURUSpreparing foodgrate to cut cheese, carrot etc into small pieces by rubbing it against a special tool: Grate the cheese and sprinkle it over the top of the pasta.melt to make butter, chocolate etc become liquid: Melt the butter, chocolate, and 1 teaspoon of cream over a low heat.sieve British English, sift American English to put flour or other powders through a sieve (=tool like a net made of wire, which you use for removing larger grains or pieces): Sift the flour and cocoa before adding to the rest of the mixture.addchop to cut something into pieces, especially using a big knife: Chop up the vegetables.vegetabledice to cut vegetables or meat into small square pieces: Dice the carrots and then fry them in butter.carrotseason to add salt, pepper etc to food: Season the meat before grilling.grillcrush to use a lot of force to break something such as seeds into very small pieces or into a powder: Add one clove of crushed garlic.cleavecrushmix to combine different foods together: Mix together all the ingredients in one bowl.ingredientbeat/whisk to mix food together quickly with a fork or other tool: Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks.whitepeakstir to turn food around with a spoon: Stir the sauce gently to prevent burning.burnfold something in to gently mix another substance into a mixture: Fold in the beaten egg whites.beatwhiteknead to press dough (=a mixture of flour and water) many times with your hands when you are making bread: Knead the dough for ten minutes, until smooth.minutedrizzle to slowly pour a small amount of a liquid onto something: Drizzle with olive oil.let something stand to leave something somewhere, before you do something else with it: Let the mixture stand for a couple of hours so that it cools naturally.hourcoolserve to put different foods together as part of a meal: Serve with rice and a salad. | Serve the aubergines on a bed of lettuce.aubergine
seasonverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesWord sets 1Phrases from other entriesCorpus examplesseasonseasonsseasonedseasoningseasonseason2 verb [transitive]Date: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: assaisoner ‘to ripen, season’, from saison; → SEASON1 Verb form1to add salt, pepper etc to food you are cookingseason something with something
Season the chicken with pepper.Mix and season to taste (=add the amount of salt etc that you think tastes right).2to prepare wood for use by gradually drying it
verb (past tense and past participle sat /sæt/, present participle sitting)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: sittan Verb form
1in a chair etc a)(also be sitting down) [intransitive]SIT to be on a chair or seat, or on the ground, with the top half of your body upright and your weight resting on your buttockssit on/in/by etcI sat on the shore and looked at the sea.sitlookShe was sitting in a chair by the fire.besitShe’s the girl who sits next to me at school.sitIn the driving seat sat a man of average height.drivesitsit at a desk/table etc (=sit facing it)Jean sat at the table writing a letter.sitwritesit doing somethingThey sat sipping their drinks.sitsipdrinkWe used to sit and listen to her for hours.usehour b)(also sit down) [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to get into a sitting position somewhere after you have been standing up: He came over and sat beside her.comesitSam sat opposite her and accepted a cigarette.sitaccept c)(also sit somebody down) [transitive always + adverb/preposition]SIT to make someone sit, or help them to sitsit somebody on/in etc somethingI gently led her to the chair and sat her on it.leadsit2objects/buildings etc [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]BE to be in a particular position or conditionsit on/in etca little church sitting on a hillsidesitThe parliament building sits in a large square.buildsitHe’s got a computer sitting on his desk, but he doesn’t use it.getsitMy climbing boots were sitting unused in a cupboard.climbbootbesitThe house has sat empty for two years.havesityear3do nothing [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]NOT DO STH to stay in one place for a long time, especially sitting down, doing nothing useful or helpful: I spent half the morning sitting in a traffic jam.spendsitWell, I can’t sit here chatting all day.chatAre you just going to sit there complaining?begocomplain4committee/parliament etc [intransitive]MEMBER to be a member of a committee, parliament, or other official groupsit in/onThey both sat on the management committee.sitHe was the first journalist to sit in parliament.be5meetingMEET [intransitive] to have a meeting in order to carry out official business: The council only sits once a month.sitThe court will sit until all the evidence has been heard.havebehear6animal/bird [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] a)SITto be in, or get into, a resting position, with the tail end of the body resting on a surface: The cat likes to sit on the wall outside the kitchen.like b)Sit! used to tell a dog to sit with the tail end of its body resting on the ground or floor c)if a bird sits on its eggs, it covers them with its body to make the eggs hatch7look after [intransitive + for]LOOK AFTER SB to look after a baby or child while its parents are out SYN babysit8sit tight spoken a)STAY/NOT LEAVEto stay where you are and not move: Just sit tight – I’ll be there in five minutes.minute b)NOT DO STHto stay in the same situation, and not change your mind and do anything new: We’re advising all our investors to sit tight till the market improves.adviseinvestorimprove9be sitting prettySUCCESSFUL to be in a very good or favourable position: We’ve paid off the mortgage, so we’re sitting pretty now.paysit10sit in judgment (on/over somebody)JUDGE to give your opinion about whether someone has done something wrong, especially when you have no right to do this: How can you sit in judgment on somebody you hardly know?11not sit well/easily/comfortably (with somebody) if a situation, plan etc does not sit well with someone, they do not like it: He had never before been accused of stealing, and it did not sit well with him.havebeaccusestealdo12sit on the fence to avoid saying which side of an argument you support or what your opinion is about a particular subject: The weakness of the book is that it sits on the fence on important issues.besitissue13sit on your hands to delay taking action when you should do something: Workers are losing their jobs while the government sits on its hands and does nothing.workerbelosejobsithanddo14exams [intransitive and transitive] British EnglishEXAM/TEST to take an examination: Tracy’s sitting her GCSEs this year.sitsit forThey were preparing children to sit for the entry examination.bepreparechild15picture/photo [intransitive] to sit somewhere so that you can be painted or photographedsit forShe sat for (=was painted by) Holman Hunt and Millais.sitCOLLOCATIONSadverbssit still (=without moving) Young children find it almost impossible to sit still.childsit quietly (=without talking) Mac sat quietly in the back of the car.sitbe sitting comfortably She was sitting comfortably on the sofa.besitsit up straight/sit upright (=with your back straight) Sit up straight at the table, Maddie.sit bolt upright (=suddenly sit up very straight, for example because you hear something) Suddenly she sat bolt upright and said, ‘What was that?’sitsaybesit cross-legged (=with your legs bent and crossed over in front of you) She sat cross-legged on the grass.sitlegTHESAURUSsit to be resting your weight on your bottom somewhere, or to move into this position: He was sitting in front of the fire.besit | She sat on the bed and kicked off her shoes.sitkickshoe | Who is the man sitting next to Karen?besitsit down to sit on a chair, bed, floor etc after you have been standing: I sat down on the sofa.sit | Come in and sit down.be seated formal to be sitting in a particular chair or place: John was seated on my left.beseatleave | There was a man seated behind the desk.beseattake a seat to sit – used especially when asking someone to sit down: Please take a seat – she will be with you in a minute. | Would the audience please take their seats – the show will begin in five minutes.willseatminutesink into something to sit in a comfortable chair and let yourself fall back into it: We switched on the TV and sank into our armchairs.switchsinkarmchairlounge to sit in a very comfortable relaxed way: They lounged around all day by the pool.loungeperch to sit on the edge of something: He perched on the arm of the sofa.perch | My sister was perched (=was sitting) on a high stool.beperchbe slumped to be sitting while leaning against something, especially because you are injured, drunk, or asleep: They found him slumped against the steering wheel.findslumpsteersquat to sit with your knees bent under you, your bottom just off the ground, balancing on your feet: A little boy was squatting at the edge of the pool.besquatsit around (also sit aboutsit about British English) phrasal verb NOT DO STHLAZYto spend a lot of time sitting and doing nothing very useful: We sat around for a bit, chatting.sitbitechatsit back phrasal verb1RELAXEDto get into a comfortable position, for example in a chair, and relax: Sit back and relax – I’ll open a bottle of wine.2RELAXEDto relax and make no effort to get involved in something or influence what happens: Don’t just sit back and wait for new business to come to you.sit by phrasal verb to allow something wrong or illegal to happen without doing anything about it: I’m not going to sit by and watch a man go to prison for something I’ve done.godosit down phrasal verb1SITto be in a sitting position or get into a sitting position: It was good to be sitting down eating dinner with my family.besiteatSit down, Amy – you look tired.tiresit yourself downSit yourself down and have a drink.2sit somebody down to make someone sit down or help them to sit downsit somebody down in/onI helped her into the room and sat her down in an armchair.helpsit3sit down and do somethingATTENTION to try to solve a problem or deal with something that needs to be done, by giving it all your attention: The three of us need to sit down and have a talk.Sit down and work out just what you spend.sit in phrasal verb MEETto be present at a meeting but not take an active part in itsit in onWould you like to sit in on some of my interviews?willinterviewsit in for somebody phrasal verb INSTEADto do a job, go to a meeting etc instead of the person who usually does it: This is Alan James sitting in for Suzy Williams on the mid-morning show.besitsit on something phrasal verb informal DELAYto delay dealing with something: I sent my application about six weeks ago and they’ve just been sitting on it.sendweekbesitsit something ↔ out phrasal verb1WAITto stay where you are and do nothing until something finishes, especially something boring or unpleasant: She had two weeks to sit it out while she waited to hear if she had got the job.haveweekwaithavegetShe was prepared to sit out the years of Jack’s jail sentence.beprepareyear2to not take part in something, especially a game or dance, when you usually take part: Johnson sat out the game with a shoulder injury.sitsit through something phrasal verb GO TO/ATTENDto attend a meeting, performance etc, and stay until the end, even if it is very long and boring: I wasn’t the least bit interested in all the speeches I had to sit through.littlebiteinterestspeechhavesit up phrasal verb1SITto be in a sitting position or get into a sitting position after you have been lying down: He was sitting up in bed, reading his book.besitreadShe sat up and reached for her glass.sitreach2SITsit somebody up to help someone to sit after they have been lying downsit somebody up in/on etcI’ll sit you up on the pillows and you’ll be nice and comfortable.pillow3SITto sit in a chair with your back straight: Just sit up straight and stop slouching.slouch4SLEEPto stay up very late: Sometimes we just sit up and watch videos all night.video5sit up (and take notice)ATTENTION to suddenly start paying attention to someone, because they have done something surprising or impressive: If Maria succeeded, then everyone would sit up and take notice.succeedwill
noun [countable]Date: 1300-1400Language: French
Origin: président, from Latin, present participle of praesidere; → PRESIDE 1the official leader of a country that does not have a king or queen → vice presidentpresident of
the President of FrancePresident Bush2the person who has the highest position in a company or organization → vice presidentpresident ofthe president of General MotorsmotorTHESAURUSboss the person who is in charge of you at work. Boss sounds rather informal. The usual word to use in more formal English is manager: Does your boss know you're looking for another job?dolookmanager the person in charge of a business such as a shop, a bank, or a hotel, or of a part of a business: I'd like to speak to the hotel manager. | the sales managersale | the manager of an Italian restauranthead the person who is in charge of an organization or a department within that organization: the head of the CIA | My wife's head of the French department at the university. | He was the former head of the American Cancer Society.bechief the most important person or one of the most important people in an organization such as the police, the fire department, or the army: the chief of police | police/army/fire chiefschief | Health chiefs have secured cash to build two new hospitals.chiefsecurehospitalpresident especially American English the person who is in charge of a large company or a department within a company: the president of CBS news | Angry shareholders called for the resignation of the company president.shareholdercallmanaging director British English the person who is in charge of the daily management of a company or organization: He's the managing director of a small printing firm.manageprintchief executive (also chief executive officer, CEO) the person who is in charge of the daily management of a company: the CEO of General Motorsmotor | Universal Studios is looking for a new chief executive.studiobelooksupervisor someone who is in charge of a group of workers, whose job is to make sure that the workers do what the manager wants: He was employed as a warehouse supervisor.beemployline manager the manager who is directly in charge of you in a company: If you want to take a holiday, first ask your line manager.report to somebody if you report to someone in a company, that person is directly in charge of you: Jan is based in Birmingham and reports to the Head of Marketing.bebasereportmarket
adjectiveWord familyDate: 1300-1400Language: French
Origin: Latin possibilis, from posse ‘to be able’ 1if something is possible, it can be done or achieved OPP impossible:
Is it possible to get tickets for the game?beticketIt might be possible for the documents to be sent over.documentsendComputer technology makes it possible for many people to work from home.makeI want to avoid the rush hour traffic if possible.I walk or use public transport whenever possible.We are doing everything possible to track down the killer.bedoOur staff will help you in every way possible.Even if it were technically possible, we do not have the money to do it.beShe decided to stay as far away from him as was humanly possible.decidebe2as soon/quickly/much etc as possibleVERY as soon, quickly etc as you can: I need the money as soon as possible.Sharon always does as little work as possible.doThe original features of the house have been preserved as far as possible (=as much as possible).featurebepreserve3a possible answer, cause etc might be true: There seem to be only two possible explanations.explanationthe possible causes of a child’s learning difficultiescauselearndifficultyit is possible (that)It’s possible that the letter got lost in the post.getlose4a possible event or thing might happen or exist: Heavy rain is possible later in the day.belatethe possible effect on the health of local peopleYou need to look at the possible consequences of your actions.consequenceactionIn Hollywood, anything is possible (=anything can happen, even though it may seem very unlikely).be5the best/biggest/fastest etc possiblePOSSIBLE the best etc that can exist or be achieved: Try to get the best possible price.wellWhat is the worst possible thing that could happen?beillcan6would it be possible (for somebody) to do something? spokenASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STH used when asking politely if you can do or have something: Would it be possible to speak to Oliver?willCOLLOCATIONSphrasesit is possible to do something From the hilltop it was possible to see the sea.bemake it possible to do something Medical advances have made it possible to keep more patients alive.advancemakepatientif possible (also if at all possible) If possible, take light exercise first thing in the morning.where/wherever/whenever possible Choose wholemeal varieties of flour and pasta, where possible.varietydo everything possible We must do everything possible to limit our impact on the earth's environment.in every way possible The company helped promote the scheme in every way possible.helpadverbsperfectly/quite possible (=definitely possible) Combining a family with a career is perfectly possible .combinebetheoretically possible (=possible in theory, but difficult and unlikely) It is theoretically possible for all students to get full marks.bestudentmarktechnically possible (=possible with the technology available) Amendments to software may be technically possible, but are inadvisable.amendmentbehumanly possible (=possible for anyone) It is not humanly possible to work for more than fifteen hours a day.behourTHESAURUSpossible if something is possible, it can be done or achieved: I think it’s possible that we could win the race.can | I want to get back by 5 o'clock if possible. | Please let me know your answer as soon as possible.feasible if an idea or plan is feasible, it is possible and you can find a practical way of doing it: We need to find out first if the idea is technically feasible.be | It is not feasible to have security cameras in every part of the building.becamerabuild | Da Silva considered it feasible that uranium could be produced on an industrial scale.considercanproduceviable possible and likely to be successful, and therefore worth doing: Nuclear energy is the only viable alternative to coal or gas.be | The product needs to be commercially viable.need | We have yet to find a viable solution to the problem. | The company was no longer financially viable (=it could not make enough money to be able to continue).belongworkable a workable plan, system, or solution is one that can be done or used: By early morning, they had arrived at a workable and safe solution.havearrive | The company would have a tough job convincing people that the deal was workable.willconvincebedoable informal if something is doable, you have enough money, energy, or skill to do it: This exercise programme is doable for most people.be | Do you think the walk is doable?be | Hosting great parties is fun, easy, and doable on any budget.hostpartybe | The book is full of interesting and doable recipes.beinterestrecipeachievable (also attainable formal) able to be achieved: A 15% cut in carbon emissions is achievable.emissionbe | Perfect democracy is not attainable, nor is perfect freedom or perfect justice.beberealistic if something is realistic, it seems sensible to think that it can be done or achieved: a realistic target | Their expectations didn’t seem very realistic.expectation | It is important to set yourself realistic goals.begoal
possiblenounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplespossiblepossiblespossiblepossible2 noun [countable]Word family SUITABLEsomeone or something that might be suitable or acceptable for a particular purpose: Frank’s a possible for the job.
verb (past tense saw /sɔː $ sɒː/, past participle seen /siːn/)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: seon Verb form1notice/examine [transitive not in progressive]NOTICEEXAMINE to notice or examine someone or something, using your eyes:
The moment we saw the house, we knew we wanted to buy it.seeknowwantHe crouched down so he couldn’t be seen.crouchseeCan I see your ticket, please?I saw the offer advertised in the newspaper.seeadvertisecan/can’t seeYou can see the Houses of Parliament from here.housesee where/what/who etcCan you see where the marks are on the wall?markbesee (that)He saw that she was crying.seebecrysee somebody/something do somethingI saw him leave a few minutes ago.seeminutesee somebody/something doing somethingThe suspect was seen entering the building.beseeenterbuildAs you can see, the house needs some work doing on it.needdoHave you seen Chris (=do you know where he is)?seeThe accommodation was so awful it had to be seen to be believed (=you would not believe it if you did not see it yourself).behaveseebelieve2notice something is true [transitive not in progressive] to notice that something is happening or that something is true: More money must be invested if we are to see an improvement in services.investbeserviceAfter a month’s practice, you should see a difference in your playing.shallplaySeeing his distress, Louise put her arm around him.seeI would like to see changes in the way the course is run.willchangebe‘You’re not denying it, I see,’ he said coldly.denysaysee (that)I can see you’re not very happy with the situation.3ability to see [intransitive, transitive not in progressive]SIGHT/ABILITY TO SEE to be able to use your eyes to look at things and know what they arecan/can’t seeFrom the tower, you can see for miles.milI can’t see a thing without my glasses.glassnot see to do somethingHis eyes are so bad that he can’t see to read anymore.eyebe4find out information [intransitive and transitive]FIND OUT to find out information or a factsee what/how/when etcI’ll call him and see how the job interview went.goShe went outside to see what was happening.gobehappensee if/whetherI’ve just come to see if you want to go out for a drink.These chocolates are gorgeous. Try some and see for yourself (=find out if it is true).chocolatebeBy looking at this leaflet, you can see at a glance (=find out very easily) how much a loan will cost.lookit can be seen that/we can see thatFrom this graph, it can be seen that some people are more susceptible to the disease.seebeAs we have seen in chapter four, women’s pay is generally less than men’s.seewomanbelittleman5in the future [intransitive and transitive]FIND OUT to find out about something in the futuresee if/whetherIt will be interesting to see if he makes it into the team.interestmakesee how/what/when etcI might come – I’ll see how I feel tomorrow.Let’s try it and see what happens.happen‘Can we go to the zoo, Dad?’ ‘We’ll see.’ (=used when you do not want to make a decision immediately)‘How long can you stay?’ ‘I’ll have to see. It depends (=used when you cannot make a decision immediately).’dependWe’ll just have to wait and see.see how it goes/see how things go (=used when you are going to do something and will deal with problems if they happen)I don’t know. We’ll just have to see how it goes on Sunday.goThings will work out, you’ll see (=you will find out that I am right).thing6where information is [transitive only in imperative] especially writtenFIND OUT used to tell you where you can find information: See p. 58.See press for details.detailsee above/belowThe results are shown in Table 7a (see below).resultbeshow7understand [intransitive and transitive]UNDERSTAND to understand or realize somethingsee why/what/how etcI can’t see why he’s so upset.I see what you mean (=I understand what you are saying).‘He lives here but works in London during the week.’ ‘Oh, I see (=I understand).’liveworkYou see, the thing is, I’m really busy right now (=used when you are explaining something).beYou mix the flour and eggs like this, see (=used to check that someone is listening and understands)?eggI can’t see the point of (=I do not understand the reason for) spending so much money on a car.spendDo you see the point I’m making (=do you understand what I’m trying to say)?makeThe other officers laughed, but Nichols couldn’t see the joke.officerlaughsee reason/sense (=realize that you are wrong or doing something stupid)I just can’t get her to see reason!8watch [transitive]WATCH to watch a television programme, play, film etc: Did you see that programme on monkeys last night?domonkeyWe’re going to see ‘Romeo and Juliet’ tonight.go9consider somebody/something [transitive]THINK/HAVE THE OPINION THAT to think about or consider someone or something in a particular way, or as having particular qualities: Having a child makes you see things differently.havemakethingViolence is seen in different ways by different people.beseewayas somebody sees it/the way somebody sees it (=used to give someone’s opinion)As I see it, you don’t have any choice.The way I see it, we have two options.optionsee somebody/something as somethingI see the job as a challenge.see yourself as somethingHe saw himself as a failure.seebe seen as (being) somethingThe peace talks are seen as a sign of hope.talkbeseeThis type of work is often seen as boring.beseeborebe seen to be (doing) somethingTeachers need to be seen to be in control.teacherseeThe government must be seen to be doing something about the rise in violent crime.seedo10see what somebody/something can do spoken a)FIND OUTto find out if someone can deal with a situation or problemsee what somebody/something can do aboutI’ll call them again and see what they can do about it. b)FIND OUTto find out how good someone or something is at what they are supposed to be able to do: Let’s take the Porsche out to the racetrack and see what it can do!11I’ll see what I can do spoken used to say that you will try to help someone: Leave the papers with me and I’ll see what I can do.paper12see you spokenGOODBYE used to say goodbye when you know you will see someone againsee you tomorrow/at three/Sunday etcSee you Friday – your place at 8:30.see you later (=see you soon, or later in the same day)see you in a bit British English (=see you soon)see you in a while (=see you soon)(I’ll) be seeing you! (=see you soon)13visit [transitive]MEET to visit or meet someone: I’ll be seeing her tomorrow night.seeI haven’t seen her since we left school.seeleaveShe’s too sick to see anyone right now.14meet by chance [transitive not in progressive]MEET to meet someone by chance: I saw Jane while I was out.seebe15have a meeting [transitive]MEET to have an arranged meeting with someone: Mr Thomas is seeing a client at 2:30.beseeShe was seen by a doctor but didn’t need hospital treatment.beseesee somebody about something (=see someone to discuss something)I have to see my teacher about my grades.grade16spend time with somebody [transitive]SPEND TIME to spend time with someone: They’ve been seeing a lot of each other.beseesee more/less of somebody (=see someone more or less often)They’ve seen more of each other since Dan moved to London.seemove17be seeing somebodyRELATIONSHIP to be having a romantic relationship with someone: Is she seeing anyone at the moment?besee18imagine [transitive not in progressive]IMAGINE to imagine that something may happen in the future: He could see a great future for her in music.cancan’t see somebody/something doing somethingI can’t see him winning, can you?winShe’s got a new book coming out, but I can’t see it doing very well.getcomedosee somebody as something (=be able to imagine someone being something)I just can’t see her as a ballet dancer.19seeing as (how) informal (also seeing that)ALTHOUGH used before giving a reason for what you are saying: ‘I might as well do something useful, seeing as I’m back,’ she said.seesay20see something for what it is (also see somebody for what they are)REALIZE to realize that someone or something is not as good or nice as they seem: They are unimpressed with the scheme and rightly see it for what it is.bebe21make sure [transitive not in progressive]CHECK/MAKE SURE to make sure or check that something is donesee (that)It’s up to you to see that the job’s done properly.doPlease see that the lights are switched off before you leave.lightbeswitchDon’t worry – I’ll see to it.The hotel’s owners see to it that their guests are given every luxury.ownerguestbegive22experience something [transitive not in progressive] to experience something: She was so sick that doctors didn’t think she’d live to see her first birthday.bedoctorI never thought I’d live to see the day when women became priests.thinkwomanbecomepriestShe’s seen it all before (=has experienced so much that nothing surprises her) in her long career.see → been there, seen that, done that at been(3)23time/place [transitive]EXIST if a time or place has seen a particular event or situation, it happened or existed in that time or place: This year has seen a big increase in road accidents.haveseeaccidentThe city has seen plenty of violence over the years.haveseeyear24let me see (also let’s see) spokenREMEMBER used when you are trying to remember something: Let me see ... where did I put that letter?do25I don’t see why not spokenYES used to say ‘yes’ in answer to a request: ‘Can we go to the park?’ ‘I don’t see why not.’26go with somebody [transitive always + adverb/preposition]HELP to go somewhere with someone to make sure they are safe: My mother used to see me across the road.useI’ll get Nick to see you home.Let me see you to the door (=go with you to the door, to say goodbye).27be seeing thingsIMAGINE to imagine that you see someone or something which is not really there: There’s no one there – you must be seeing things.seething28see double if you see double, something is wrong with your eyes, so that you see two things when there is only one29have seen better days informalCONDITION/STATE OF STH to be in a bad condition: Her hat had seen better days.haveseewellday30be glad/pleased etc to see the back of somebody/something British English spokenGET RID OF to be pleased when someone leaves or when you get rid of something, because you do not like them: I’ll be glad to see the back of him.31see the last of somebody/something a)to not see someone or something again, especially someone or something you do not like: I thought we’d seen the last of him.thinkseeIt was a relief to see the last of them.be b)to not have to deal with something any more: Police hoped they’d seen the last of the joyriding.hopeseeWe may not have seen the last of this controversy.see32see the light a)REALIZEto realize that something is true: She finally saw the light and ended the relationship.seeend b)to have a special experience that makes you believe in a religion33see the light of day a)if something sees the light of day, it is brought out so that people can see it: This decision will ensure that the Pentagon Papers never see the light of day.paper b)EXISTto start to exist: This type of PC first saw the light of day in 1981.see34see red to become very angry: The thought of Pierre with Nicole had made her see red.thinkhavemake35not see somebody for dust British English informal if you do not see someone for dust, they leave a place very quickly in order to avoid something36see eye to eye [usually in negatives] if two people see eye to eye, they agree with each other: We didn’t exactly see eye to eye.see eye to eye withI don’t always see eye to eye with my father.see eye to eye on/aboutWe don’t see eye to eye on business issues.issue37seen one ... seen them all informal used to say that something is boring because it is very similar to other things: When you’ve seen one of these programmes, you’ve seen them all.seeprogrammesee38see your way (clear) to doing something formalHELP to be able and willing to do something: Small companies cannot see their way to taking on many trainees.companytaketrainee39(see and) be seenNOTICE to look at or be noticed by important or fashionable people: Royal Ascot is the place to see and be seen.besee40not see the wood for the trees (also not see the forest for the trees American English)UNDERSTAND# to be unable to understand what is important in a situation because you are thinking too much about small details rather than the whole situation41see something comingPREDICT to realize that there is going to be a problem before it actually happens: John’s going to have a lot of trouble with him. You can see it coming.gocome42see somebody coming (a mile off) British English spokenWILLING to recognize that someone will be easy to trick or deceive: You paid £500 for that! They must have seen you coming!payseecome43see somebody right British English spokenGIVE to make sure that someone gets what they need or want, especially money: Just do this for me and I’ll see you right.Tell the landlord I sent you and he’ll see you right.send44not see that it matters spoken to think that something is not important: I can’t see that it matters what I think.matter45game of cards [transitive] to risk the same amount of money as your opponent in a card game → it remains to be seen at remain(5), → see fit (to do something) at fit2(3), → wouldn’t be seen dead at dead1(12)THESAURUSsee to notice something with your eyes, usually without planning to. Also used when saying that you watched a particular programme, film, game etc: Have you seen my keys anywhere?seekey | Did you see the basketball game last night?dolook at somebody/something to keep your eyes pointed toward someone or something, especially someone or something that is not moving: I looked at the map.look | She was looking at him in a strange way.belooknotice to see something interesting or unusual: I noticed a police car outside their house.noticespot to suddenly see something, especially something you are looking for: Nick spotted the advertisement in the paper.spotcatch sight of/catch a glimpse of (also glimpse formal) to suddenly see someone or something for a short time, usually not clearly: I caught sight of him in the hotel lobby, and followed him out the door.catchfollow | He glimpsed her face as she went into the courtroom.glimpsegomake out somebody/something to see something, but only with difficulty: Ahead, I could just make out the figure of a woman.canwitness to see something happen, especially a crime or an accident: The police are asking anyone who witnessed the attack to come forward.beaskwitnessobserve formal to see and pay attention to something: Officers observed him driving at 100 mph.officerobservedrivesight especially written to suddenly see something or someone from a long distance, especially when you have been looking for a long time: The missing boys were sighted by a rescue helicopter.missboybesight | The crew finally sighted land.sightUnable to seeblind unable to see anything: She has been blind from birth.havebepartially-sighted not able to see things very well, although not completely blind: Good lighting can be very important for partially sighted people.lightsightvisually handicapped/impaired completely blind or not able to see very much – used especially in official reports, forms etc: a special school for visually impaired childrenimpairchildsee about something phrasal verb1DEAL WITHto make arrangements or deal with something: I’d better see about dinner.wellsee about doing somethingClaire’s gone to see about getting tickets for the concert.gogetticket2we’ll see about that spoken a)STOP STH THAT IS HAPPENING (also we’ll have to see about that) used to say that you do not know if something will be possible: ‘I want to go to Joshua’s tonight.’ ‘Well, we’ll have to see about that.’ b)(also we’ll soon see about that) used to say that you intend to stop someone from doing what they were planning to dosee something against something phrasal verb [usually passive] to consider something together with something else: The unemployment data must be seen against the background of world recession.datumseesee around phrasal verb1see somebody around to notice someone regularly in places you go to, but not talk to them: I don’t know who he is, but I’ve seen him around.besee2see you around spoken used to say goodbye to someone when you have not made a definite arrangement to meet again3see around/round something British EnglishLOOK AT to visit a place and walk around looking at it: Would you like to see round the house?willsee in phrasal verb1not know what somebody sees in somebody (also what does somebody see in somebody?) used to say that you do not know why someone likes someone else: I don’t know what she sees in him.see2see something in somebody/somethingLIKE SB OR STH to notice a particular quality in someone or something that makes you like them: He saw a gentleness in Susan.see3see somebody inSHOW/LET SB SEE STH to go with someone to make sure they arrive at a building or room: He took her home and, after seeing her in, drove off without a word.takeseedrive4see in the New YearCELEBRATE to celebrate the beginning of a new yearsee somebody/something ↔ off phrasal verb1DEFENDBEAT/DEFEATto defeat someone or stop them from competing against you: To see off the threat, the company will have to cut its prices still further.pricefarThe team saw off their old rivals in last night’s championship game.seerival2GOODBYEto go to an airport, train station etc to say goodbye to someone: They’ve gone to the airport to see their son off.go3(also see somebody off something)FOLLOW to force someone to leave a place: Security guards saw him off the premises.guardseepremisesee somebody/something out phrasal verb1GOODBYEto go to the door with someone to say goodbye to them when they leave: I’ll see you out.Don’t worry, I can see myself out (=leave the building without anyone coming with me).2see something ↔ outCONTINUE/NOT STOP to continue doing something or being somewhere until a particular period of time or an unpleasant event is finished: Connolly has promised to see out the remaining 18 months of his contract.havepromiseremainmonthShe saw out her last years at Sudeley Castle.seeyearsee over something phrasal verb British English LOOK ATto look at something large such as a house, especially in order to decide if you want to buy itsee through phrasal verb1see through somebody/somethingTRICK/DECEIVE to realize that someone is trying to deceive you: I saw through his excuses.seeexcuseI could never lie to her because I know she’d see through me straight away.canI can’t bluff – she’d see right through me.2see something throughCONTINUE/NOT STOP to continue doing something until it is finished, especially something difficult or unpleasant: It’ll take a lot of effort to see the project through.3see somebody through (something)HELP to give help and support to someone during a difficult time: Setting goals should help see you through.setgoalshallI’ve got enough money to see me through six months of unemployment.getmonth4see something through sb’s eyes to see something or think about it in the way that someone else does: The world is very different when seen through the eyes of a child.beseeeyesee to somebody/something phrasal verb DEAL WITHto deal with something or do something for someone: Go on, you go out. I’ll see to the washing-up.washhave/get something seen toYou should get that tooth seen to by a dentist.shallsee
seenounCollocations from other entriesWord sets 1Phrases from other entriesCorpus examplesseeseesseesee2 noun [countable]Date: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: se, from Latin sedes ‘seat’ an area governed by a bishop
noun [countable]
Date: 1300-1400Language: French
Origin: problème, from Latin problema, from Greek, ‘something thrown forward’, from proballein ‘to throw forward’ 1difficultyPROBLEM a situation that causes difficulties:
She was older than me, but that wasn’t really a problem.beoldproblem ofThe problem of street crime is getting worse every year.begetillproblem withI’ve been having a few problems with my car.behaveproblemRegisterIn writing, people sometimes prefer to use the word issue rather than problem, as it sounds more neutral and less negative:the issue of race relationsrelation2something wrong with your health or with part of your bodyhealth problem/problem with your healthDoes she have any long-term health problems?doproblemback/heart/kidney etc problemIf you have back problems you should avoid lifting heavy objects.problemshallliftobjecthearing problemMany people with hearing problems try to hide their condition.hearproblemweight problemShe refuses to admit to herself that she has a weight problem.refusehaveemotional/psychological problemIs this a sign of some kind of deeper psychological problem?bedeep3question a question for which you have to find the right answer, using mathematics or careful thought: She gave us 20 mathematical problems to solve.giveproblem4no problem spoken a)WILLINGused to say that you are happy to do something or for someone else to do something: ‘Can I bring a friend?’ ‘Sure, no problem.’ b)THANKused after someone has said thank you or said that they are sorry: ‘Thanks for all your help.’ ‘No problem!’thank5have no problem (in) doing something to do something easily: I’ve had no problem recruiting staff.haverecruit6the (only) problem is (that) ... spoken used before saying what the main difficulty in a situation is: The problem is, there isn’t enough time.be7that’s your/his etc problem spokenDON'T CARE used to say rudely that someone else is responsible for dealing with a situation, not you: If you miss the train, that’s your problem.8it’s/that’s not my problem spokenDON'T CARE used to say rudely that you are not responsible for dealing with a particular problem and are not willing to help: ‘We’ve got a serious staffing shortage.’ ‘That’s not my problem.’getstaff9What’s your/his etc problem? spoken informalWRONG/UNJUSTIFIED used when you think that someone is behaving in a way that is unreasonable10Do you have a problem with that? spoken informal used to ask someone why they seem to disagree with you, in a way that shows that you are annoyed11problem child/family/drinker etcPROBLEM a child etc whose behaviour causes problems for other peopleCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1verbshave a problem We saw water rushing in and realised we had a serious problem.seerushhavecause/create a problem The building’s lack of parking space could cause problems.buildparkcanproblempresent/pose a problem (=cause it or make it have to be considered) A shortage of trained nurses is posing major problems.trainnursebeposeproblemdeal with/sort out a problem The state has failed to deal with the problem of violence against women.havefailwomantackle/address a problem (=deal with it) There is more than one way to tackle this problem.besolve/resolve a problem (also fix a problem informal) He solved his financial problems by selling his car.solveproblemsellovercome a problem We try to help families overcome housing problems.familyhouseproblemface a problem Terrorism is possibly the most important problem facing western countries.befacecountryraise a problem (=mention it, so that people can discuss it) He also raised the problem of noise from planes taking off and landing.raiseplanetakelandencounter/experience a problem You shouldn’t encounter any further problems.farproblema problem arises/occurs (also a problem comes up) (=it happens) Problems may arise when the family wants to move house.problemwantcompound/exacerbate a problem formal (=make it worse) The country’s economic problems are compounded by its ageing population.problembecompoundagethe problem lies in/with something The problem lies in the design of the rocket.lieADJECTIVES/NOUN + problembig/major/serious The school’s biggest problem is a shortage of cash.bigbelittle/small/minor Old cars often develop minor engine problems.carproblemthe main problem The main problem for the climbers was lack of sleep.climberbea real problem They quickly found that their real problem lay with marketing.findliemarketa difficult problem Does the team have the skills to tackle these difficult problems?doskillproblema thorny/knotty problem (=difficult) He still faced the thorny problem of finding a way out of the jungle.facefinda fundamental problem (=relating to the most basic and important parts of something ) The government has done little to solve the fundamental problems of poverty and crime.havedoproblema pressing problem (=one that needs to be dealt with very soon) Lack of clean drinking water is the most pressing problem facing the refugees.drinkbepressfacerefugeepersonal problems (=relating to your private life and relationships) My daughter found it hard to talk about her personal problems.findproblemfamily problems She would never discuss family problems with outsiders.willproblemoutsiderfinancial/money problems Our financial problems are over.problembeeconomic problems He argued that the government was to blame for the country’s economic problems.arguebeproblema technical problem The delay was caused by technical problems.becauseproblema practical problem Burying a pet can present practical problems.buryprobleman environmental problem Air pollution is our most serious environmental problem.beCOMMON ERRORS ► It is more usual to say a big problem, a major problem or a serious problem, instead of saying 'an important problem'.COLLOCATIONSMeaning 2ADJECTIVES/NOUN + problema health/medical problem Have you ever suffered from any of these health problems?sufferproblema back/heart/kidney etc problem He was born with heart problems.beproblema hearing problem There are special telephones for people with hearing problems.betelephonehearproblema weight problem (=the problem of being too fat) Patients with weight problems were put on a strict diet.patientproblembepsychological problems (also mental health problems) She is being treated for psychological problems at a mental hospital in Oxford.bebetreatproblememotional problems He suffers from depression and other emotional problems.sufferproblembehavioural problems Many of these children have behavioural problems.childproblema serious/major problem Lifting things carelessly can lead to serious back problems.liftthingproblema minor problem She has had some minor medical problems.havehaveproblemverbshave a problem He's always had a weight problem.havesuffer (from) a problem The patient began to suffer breathing problems.beginbreatheproblemTHESAURUSsetback a problem that stops you from making progress: The space program suffered a major setback when the space shuttle, Discovery, exploded.sufferexplodesnag informal a problem, especially one that you had not expected: There’s a snag – I don’t have his number.numbhitch a small problem that delays or prevents something: There have been a few last-minute hitches.behitchtrouble when something does not work in the way it should: The plane developed engine trouble.develophassle spoken a situation that is annoying because it causes problems: Just trying to store all this stuff is a hassle.trybe
noun
Date: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: sorte, from Latin sors ‘chance, what you get by luck, share, condition’ 1type/kind [countable]TYPE a group or class of people, things etc that have similar qualities or features SYN type, kindsort of
What sort of shampoo do you use?all sorts (of something) (=a lot of different types of things)I like all sorts of food – I’m not fussy.sortof this/that sortOn expeditions of this sort, you have to be prepared for trouble.expeditionprepareof some sort/some sort of something (=used when you do not know exactly what type)He wondered if Rosa was in some sort of trouble.wonderbeThere was a game of some sort going on inside.begoMost of the victims developed psychological problems of one sort or another (=of various different types).victimdevelopproblemThey do burgers, pizzas, that sort of thing.burgerpizza2sort of spoken a)QUITE/FAIRLYused to say that something is partly true but does not describe the exact situation: I sort of like him, but I don’t know why.‘Do you know what I mean?’ ‘Sort of.’ b)NOT SUREused when you are trying to describe something but it is difficult to find the right word or to be exact: Then they started sort of chanting.startchantThe walls are a sort of greeny-blue colour.wallbesort of like (=used very informally when searching for the right words)It was sort of like really strange and mysterious, walking round this empty building.bewalkbuild c)used to make what you are saying sound less strong or direct: Well, I sort of thought we could go out together sometime.thinkcanIt was sort of a shock when I found out.befind d)sort of price/time/speed etc especially British EnglishLIKE/SIMILAR a price etc that is not very exact, but could be slightly more or less: That’s the sort of price I was hoping to pay.behopeWhat sort of time were you thinking of starting?bethinkstart3of sorts (also of a sort)GOOD ENOUGH used when something is not a good or typical example of its kind of thing: I had a conversation of sorts with a very drunk man at the bus stop.havesortdrink4sort of thing especially British English spokenEXACT used when you are mentioning or describing something in a way that is not definite or exact: We could just stay here and pass the time, sort of thing.canShe uses a wheelchair sort of thing.use5what sort of ... ? especially British English spokenANGRY used when you are angry about what someone has said or done: What sort of time do you call this to come in?6nothing of the sort especially British English spokenUNTRUENOT DO STH used to say angrily that something is not true or that someone should not do something: ‘I’m going to watch TV.’ ‘You’ll do nothing of the sort!’go7person [singular] British EnglishCHARACTER/PERSONALITY someone who has a particular type of character, and is therefore likely to behave in a particular way SYN type: Iain’s never even looked at another woman. He’s not the sort.look8it takes all sorts (to make a world) British EnglishCRAZYSTRANGE used to say that you think someone is behaving in a strange or crazy way: He goes climbing up cliffs without ropes or anything? Oh well, it takes all sorts.goclimbcliffropetakesort9computer [singular] if a computer does a sort, it puts things in a particular order10ill/upset out of sortsUPSETILL feeling a little ill or upset: Louise went back to work feeling rather out of sorts.gofeelsortCOLLOCATIONSadjectivesthis/that sort We must ensure that this sort of thing does not happen again.dosome sort There has been some sort of error.havebethe same sort We had the same sort of background.havea similar sort It’s a similar sort of house.a different sort Barbara never stopped wanting a different sort of life.stopwantthe right sort Wearing the right sort of clothing could save your life.wearclothecanother sorts What other sorts of books do you like?sortbookall sorts (=many different sorts) He collects all sorts of musical instruments.collectsortinstrumentphrasesof one sort or another (=of various different sorts) Quite a large number of them suffered injuries of one sort or another.numbsufferinjuryTHESAURUStype/kind/sort one member of a group of people or things that have similar features or qualities. Type is the usual word to use in scientific or technical contexts. In everyday English, people usually use kind or sort: What type of fish is this?be | There are two main personality types.betypekind a type of person or thing. Kind is less formal than type, and is used especially in everyday English: What kind of food do you like? | There were all kinds of people there.bekind | The study is the first of its kind in Ireland.besort especially British English a type of person or thing. Sort is less formal than type, and is used especially in everyday British English: What sort of person is she?be | I like all sorts of music.sortform one type of something from all the ones that are possible – used especially when things have different physical characteristics, or in certain fixed phrases: There are many forms of heart disease.beform | Melanoma is a form of skin cancer.be | The first primitive life forms consumed various materials, including hydrogen sulfide, and released oxygen.formconsumematerialincluderelease | In those days, horses were the commonest form of transport.dayhorsebecommon | We need to use alternative forms of energy.form | a popular form of entertainmentvariety a type that is slightly different from others in the same group: The French make many varieties of cheese.variety | This is a new variety of apple.bespecies a type of plant or animal, which can breed together to produce plants or animals of the same type: These forests contain many species of trees.foresttree | The giant panda is an endangered species.beendangerof a ... nature formal used when talking about a particular type of thing: Many people find it embarrassing to discuss problems of a sexual nature.embarrassproblem | Minor incidents of this nature normally occur about once a month.incidentcategory a group of people or things that are all of the same type – used when there is a clear system for deciding which group something belongs to: The three major categories of rock are: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary.categorybe | She won the best actress category at the Oscars.winwellbrand used when talking about the particular way that someone does something or thinks about something, when this is very different from that of other people: She has her own special brand of humour.have | He has called for a more positive brand of politics.havecallgenre formal a type of art, music, literature etc. that has a particular style or feature: He has written novels in several genres, most notably science fiction.havewritenovelgenre
sortverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplessortsortssortedsortingsortsort2 S1 W3 verb [transitive]Verb form1ORDER/SEQUENCEto put things in a particular order or arrange them in groups according to size, type etc: The eggs are sorted according to size.eggbesortaccordsort something into somethingLet’s sort all the clothes into piles.clothepileAll the names on the list have been sorted into alphabetical order.namebesort2British English spokenSOLVE/DEAL WITH A PROBLEM to deal with a situation so that all the problems are solved and everything is organized → sorted: Right, I’ll leave this for Roger and Terry to sort, then.sort something/somebody ↔ out phrasal verb1ORGANIZEto arrange or organize something that is mixed up or untidy, so that it is ready to be used: We need to sort out our camping gear before we go away.camp2SOLVE/DEAL WITH A PROBLEMto separate one type of thing from another: I’ve sorted out the papers that can be thrown away.sortpaperthrowsort something/somebody ↔ out fromFirst, sort the white things out from the other clothes.thingclothe3especially British EnglishSOLVE/DEAL WITH A PROBLEM to successfully deal with a problem or difficult situation: She went to a psychiatrist to try to sort out her problems.goproblemI’ll be glad to get this misunderstanding sorted out.misunderstandsortsort yourself out/get yourself sorted out (=deal with all your problems)I’m staying with a friend until I manage to sort myself out.stay4especially British English to succeed in making arrangements for something: Have you sorted out where you’re going to live yet?sortgoShe is trying to sort out childcare.betry5sort itself out British EnglishSOLVE/DEAL WITH A PROBLEM if something sorts itself out, it stops being a problem without you having to do anything: Our financial problems should sort themselves out in a week or two.problemshall6British English informalFORCE SB TO DO STH to stop someone from causing problems or annoying you, especially by attacking or punishing them: If he bothers you again, I’ll sort him out.bothersort through something phrasal verb LOOK FORto look for something among a lot of similar things, especially when you are arranging these things into an order: Vicky sat down and sorted through the files.sitsortfile
verb
Date: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: remembrer, from Late Latin rememorari, from Latin memor; → MEMORY Verb form1the past [intransitive and transitive]REMEMBER to have a picture or idea in your mind of people, events, places etc from the past → forget:
Do you remember Rosa Davies?I can’t remember her exact words.wordremember (that)I remember you two couldn’t stand each other at first!remember (somebody) doing somethingI remember meeting her at a party once.meetI remember my father bringing home a huge Christmas tree.bringI remember it well; I’d never seen my mother so angry.seeShe clearly remembers the excitement as they boarded the train.rememberboardI vaguely remember reading something about it in the paper.readThey had three children, if I remember rightly.havechildThey’ve lived here for as long as I can remember.liveNo one got drunk as far as I can remember.getdrink2information/facts [intransitive and transitive]REMEMBER to bring information or facts that you know into your mind → forget: You left your keys on the table, remember?leavekeyI can’t remember her phone number.numbremember (that)I suddenly remembered that I’d left the stove on.rememberleavestaveremember what/how/why etcI called the office, but I don’t remember who I spoke to.callspeak3to do/get something [intransitive and transitive]REMEMBER to not forget something that you must do, get, or bring: I hope he remembers the wine.rememberremember to do somethingRemember to take your P.E. clothes to school.clothe4keep something in mindREMEMBER [transitive] to keep a particular fact about a situation in your mind: Remember, processed food is usually full of salt and sugar.processberemember thatRemember that not everyone has as much money as you.haveit should/must be remembered (that)It should be remembered that a lot of work went into this event.shallremembergo5honour the deadREMEMBER [transitive] to think with respect about someone who has died, often in a ceremony: On this day we remember the dead of two world wars.war6be remembered for/as somethingFAMOUS to be famous for something important that you did in the past: He is best remembered for his travel books.bewellrememberbookJohnson wanted to be remembered as ‘the education president.’wantremember7give somebody a present [transitive]GIVE to give someone a present on a particular occasion: Lilian always remembers me at Christmas.rememberremember somebody in your will (=arrange for someone to have something of yours after you die)8remember me to somebody spokenHELLO used to ask someone to give a greeting from you to someone elseGrammarIf you remember doing something, you have a picture in your mind of the time when you did it: I remember playing there when I was little.playbeIf you remember to do something, you do not forget to do what you had intended: We must remember to close that window.COLLOCATIONSadverbsremember well (=thoroughly and completely) I remember so well my first day there.remember clearly/vividly/distinctly (=well, with a lot of detail) I remember clearly how I used to feel as a child in church on Sundays.useremember vaguely/dimly (=not well) He could vaguely remember his mother’s face.canremember fondly (=in a way that shows you liked someone or something a lot) The restaurant is fondly remembered by many.berememberremember rightly/correctly You were still at school, if I remember rightly.behardly/barely remember (=almost not at all) I can hardly remember him.THESAURUSremember to form an idea in your mind of people, events, places etc from the past: I remember Janine – she lived in that house on the corner.live | I can’t remember how the film ends.end | He remembered meeting her at a party once.remembermeetrecall to remember a particular fact, event, or situation, especially in order to tell someone about it: Can you recall where your husband was that night?be | She recalled that he had seemed a strange, lonely man.recallhaveseemrecollect formal to remember an event or situation: Harry smiled as he recollected the scene.smilerecollect | She tried to recollect what had happened next in her dream.tryhavehappenmemorize to learn facts, a piece of writing or music etc, so that you can remember them later: He’s trying to memorize his speech.try | Don’t write down your PIN number, memorize it.numbthink back/look back to think about something that happened in the past: I thought back to when I was his age.thinkbe | Looking back, I should have been more patient with her.lookshallbe | We need to stop looking back and start thinking about the future.lookthinkreminisce /ˌreməˈnɪs, ˌremɪˈnɪs/ to talk about pleasant events, people, experiences etc from the past, because you want to remember them or enjoy talking about them: They were reminiscing about old times.bereminiscetime | I used to spend hours listening to my grandfather reminisce.usehourlistenbear something in mind to remember something important when you are doing something, because it could affect what you do: Bear in mind that this is the first time he’s done this.bedosomething is on the tip of your tongue used to say that you know a word or a name but that you have difficulty remembering it at this exact moment: His name’s on the tip of my tongue. I’ll think of it in a minute.remind somebody of something to make you think of another person, thing, or time, because they are similar: It reminds me of the time when I first started teaching.remindstartteach | The taste reminded him of school dinners.reminddinner
noun
Date: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: estage, from Vulgar Latin staticum, from Latin stare ‘to stand’ 1time/state [countable]PART a particular time or state that something reaches as it grows or develops → phase, stepstage of/in
the early stages of a child’s developmentstageIt’s a good move at this stage in his career.We’re getting to the stage where we hardly ever go out together.get2part of process [countable] one of the parts which something such as a competition or process is divided intostage ofThe team reached the semi-final stage of the competition.reachstage two/six etcWe’re now reaching the end of stage three of the construction.reachThe next stage is to complete an application form.bein stagesThe rest of the money will be paid in stages (=a small amount at a time).paystage3theatre [countable] the raised area in a theatre which actors or singers stand on when they perform → backstageon stageShe is on stage for most of the play.beShe appeared on stage with George Michael.appear4acting the stageACTOR/ACTRESS acting as a profession, especially in theatres: I wanted to go on the stage (=become an actor).wantstars of stage and screen (=theatre and cinema)star5centre stageATTENTION if someone or something is centre stage, it has everyone’s attention, or is very important: Anne’s sculpture took centre stage at the show.takeThe UN has moved to the centre stage of world politics.havemove6place [singular]AREA OF KNOWLEDGE, DUTIES, STUDY ETCPLACE a place or area of activity where something important happenson the world/international/political etc stageHe’s an experienced campaigner on the world stage.experienceimportant figures on the European political stagefigurestage forGeneva has been the stage for many such conferences.havebeconference7set the stage for somethingPREPARE to prepare for something or make something possible: Will this agreement merely set the stage for another war? → landing stageCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1adjectivesthe early/initial stages Sometimes there are problems in the early stages of a project.beproblemstagethe later/final/closing stages She was well cared for during the final stages of her life.becarestagethe halfway stage He was in the lead at the halfway stage.bean advanced stage Negotiations are at an advanced stage.negotiationbeadvancea new stage It marked the beginning of a new stage in my life.markbegina critical/crucial stage (=very important because it affects the future success of something) The football season is reaching a crucial stage.bereacha formative stage (=when someone or something is developing) This plan is still in its formative stages.bestagea difficult/an awkward stage He was 13 and going through that awkward stage.begoverbsreach/get to a stage We have reached the stage where no-one is safe to walk our streets at night.reachbestreetenter a stage He is entering a new stage of his career.beentergo through a stage Most young people go through a rebellious stage.mark a stage The election marks an important stage in the rebuilding of the country.markrebuildtake something a stage further We then took the experiment a stage further.takefarphrasesa stage of development We have several ideas in various stages of development.ideastageat one stage (=at a time in the past) At one stage I had to tell him to calm down.haveat some stage Four out of ten people are likely to contract cancer at some stage in their lives.beliveat this/that stage At this stage his wife did not realise he was missing.dobemissat an early/late stage I can’t change my plans at this late stage.planat a later stage These points will be dealt with at a later stage.pointdeallateCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 3verbsbe on stage He was on stage for most of the first act.beappear on stage Recently she has appeared on stage in 'Private Lives'.haveappearlivego/come on stage I never drink before going on stage.gowalk on stage/onto the stage The audience broke into applause as soon as he walked on stage.breakwalktake the stage (=go on stage) The Charlatans took the stage in LA yesterday.charlatantakeleave the stage Everyone except the main character gradually leaves the stage.leavecome off stage I came off stage last night and just collapsed in a heap.comecollapsewalk off the stage (=leave the stage, especially before you should) The pianist walked off the stage after playing only a few notes.walkplaynoteTHESAURUSstage one of several parts of a long process, which happen one after another: At this stage of the election campaign, it is impossible to predict who will win.be | She is still in the early stages of pregnancy.bestage | Piaget famously divided childhood into four separate stages.dividestage | the opening stages of the raceopenstagestep one of the parts of a process that you have to do or deal with in order to go on to the next one: The first step is to make a list of what you need.be | What’s the next step? | You have to do this one step at a time.phase one of the clearly separate stages of a process or activity, during which a type of activity takes place that is different from those in other phases: the initial phase of the campaign | They were now entering the final phase of their journey.beenterround one of the parts that an event or activity is divided into, especially talks or a sports competition: the first round of the negotiationsnegotiation | the final round of the competition | The next round of the trade talks will be held in Geneva.talkholdpoint a specific time or moment during the course of something: What do you really want at this point in your life? | By this point they were startng to feel more confident.be
stageverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesstagestagesstagedstagingstagestage2 verb [transitive]Verb form1PERFORMto organize a public eventstage a strike/demonstration/sit-in etcActivists staged a protest outside the parliament.activiststageexhibitions staged in ParisexhibitionstageThe candidates’ public appearances were carefully staged (=not natural).candidateappearancebestage2stage a comeback/recovery etc to start doing something again or being successful, after you had stopped or not been successful for some time: He staged an amazing comeback.stageamaze
verb (past tense and past participle stood /stʊd/)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: standan Verb form1be on feet (also be standing up) [intransitive]STAND to support yourself on your feet or be in an upright position:
It looks like we’ll have to stand – there are no seats left.lookbeseatleaveShe stood in the doorway.standStand still (=do not move) and listen to me.Don’t just stand there (=stand and not do anything) – help me!stand on tiptoe/stand on your toes (=support yourself on your toes)If he stood on tiptoe, he could reach the shelf.standcanstand (somewhere) doing somethingThey just stood there laughing.standlaughWe stood watching the rain fall.standwatch2rise (also stand up) [intransitive]STAND to rise to an upright position: Smiling, she stood and closed the blinds.smilestandcloseblind3step [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] a)to step a short distancestand back/asideShe stood back to let him in.standstand clear of something British English (=step away from something in order to be safe)Stand clear of the doors, please.door b)British EnglishSTAND to accidentally step on or in somethingstand on/inDon’t stand in that puddle!4in a particular position [intransitive, transitive usually + adverb/preposition]VERTICAL to be upright in a particular position, or to put something or someone somewhere in an upright position: A lamp stood on the table.standNear the railway station stood a hotel.standSome remains of the original house still stand.remainstand something on/in etc somethingCan you stand that pole in the corner for now?I closed the lid and stood the case against the wall.closestandstand somebody (up) on somethingStand Molly up on a chair so she can see.5in a state/condition [linking verb]BESITUATION to be or stay in a particular state or condition: The kitchen door stood open so she went in.standgostand empty/idle (=not being used)scores of derelict houses standing emptyscorehousestandI’m not too thrilled with the way things stand (=the state that the situation is in) at the moment.thrillthingThe evidence, as it stands (=as it is now), cannot be conclusive.standwhere/how do things stand? (=used to ask what is happening in a situation)Where do things stand in terms of the budget?thingtermI will know within the next month or two how I stand (=what my situation is).stand united/divided (=agree or disagree completely)He urged the whole community to stand united and to reject terrorism.urgeunitestand prepared/ready to do something (=be prepared to do something whenever it is necessary)We should stand ready to do what is necessary to guarantee the peace.shallbecountries that have stood together (=stayed united) in times of crisiscountrystandtimestand in awe of somebody (=admire them, be afraid of them, or both)6not like can’t stand spokenSTAND/BEAR used to say that you do not like someone or something at all, or that you think that something is extremely unpleasant SYN can’t bear: I can’t stand bad manners.mannerI know he can’t stand the sight of me.can’t stand (somebody/something) doing somethingLily can’t stand working in an office.workI can’t stand people smoking around me when I’m eating.smokeeatcan’t stand to do somethingShe can’t stand to hear them arguing.argue7accept a situation [transitive usually in questions and negatives] to be able to accept or deal well with a difficult situation SYN toleratecan/could stand somethingI couldn’t stand the thought of leaving Danielle.thinkleaveI’ve had about as much as I can stand of your arguing!haveargueI don’t know if I can stand the waiting any longer.waitlongcan stand somebody doing somethingHow can you stand Marty coming home late all the time?comeShe’s a strong woman who stands no nonsense from anyone.stand8be good enough [transitive]GOOD ENOUGH to be good or strong enough to last a long time or to experience a particular situation without being harmed, damaged etc: Linen can stand very high temperatures.temperatureHis poetry will stand the test of time (=stay popular).9stand to do somethingPROBABLY to be likely to do or have somethingstand to gain/lose/win/makeWhat do firms think they stand to gain by merging?firmmergeAfter the oil spill, thousands of fishermen stand to lose their livelihoods.fishermanlivelihood10not move [intransitive]USE STH# to stay in a particular place without moving → standstill: The car’s been standing in the garage for weeks.bestandweekThe mixture was left to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.beleaveminuteThe train was already standing at the platform.bestand11height [linking verb] formalBE to be a particular height: The trophy stands five feet high.standfootJohn stood six feet tall.standfoot12level/amount [linking verb]BE to be at a particular level or amountstand atHis former workforce of 1,300 now stands at 220.standIlliteracy rates are still thought to stand above 50 percent.ratebethink13rank/position [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]BE to have a particular rank or position when compared with similar things or people SYN rank: The president stands high in the public opinion polls.standpollHow do their sales stand in relation to those of similar firms?salefirmHis book could stand alongside the best.canwell14election [intransitive]VOTE/ELECT British English to try to become elected to a council, parliament etc SYN run American Englishstand forShe announced her intention to stand for parliament.announce15decision/offer [intransitive not in progressive]CHANGE/MAKE STH DIFFERENT# if a decision, offer etc stands, it continues to exist, be correct, or be valid: Despite protests, the official decision stood.proteststandMy offer of help still stands.stand16if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchenDEAL WITH used to tell someone that they should leave a job or situation if they cannot deal with its difficulties17somebody/something could stand somethingSHOULD/OUGHT TO used to say very directly that it would be a good idea for someone to do something or for something to happen: His smile exposed teeth that could stand a good scrubbing.exposetoothcanscrubsomebody could stand to do somethingMy doctor told me I could stand to lose a few pounds.tellcanpound18I stand corrected spoken formalWRONG/INCORRECT used to admit that your opinion or something that you just said was wrong19where somebody standsOPINION someone’s opinion about somethingwhere somebody stands onWe still do not know where he stands on the matter.standYou must decide where you stand.20from where I standOPINION spoken according to what I know or feel: I knew from where I stood that the stocks were practically worthless.knowstandstockbe21know where you stand (with somebody)KNOW STHOPINION to know how someone feels about you, or what you are allowed to do in a particular situation: At least we know where we stand with Steven now.littleI’d like to know where I stand.It helps to know where you stand legally.help22stand to attention British English, stand at attention American English if soldiers stand to attention, they stand very straight and stiff to show respect23stand on your head/handsSTAND to support yourself on your head or hands, with your feet in the air24stand in line American EnglishWAIT to wait in a line of people until it is your turn to do something SYN queue British English: Customers stood in line for 20 minutes at the cash register.customerstandminute25stand firm/stand fast a)BACK/BACKWARDS#to refuse to be forced to move backwards: She stood firm, blocking the entrance.standblock b)CHANGE YOUR MIND#to refuse to change your opinions, intentions, or behaviour: The government continued to stand firm and no concessions were made.continueconcessionbemakestand firm/stand fast on/againstHe stands firm on his convictions.standconviction26stand pat American EnglishCHANGE YOUR MIND# to refuse to change a decision, plan etcstand pat onHarry’s standing pat on his decision to fire Janice.stand27stand alone a)ALONEto continue to do something alone, without help from anyone else: Some of the Pacific islands are too small to stand alone as independent states.islandbestate b)to be much better than anything or anyone else: For sheer entertainment value, Kelly stood alone.stand28stand stillCHANGE/BECOME DIFFERENT# to not change or progress at all, even though time has passed: No industry can stand still.Time seems to have stood still in this lovely hotel.seemstand29stand a chance/hope (of doing something)PROBABLY to be likely to be able to do something or to succeed: You’ll stand a better chance of getting a job with a degree.wellgetMaybe their relationship had never really stood a chance.havestand30stand in sb’s way (also stand in the way)PREVENT to prevent someone from doing something: I always encouraged Brian. I didn’t want to stand in his way.encourageYou can’t stand in the way of progress!31stand on your own (two) feetINDEPENDENT PERSON to be able to do what you need to do, earn your own money, etc without help from others: She’s never learned to stand on her own feet.learnfoot32it stands to reason (that)LOGICAL used to say that something should be completely clear to anyone who is sensible: It stands to reason that you cannot find the right person to do a job unless you know exactly what that job is.standbe33stand or fall by/on somethingDEPEND/IT DEPENDS to depend on something for success: The case against him will stand or fall on its own merits.merit34liquid [intransitive]LIQUID a liquid that stands does not flow or is not made to move: standing pools of marsh waterstandpool35stand guard (over somebody/something) to watch someone or something so that they do not do anything wrong or so that nothing bad happens to them: Soldiers stand guard on street corners.soldiercornerYou must stand guard over him at all times.time36stand bail British English to promise to pay money if someone does not return to a court of law to be judged37stand trial to be brought to a court of law to have your case examined and judgedstand trial for/onGresham will stand trial for murder.The accused was ordered to stand trial on a number of charges.accusebeordernumbcharge38stand accused (of something) a)to be the person in a court of law who is being judged for a crime: The former president stands accused of lying to the nation’s parliament.standaccuselie b)if you stand accused of doing something bad or wrong, other people say that you have done it: The radio station stands accused of racism.standaccuse39stand tall a)to stand with your back straight and your head raised: Stand tall with your feet comfortably apart.foot b)American EnglishPROUD to be proud and feel ready to deal with anything: We will stand tall and fight for issues of concern to our community.issue40somebody can do something standing on their headEASY informal used to say that someone is able to do something easily: This is basic stuff. I can do it standing on my head.bestand41be stood on its head if something is stood on its head, it becomes the opposite of what it was before: One area of the business which has been stood on its head is internal communications.havebestandbecommunication42not stand on ceremony British EnglishPOLITE# to not worry about the formal rules of polite behaviour: Come on, Mal. Don’t stand on ceremony here at home.43stand somebody a drink/meal etcPAY FOR British English to pay for something as a gift to someone: Come on, Jack. I’ll stand you a drink if you like. → make sb’s hair stand on end at hair(8), → leave somebody/something standing at leave1(15), → not have a leg to stand on at leg1(7), → stand/serve/hold somebody in good stead at stead(2), → stand your ground at ground1(7)THESAURUSstand to be on your feet in an upright position: There were no seats, so we had to stand.beseathave | When we entered, Stephen was standing by his desk.enterbestandbe on your feet to be standing, especially for a long time: If you have young kids, you’re on your feet all day.kidfoot | I’d been on my feet since 7 o'clock and I needed to sit down.befootneed | The crowd were all on their feet clapping and calling for more.befootclapcallget up to stand after you have been sitting or lying down: He got up and turned off the TV.getturn | Mum fell in her flat and was unable to get up.fallbestand up to stand after you have been sitting, or to be in a standing position: I stood up when she came in and shook her hand.standcomeshake | It’s generally better to do this exercise standing up.wellstandget to your feet written to stand up, especially slowly or when it is difficult for you: My attorney got slowly to his feet, breathing heavily.getfootbreatherise formal to stand after you have been sitting, especially at a formal event: As the bride entered the cathedral, the congregation rose.enterrise | Audience members rose to their feet, cheering and clapping.memberrisefootcheerclapstand against somebody/something phrasal verb FIGHT FOR OR AGAINST STHto oppose a person, organization, plan, decision etc: She hadn’t the strength to stand against her aunt’s demands.demandThere are only a hundred of them standing against an army of 42,000 troops.bestandtroopstand around phrasal verb STANDto stand somewhere and not do anything: We stood around saying goodbye for a while.standsaystand by phrasal verb1NOT DO STHto not do anything to help someone or prevent something from happening → bystander: I’m not going to stand by and see her hurt.go2stand by somethingPROMISE to keep a promise, agreement etc, or to say that something is still true: I stand by what I said earlier.sayearlyHe stood by his convictions.standconviction3stand by somebodyFAITHFUL to stay loyal to someone and support them, especially in a difficult situation: His wife stood by him during his years in prison.standyear4READYto be ready to do something if necessary → standby: Rescue crews were standing by in case of a breakdown.crewbestandstand by forStand by for our Christmas competition.stand by to do somethingPolice stood by to arrest any violent fans.standfanstand down phrasal verb British English1LEAVE A JOB OR ORGANIZATIONto agree to leave your position or to stop trying to be elected, so that someone else can have a chance SYN step down American Englishstand down asHe was obliged to stand down as a parliamentary candidate.beoblige2to leave the witness box in a court of law3stand (somebody) down if a soldier stands down or is stood down, he stops working for the daystand for something phrasal verb1MEANINGSHORT/NOT LONGif a letter or symbol stands for something, it represents a word or idea, especially as a short form: What does ATM stand for?do2OPINIONto support a particular set of ideas, values, or principles: It’s hard to tell what the party stands for these days.standday3not stand for somethingLET/ALLOW British English to not allow something to continue to happen or someone to do something: She’s been lying about me, and I won’t stand for it.beliewinstand in phrasal verb REPLACEto temporarily do someone else’s job or take their place → stand-instand in forWould you mind standing in for me for a while?willstandstand out phrasal verb1NOTICEto be very easy to see or notice: The outlines of rooftops and chimneys stood out against the pale sky.outlinerooftopchimneystandShe always stood out in a crowd.standI am sure illnesses stand out in all childhood memories.beillnessmemory2BESTto be much better than other similar people or things → standoutstand out asThat day still stands out as the greatest day in my life.standgreatstand out from/among/aboveThree of the cars we tested stood out among the rest.carteststand3to rise up from a surface: The veins stood out on his throat and temples.veinstandtemplestand out against something phrasal verb British English FIGHT FOR OR AGAINST STHto be strongly opposed to an idea, plan etc: We must stand out against bigotry.stand over somebody phrasal verb NEARto stand very close behind someone and watch as they work to make sure they do nothing wrong: I can’t concentrate with him standing over me like that.standstand to phrasal verb British English to order a soldier to move into a position so that they are ready for action, or to move into this positionstand somebody toThe men have been stood to.manbestandstand up phrasal verb1STANDto be on your feet, or to rise to your feet → stand-up: I’ve been standing up all day.bestandStand up straight and don’t slouch!Jim stood up stiffly.stand2[always + adverb/preposition]VERTICAL to stay healthy or in good condition in a difficult environment or after a lot of hard usestand up toMost of the plants stood up well to the heat.plantstand3TRUEto be proved to be true, correct, useful etc when testedstand up to/underThe memoirs stand up well to cross-checking with other records.memoircheckrecordWithout a witness, the charges will never stand up in court (=be successfully proved in a court of law).charge4stand somebody up informalMEET# to not meet someone who you have arranged to meet: I was supposed to go to a concert with Kyle on Friday, but he stood me up.besupposestand5stand up and be countedOPINION to make it very clear what you think about something when this is dangerous or might cause trouble for youstand up for somebody/something phrasal verb DEFENDto support or defend a person or idea when they are being attacked: It’s time we stood up for our rights.standrightSilvia is capable of standing up for herself.bestandstand up to somebody/something phrasal verb FIGHT FOR OR AGAINST STHto refuse to accept unfair treatment from a person or organization: He’ll respect you more if you stand up to him.Cliff couldn’t stand up to bullying.bully
standnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Word sets 1 2 3Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesstandstandsstandstand2 noun [countable]
Word family
1for support a piece of furniture or equipment used to hold or support something: a music standa cake standHe adjusted the microphone stand.adjustcoat stand/hat stand (=for hanging coats or hats on)2for sellingSHOP/STORE a table or small structure used for selling or showing things SYN stall British English: a hotdog standan exhibition standThe shop was crowded with display stands and boxes.becrowdstandboxOne week, three magazines hit the stands (=became available to buy) with Peace Corps stories.magazinestandstory → newsstand3opinion/attitude [usually singular]OPINION a position or opinion that you state firmly and publiclystand onthe Republicans’ conservative stand on social and environmental issuesrepublicanissueShe was accused of not taking a stand on feminism or civil rights.beaccusetakeright4oppose/defendFIGHT FOR OR AGAINST STH a strong effort to defend yourself or to oppose somethingtake/make/mount a stand (against something)We have to take a stand against racism.5the stands [plural] (also the stand British English) a building where people stand or sit to watch the game at a sports ground → grandstand: In the stands, fifty of Jill’s friends and family have come to watch her last game.standfriend6the stand a witness box: Will the next witness please take the stand (=go into the witness box)?7cricket the period of time in which two batsmen are playing together in a game of cricket, or the points that they get during this time8taxis/buses a place where taxis or buses stop and wait for passengers: There’s a taxi stand on Glen Road.9trees a group of trees of one type growing close togetherstand ofa stand of eucalyptus treestree
verb
Word familyDate: 1000-1100Origin: Partly from Latin tornare ‘to turn on a lathe’, from turnus ‘lathe’, from Greek tornos; partly from Old French torner, tourner ‘to turn’, from Latin tornare Verb form1your body [intransitive and transitive] to move your body so that you are looking in a different direction → twist:
Ricky turned and walked away.turnwalkShe turned her head in surprise.turnturn around/round/awayDan turned away, hiding the fear in his eyes.turnhideyeturn (your head/face) to do somethingHe turned around to look at Kim.turn‘No,’ she said, turning her head to see David’s reaction.sayturnBrigitte glared at him, turned on her heel (=turned away suddenly because of anger), and stomped out of the room.glareturnstomp2object [transitive usually + adverb/preposition] to move something so that it is pointing or aiming in a different directionturn something around/over/upside down etcYou may turn over your exam papers now.paperturn something on something/somebodyThe firemen turned their hoses on the blaze.firemanturnhoseturn something to face something/somebodyCould you turn your chairs to face this way?canchairturn a/the page (=move a page in a book over so that you can read the next page)turn something down/upHe turned down the corner of the sheet to peep at the baby.turn3direction a)[intransitive and transitive] to go in a new direction when you are walking, driving etc, or to make the vehicle you are using do this: I watched until he turned the corner.watchturnturn left/rightTurn left at the church.leaveturn into/onto/down etcShe cycled up the street and turned into Long Road.cycleturnTurning the car around, we headed home.turnhead b)[intransitive] if a road, river etc turns, it curves and starts to go in a new direction: Further on, the river turns east.farturnThe road turns sharply at the top of the hill.turn4move around central point [intransitive and transitive]TURN to move around a central or fixed point, or to make something move in this way: The wheels turned slowly, then picked up speed.wheelturnpickFor some reason, the key wouldn’t turn.turn the handle/knob/key/tap etcShe gently turned the handle of the bedroom door.turn5change [linking verb, transitive] to start to have a different quality, or to make something do thisturn (something) red/blue/white etcRose’s hair was already turning grey.risebeturnIn October the leaves turn orange and yellow.leaveThe sun had turned the sky a glowing pink.haveturnglowthe weather turns cold/nasty etc (also it turns cold/nasty etc)Then it turned cold and started to rain.turnstartturn nasty/mean/violent etc (=suddenly become angry, violent etc)The police are worried that the situation could turn violent.beworrycan6attention/thoughts [intransitive and transitive] to start to think about, deal with, look at etc a particular person, thing, or subject, instead of what you were thinking about etc beforeturn your attention/thoughts/efforts etc to something/somebodyMany investors have turned their attention to opportunities abroad.investorturnopportunityPhil turned his gaze towards the older man.turnoldturn to/towards etc somethingAs usual, the conversation turned back to her children.turnchildNow is the time of year when thoughts turn in the direction of summer holidays.bethoughtholidayNext the Senator turned to education.turn7turn your back (on somebody/something) a)HELPto refuse to help, support, or be involved with someone or something: How can you turn your back on your own mother?In his twenties he turned his back on his Catholic faith.twentyturn b)TURNto turn so that your back is pointing towards someone or something, and you are not looking at them: Angrily, she turned her back on him.turn8age/time [transitive] to become a particular age, or to reach a particular timesomebody turns 15/20/40 etcMy son’s just turned 18.turnit’s turned 2 o'clock/5/midday etcIt’s just turned three.turn9turn something inside out a)OPPOSITE/REVERSEto pull a piece of clothing, bag etc so that the inside is facing out: Turn the sweater inside out before you wash it. b)(also turn something upside down)LOOK FOR to search everywhere for something, in a way that makes a place very untidy: Thieves had turned the house upside down.thievehaveturn c)(also turn something upside down/turn something on its head) to completely change the way that something is done, organized, thought about etc: New approaches to marketing turn old practices upside down.approachmarketpracticeHer opinion of him had been turned on its head.havebeturn10have turned the cornerSUCCEED IN DOING STH to start to improve after going through a difficult period or experience: The manager of the hotel chain claims that they have turned the corner.claimturn11make/let go out [transitive] to make or let someone or something go out from where they areturn somebody/something out/outside/into etc (something)Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board.flourThere are some criminals who cannot be turned loose onto the streets.becriminalturnstreet12tide [intransitive] if the tide turns, the sea starts to come in or go out again13change development [intransitive and transitive] if something such as a war, situation, game of sport etc turns, or someone turns it, something happens to change the way it is developing: Mills turned the game by scoring twice.millturnscoreThe victory turned the tide of the war in North Africa.turn14turn traitorBETRAY to be disloyal to a person, group, or idea that you have strongly supported before15turn your ankleHURT/CAUSE PAIN to twist your ankle in a way that injures it SYN sprain: Wright turned his ankle in the first minutes of the game.turnminute16an actor turned politician/a housewife turned author etc someone who has done one job and then does something completely different → poacher turned gamekeeper at poacher17turn sb’s headATTRACT to be attractive in a romantic or sexual way: She turned heads whenever she walked into a room.turnheadwalk18turn (people’s) headsSURPRISED if something turns people’s heads, they are surprised by it: It did turn some heads when he moved back to the village.doheadmove19turn a profit American English to make a profit20turn a phrase to say something in a particular way: Cohen knows how to turn a phrase in his lyrics.knowlyric21land [transitive] to break up soil so that it is ready for growing crops: a distant tractor turning the soilturn22wood/metal [transitive] to shape a wooden or metal object using a special tool23milk [intransitive] British English if milk turns, it becomes sour → turn a blind eye (to something) at blind1(3), → turn the other cheek at cheek1(4), → turn full circle at circle1(6), → somebody would turn in their grave at grave1(3), → not turn a hair at hair(11), → turn your hand to (doing) something at hand1(26), → turn over a new leaf at leaf1(3), → turn your nose up (at something) at nose1(5), → turn your stomach at stomach1(4), → turn the tables (on somebody) at table1(5), → turn tail at tail1(9)THESAURUSMeaning 4turn to move around a central or fixed point: The wheels of the train began to turn.wheelbegingo around (also go round British English) to turn around a central point. Go around is a little more informal than turn and is very common in everyday English: When the fan goes around, the warm air is pushed back downwards.gobepushrevolve/rotate to turn around and around a central point. Rotate and revolve are more formal than turn and sound more technical: The Earth rotates on its axis once every twenty-four hours.rotatehour | The stage revolves at various points during the performance.revolvepointspin to turn around many times very quickly: The ice skater began to spin faster and faster.beginfastfastwhirl /wɜːl $ wɜːrl/ to spin around extremely quickly, often in a powerful or uncontrolled way: The blades of the helicopter whirled overhead.bladewhirltwirl (around) to spin around quickly, especially as part of a dance or performance: The couples were twirling around on the dance floor.couplebetwirlswirl (around) to move around quickly in a circular movement, especially when the movement goes outwards or upwards from the center: Her white skirt swirled around her legs as she danced.swirllegdance | The leaves began to swirl around.leavebeginspiral to move in a continuous curve that gets nearer to or further from its central point as it goes around: The smoke spiralled toward the ceiling.spiralturn (somebody) against somebody/something phrasal verb DON'T LIKEto stop liking or supporting someone or something, or to make someone do this: Many people had turned against the war.haveturnDave felt she was deliberately turning the kids against him.feelbeturnkidturn around (also turn roundturn round British English) phrasal verb1SUCCESSFULif a business, department etc that is not successful turns around, or if someone turns it around, it starts to be successful: The company turned around from losses of £1.4 million last year to profits of £26,800.turnlossprofitturn something ↔ aroundAt Rockwell International he had turned around a badly performing division.haveturnperform → turnaround2if a situation, game etc turns around, or if someone turns it around, it changes and starts to develop in the way you want: After I met him, my whole life turned around.meetturnturn something ↔ aroundFender’s batting could turn matches around in half an hour.batcanmatch3SAYturn around and say/do etc something spoken to say or do something that is unexpected or that seems unfair or unreasonable: You can’t just turn around and say that it was all my fault.be4turn something ↔ around to consider an idea, question etc in a different way, or change the words of something so that it has a different meaning: Let’s turn the whole idea around and look at it from another angle.5turn something ↔ aroundFINISH DOING STH to complete the process of making a product or providing a service: We can turn around 500 units by next week.unit6every time somebody turns around spoken very often or all the time: Every time I turn around he seems to be checking up on me.seemcheckturn away phrasal verb1turn somebody ↔ awayENTER to refuse to let someone enter a place or join an organization, for example because it is full: The show was so popular police had to turn people away.behaveThousands of applicants are turned away each year.applicantbeturn2turn somebody ↔ awayIGNORE to refuse to give someone sympathy, help, or support: Anyone who comes to us will not be turned away.cometurnThe insurance company has promised not to turn away its existing customers.havepromiseexistcustomer3turn (somebody) away from somebody/something to stop supporting someone, or stop using or being interested in something, or to make someone do this: Consumers are turning away from credit cards.consumerbeturncardevents that turned Henry away from his familyeventturnturn back phrasal verb1RETURNto go back in the direction you came from, or to make someone or something do this: It’s getting late – maybe we should turn back.getshallturn somebody/something ↔ backThe UN convoy was turned back at the border.beturn2to return to doing something in the way it was done beforeturn back toThe people are turning back to natural resources to survive.beturnresourceWe’ve promised to help, and there’s no turning back (=you cannot change this)!promiseturn → turn back the clock at clock1(3)turn somebody/something ↔ down phrasal verb1QUIETREDUCEto turn the switch on a machine such as an oven, radio etc so that it produces less heat, sound etc OPP turn up: Can you turn the TV down? I’m trying to work.try2REJECT/NOT ACCEPTto refuse an offer, request, or invitation: They offered her the job but she turned it down.offerturnI’m not going to turn down an invitation to go to New York!goJosie’s already turned him down (=refused his offer of marriage).turnturn in phrasal verb1turn something ↔ inGIVE to give something to a person in authority, especially an illegal weapon or something lost or stolen: The rebels were told to turn in their weapons and ammunition.rebelbetellweaponturn something ↔ in toMy wallet was turned in to the police two days later.beturndaylate2turn something ↔ in American English to give back something you have borrowed or rented SYN return: When do the library books have to be turned in?bookturn3turn in something to produce a particular profit, result etc: Bimec turned in net profits of £2.4 million.turnprofitLast night the team turned in another dazzling performance.turndazzle4turn somebody ↔ in to tell the police who or where a criminal is: Margrove’s wife finally turned him in.turn5SLEEPto go to bed: I think I’ll turn in early tonight.6turn something ↔ in American EnglishGIVE to give a piece of work you have done to a teacher, your employer etc SYN hand in British English: Have you all turned in your homework assignments?turnassignmentturn (somebody/something) into something phrasal verb1BECOMEto become something different, or to make someone or something do this: The sofa turns into a bed.turnA few weeks later, winter had turned into spring.weeklatehaveturnHollywood discovered her and turned her into a star.discoverturn2CHANGE FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHERto change by magic from one thing into another, or to make something do this: In a flash, the prince turned into a frog.turnThe witch had turned them all into stone.haveturn3days turned into weeks/months turned into years etcPASS/TIME PASSING used to say that time passed slowly while you waited for something to happen: Weeks turned into months, and still there was no letter.weekturnmonthbeturn off phrasal verb1turn something ↔ offSWITCH ON OR OFF to make a machine or piece of electrical equipment such as a television, engine, light etc stop operating by pushing a button, turning a key etc SYN switch off OPP turn on: Don’t forget to turn the lights off when you leave.light2turn something ↔ offSWITCH ON OR OFF to stop the supply of water, gas etc from flowing by turning a handle OPP turn on: They’ve turned the gas off for a couple of hours.turnhour3turn off (something)TURN to leave the road you are travelling on and start travelling on another roadturn off (something) at/near etcI think we should have turned off at the last exit.shallturnturn off the road/motorway etcMark turned off the highway and into Provincetown.turn → turn-off4DON'T LIKEturn somebody ↔ off to make someone decide they do not like something: Any prospective buyer will be turned off by the sight of rotting wood.turnrot → turn-off5SEXYturn somebody ↔ off to make someone feel that they are not attracted to you in a sexual way OPP turn on: Men who stink of beer really turn me off.man → turn-offturn on phrasal verb1turn something ↔ onSWITCH ON OR OFF to make a machine or piece of electrical equipment such as a television, engine, light etc start operating by pushing a button, turning a key etc SYN switch on OPP turn off: Jake turned on his computer and checked his mail.turncheck2turn something ↔ onSWITCH ON OR OFF to make the supply of water, gas etc start flowing from something by turning a handle OPP turn off: He turned on the gas and lit the stove.turnlightstave‘I’m thirsty,’ she said, turning on the tap.sayturn3turn on somebody alsoturn upon somebodyATTACK to suddenly attack someone, using physical violence or unpleasant words: Peter turned on Rae and screamed, ‘Get out of my sight!’turnscream4turn on something alsoturn upon somethingDEPEND/IT DEPENDS if a situation, event, argument etc turns on a particular thing or idea, it depends on that thing: As usual, everything turned on how much money was available.turnbe5turn somebody onATTRACT to make someone feel sexually excited: The way he looked at her really turned her on.lookturn → turn-on6turn somebody onINTERESTED to interest someone, or to make someone become interested in something: Science fiction just doesn’t turn me on.turn somebody on toIt was Walter who turned me on to vegetarian food.beturn7turn on the charm alsoturn it on to suddenly start to be very nice, amusing, and interesting, especially in a way that is not sincere: Simon was good at turning on the charm at parties.beturnpartyturn out phrasal verb1HAPPENto happen in a particular way, or to have a particular result, especially one that you did not expectturn out well/badly/fine etcIt was a difficult time, but eventually things turned out all right.bethingturnTo my surprise, it turned out that I was wrong.turnbeAs it turned out (=used to say what happened in the end), he passed the exam quite easily.turnpassturn out to be somethingThat guy turned out to be Maria’s second cousin.turn2turn the light outSWITCH ON OR OFF to stop the flow of electricity to a light by pressing a switch, pulling a string etc: Don’t forget to turn out the lights when you go!light3GO TO/ATTENDif a lot of people turn out for an event, they go to watch it or take part in itturn out forAbout 70% of the population turned out for the election.turnturn out to do somethingThousands turned out to watch yesterday’s match against Ireland.turn → turnout4turn somebody ↔ outLEAVE A PLACE to force someone to leave a place permanently, especially their home: If you can’t pay the rent, they turn you out.rend5turn something ↔ outMAKE to produce or make something: The factory turns out 300 units a day.turnunit6well/beautifully/badly etc turned outWEAR CLOTHES dressed in good, beautiful etc clothes: elegantly turned-out young ladiesturnlady7turn something ↔ out a)to empty something completely by taking out the contents: The policeman made him turn out his pockets.makepocket b)British English to take out everything in a room, drawer etc and clean the room etc thoroughly: Lea decided to turn out the attic.decideturn over phrasal verb1turn something over to somebodyRESPONSIBLE to give someone the right to own something, or to make someone responsible for dealing with something: He’ll turn the shop over to his son when he retires.retireturn the matter/problem/responsibility etc over to somebodyI’m turning the project over to you.turn2turn something over to something to use land, a building etc for a different purpose: There is a new plan to turn the land over to wind farming.befarm3turn somebody over to somebodyGIVE to take a criminal to the police or another official organization: Suspected terrorists are immediately turned over to the law.suspectterroristbeturn4turn over something if a business turns over a particular amount of money, it earns that amount in a particular period of time: Within ten years the theme park was turning over £20 million.yearbeturn → turnover5if an engine turns over, or if someone turns it over, it starts to work: The engine turned over twice and then stopped.turnstop6British EnglishTURN to turn a page in a book or a sheet of paper to the opposite side: Turn over and look at the next page.7British English to change to another channel on a television: Can we turn over? There’s a film I want to see.8turn something over British English to search a place thoroughly or steal things from it, making it very untidy: Burglars had been in and turned the whole house over.burglarhavebeturn → turn over a new leaf at leaf1(3), → turn something over in your mind at mind1(17)turn round phrasal verb British English → turn aroundturn to somebody/something phrasal verb1ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STHto try to get help, advice, or sympathy from someone: I don’t know who to turn to.The Namibian government turned to South Africa for help.turn2to start to do or use something new, especially as a way of solving a problem: Many people here are turning to solar power.beturnturn to drink/crime/drugs etcaddicts who turn to crime to finance their habitaddict3turn (something) to something to become a different quality, attitude, form of a substance etc, or to make something do this: Our laughter turned to horror as we realized that Jody was really hurt.turnrealizebeWhen water turns to steam, it expands.turnexpandA sudden storm turned the earth to mud.turn4LOOK ATto look at a particular page in a book: Turn to page 655 for more information.turn up phrasal verb1turn something ↔ upINCREASE IN NUMBER OR AMOUNT to turn a switch on a machine such as an oven, radio etc so that it produces more heat, sound etc OPP turn down: Turn the oven up to 220.Turn up the radio!2APPEARto be found, especially by chance, after having been lost or searched for: Eventually my watch turned up in a coat pocket.turn3GO TO/ATTENDto arrive at a place, especially in a way that is unexpected: You can’t just turn up and expect a meal.turn up late/early/on time etcSteve turned up late, as usual.turn4HAPPENif an opportunity or situation turns up, it happens, especially when you are not expecting it: Don’t worry, I’m sure a job will turn up soon.5turn something ↔ upFIND OUT to find something by searching for it thoroughly: The police investigation hasn’t turned up any new evidence.turn6turn something ↔ up British English to shorten a skirt, trousers etc by folding up the bottom and sewing it → turn up trumps at trump1(4)turn upon somebody/something phrasal verb formal1ATTACKto suddenly attack someone, using physical violence or unpleasant words SYN turn on2if a situation, event, argument etc turns upon a particular thing or idea, it depends on that thing SYN turn on: The court case turned upon a technicality of company law.turn
turnnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesturnturnsturnturn2 S1 W1 noun
Word family1chance to do something [countable]CHANCE/OPPORTUNITYSHARE the time when it is your chance, duty, or right to do something that each person in a group is doing one after the other SYN go British Englishturn to do somethingWhose turn is it to set the table?beIt’s your turn. Roll the dice.I think it’s our turn to drive the kids to school this week.kidRegisterIn everyday English, people often say that it is someone’s go in a game rather than turn:Whose go is it now?beWait until it’s your go.2take turns (also take it in turns) British EnglishSHARE if two or more people take turns doing work, using something etc, they do it one after the other, for example in order to share the work or play fairly: You’ll have to take turns on the swing.turntake turns doing somethingThe students were taking turns reading aloud.studentbetaketurnreadtake turns in doing something British English: We took turns in pushing the bike along.taketurnpushtake turns to do somethingDan and I usually take turns to cook.turn3in turn a)RESULTas a result of something: Interest rates were cut and, in turn, share prices rose.ratebepricerise b)ORDER/SEQUENCEone after the other, especially in a particular order: Each of us in turn had to describe how alcohol had affected our lives.havehaveaffectlive4road [countable] a)American English a place where one road goes in a different direction from the one you are on SYN turning British English: According to the map we missed our turn back there.accordmisstake the first/a wrong etc turn (=go along the first etc road)I think we took a wrong turn coming out of town.takecomeTake the second turn on the left.leave b)a curve in a road, path etc: There’s a sharp turn coming up ahead.come5change direction [countable]TURN a change in the direction you are movingmake a left/right turnMake a left turn at the station.leave6change in events [countable] a sudden or unexpected change that makes a situation develop in a different waytake a dramatic/fresh/different etc turnFrom then on, our fortunes took a downward turn.fortunetakeMy career had already taken a new turn.havetakeThe President was stunned by the sudden turn of events.bestuneventtake a turn for the worse/betterTwo days after the operation, Dad took a turn for the worse.daytakeill7the turn of the century/yearBEGINNING the beginning of a new century or year: the short period from the turn of the century until World War One8at every turnALL THE TIME happening again and again, especially in an annoying way: problems that presented themselves at every turnproblempresent9act of turning something [countable]TURN the act of turning something completely around a fixed point: I gave the screw another two or three turns.giveturn10by turnsCHANGE FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHERORDER/SEQUENCE changing from one quality, feeling etc to another: By turns, a 14 year old is affectionate then aggressive, silent then outspoken.turnbe11turn of phrase a)EXPRESSthe ability to say things in a clever or funny way: Kate has a colourful turn of phrase.have b)WORD, PHRASE, OR SENTENCEa particular way of saying something SYN expression: What a strange turn of phrase!12speak/talk out of turnOFFEND to say something you should not say in a particular situation, especially because you do not have enough authority to say it: I’m sorry if I spoke out of turn, Major Karr.speak13do somebody a good/bad turnHELP to do something that is helpful or unhelpful for someone: You did me a good turn by driving Max home last night.dodrive14one good turn deserves anotherHELP used to say that if someone does something nice for you, you should do something nice for them15turn of mindCHARACTER/PERSONALITY the particular way that someone usually thinks or feelsan academic/practical etc turn of mindyoungsters with an independent turn of mindyoungster16on the turn British English a)if the tide is on the turn, the sea is starting to come in or go out b)CHANGE/BECOME DIFFERENTstarting to change, or in the process of changing: Hopefully my luck was on the turn.be c)if milk, fish, or other food is on the turn, it is no longer fresh17turn of speed British English a sudden increase in your speed, or the ability to increase your speed suddenly: He’s a top goalkicker with a surprising turn of speed.surprise18done to a turnCOOK British English to be perfectly cooked19take a turn in/on etc something old-fashionedWALK to walk somewhere for pleasure20give somebody a turn old-fashionedFRIGHTENED to frighten someone21have a turn British English old-fashionedILL to feel slightly ill
noun
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: tun ‘yard, buildings inside a wall, village, town’ 1place [countable]TOWN a large area with houses, shops, offices etc where people live and work, that is smaller than a city and larger than a village:
an industrial town in the Midlandstown ofthe town of Norwalk, ConnecticutI walked to the nearest town.walknear2main centre [uncountable]TOWN the business or shopping centre of a town: We’re going into town tonight to see a film.goThey have a small apartment in town.3people [singular]GROUP OF PEOPLE all the people who live in a particular town: The whole town turned out to watch the procession.turn4where you live [uncountable]TOWN the town or city where you live: Cam left town about an hour ago, so he should be out at the farm by now.leaveshallI’ll be out of town for about a week.Guess who’s in town? Jodie’s sister!Do you know of a good place to eat? I’m from out of town (=from a different town).We’re moving to another part of town.move5village [countable] American EnglishTOWN several houses forming a small group around a church, shops etc SYN village British English: Rowayton is a small town of around 4000 people.be6not country the townTOWN life in towns and cities in general: Which do you prefer, the town or the country?7go to town (on something) informalENTHUSIASTIC to do something in a very eager or thorough way: Angela really went to town on buying things for her new house.gobuything8(out) on the town informalSOCIALIZE going to restaurants, bars, theatres etc for entertainment in the evening: Frank is taking me out for a night on the town.betake9town and gownSEPARATE used to describe the situation in which the people living in a town and the students in a town seem to be separate and opposing groups → ghost town, home town, → paint the town (red) at paint2(5)COLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + townsmall/big I grew up in a small town in Iowa.grow | The nearest big town is 20 miles away.nearbemila little town a pretty little town in the French Alpsa major town It is one of the UK’s biggest retailers with shops in every major town.bebigretailershopbusy/bustling The town was busy even in November.bequiet The town is quiet in the summer.be | Cannigione is a quiet little town with a scattering of shops, restaurants and cafes.bescattershoprestaurantsleepy (=very quiet, with not much happening) Johnson grew up in the sleepy retirement town of Asheville.growa historic/ancient town Visitors can go on a tour of this historic town.visitoran industrial town Thousands moved to the newly forming industrial towns to work in the mills.moveformtownmilla seaside town young people looking for seasonal work in seaside townslooktowna provincial town (=one that is not near the capital) Many provincial towns were transformed by the coming of the railway.townbetransformcomea market town (=a town in Britain where there is a regular outdoor market) The pretty market town of Ashbourne is only 9 miles away.bemilsb’s home town (=the town where someone was born) He was buried in his home town of Leeds.beburya new town (=one of several towns built in Britain since 1946) The design of Milton Keynes and other new towns proved unpopular.townprovephrasesthe centre of town/the town centre British English, the center of town/the town center American English The hotel was right in the center of town.bethe outskirts/edge of a town It was six o'clock when she reached the outskirts of the town.bereachTHESAURUSplace with houses, shops, and officescity a large area with houses, shops, offices etc that is often the centre of government for an area. A city is bigger than a town: The nearest big city is San Francisco.nearbetown a large area with houses, shops, offices etc. A town is smaller than a city: La Coruña is a pretty seaside town.becapital (also capital city) the city where the government of a country or state is: We travelled to Budapest, the capital of Hungary.travelmetropolis a big busy city that is full of people and activity: After 1850 Paris grew quickly into a busy metropolis.growurban adjective [only before noun] relating to towns and cities: Air pollution is particularly bad in urban areas.bearea | urban development
noun
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: stæpe 1movement [countable]WALK the movement you make when you put one foot in front of or behind the other when walking:
a video of baby’s first stepsstepHe took one step and fell.takefallstep back/forwards/towards etcTom took a step back and held the door open.takeholdI had to retrace my steps (=go back the way I came) several times before I found the shop.havesteptimefind2action [countable]DO STH/TAKE ACTIONPROGRESS one of a series of things that you do in order to deal with a problem or to succeedstep in (doing) somethingThis is the first step in reforming the welfare system.bereformstep to do somethingThe president took immediate steps to stop the fighting.takestepfightstep towardsan important step towards peace3in a process [countable]PROGRESS a stage in a process, or a position on a scale: Each book goes up one step in difficulty.goRecord your result, and go on to step 3.step inthe next step in the processDrug companies influence the scientific process every step of the way (=during every stage).companyDescribe step by step (=describing each stage) how you went about achieving your goal.goachieveMoving to Cottage Grove represented a definite step up (=something that is better than you had before) for my parents.moverepresentparentHe saw the job as a step down (=something that is worse than he had before).see4
stair [countable] a flat narrow piece of wood or stone, especially one in a series, that you put your foot on when you are going up or down, especially outside a building: Jenny sat on the step in front of the house, waiting.sitwaitHe climbed the wooden steps and rang the bell.climbstepringa flight of (=set of) broad stone stepsstep → doorstep1(1)5distance [countable]NEAR the short distance you move when you take a step while walking SYN pace: Roy was standing only a few steps away.bestandstep6sound [countable]SOUND the sound you make when you put your foot down while walking SYN footstep: I heard a step in the corridor.hear7dancing [countable]DANCE a movement of your feet in dancing: the steps for the Charlestonstep8in step a)AGREEhaving ideas or actions that are like those of other peoplein step withHe isn’t in step with ordinary voters.voter b)WALKmoving your feet so that your right foot goes forward at the same time as people you are walking with9out of step a)DIFFERENThaving ideas or actions that are different from those of other peopleout of step withThis type of training is out of step with changes in the industry.trainbechange b)moving your feet in a different way from people you are walking with10watch your step (also mind your step British English) a)CAREFULto be careful about what you say or how you behave: You’d better watch your step – he’s the boss here.well b)CAREFULto be careful when you are walking: Mind your step – the railing’s loose.rail11fall into step (with somebody) a)WALKto start walking beside someone at the same speed as them: Maggie fell into step beside her.fall b)to start thinking or doing the same as other people: The administration has fallen into step with its European allies on this issue.havefallally12be/keep/stay one step ahead (of somebody)PREPARE a)to be better prepared for something or know more about something than someone else: A good teacher is always at least one step ahead of his students.belittlestudent b)to manage not to be caught by someone who is trying to find or catch you13way somebody walks [countable usually singular]WALK the way someone walks, which often tells you how they are feeling: Gianni’s usual bouncy step14steps [plural] British English a stepladder15exercise [uncountable] a type of exercise you do by walking onto and off a flat piece of equipment around 15–30 centimetres high: a step class16music [countable] American English the difference in pitch between two musical notes that are separated by one key on the piano SYN tone British EnglishCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2verbstake a step The authority will take steps to reunite the child and his family.stepadjectivesan important/major/big step The move is seen as a major step forward for UK firms.beseefirmthe first step The first step in resolving conflict is to understand what the other person wants.resolvebewantthe next step He met in Washington with his campaign advisers to plan his next step.meetadvisera small step This is a small step in the right direction.bea positive step (=an action that will have a good effect) This is a positive step which gives cause for some optimism.begivean unusual/unprecedented step (=something that is not usually done/has never been done before) Police last night took the unusual step of releasing photographs of him.takereleasephotographa drastic step The government is wary of taking any drastic steps that would scare off foreign investment.betakestepwilla bold step We welcome the bold step taken by President Bush.takea tentative step (=a small action, which is not done in a very determined way) The Institute has taken a tentative step towards opening up its meetings to the public.havetakeopenmeetinga logical step She felt she had an aptitude for medicine. Her next logical step would be to begin studying when the summer was over.feelhavewillstudybeimmediate steps We believe immediate steps could be taken to generate jobs.stepcantakejobreasonable steps They must take reasonable steps to ensure that this information is available to those who might benefit.stepbenecessary steps We must be sure that we are taking the necessary steps to prevent the problem from getting a foothold here.betakestepgetphrasesa step forward (=an action that makes things better) The declaration which we have just signed is a big step forward for both of our nations.signbenationa step backwards/a backward step (=an action that makes things worse) A rationing system would be a major step backwards.rationwilla step in the right direction (=an action that helps to improve things) Environmentalists said the law was a step in the right direction.environmentalistsaybe
stepverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplesstepstepssteppedsteppingstepstep2 S3 W3 verb (past tense and past participle stepped, present participle stepping) [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]Verb form1WALKto raise one foot and put it down in front of or behind the other one in order to walk or movestep forward/back/down/into etcHe stepped back to let me through.stepI stepped outside and closed the door.stepcloseMr. Ives? Please step this way (=walk in the direction I am showing you).2STANDto bring your foot down on something SYN tread British Englishstep in/on etcI accidentally stepped in a puddle.stepYou’re stepping on my foot.step3step on sb’s toes to offend or upset someone, especially by trying to do their work: I’m not worried about stepping on anybody’s toes.worrysteptoe4step out of lineBEHAVE# to behave badly by breaking rules or disobeying orders5step on it (also step on the gas American English) spokenFAST/QUICK to drive faster → step into the breach at breach1(7)step down (also step asidestep aside) phrasal verb LEAVE A JOB OR ORGANIZATIONto leave your job or official position, because you want to or because you think you should: Morris should step aside until the investigation is completed.shallbecompletestep down asEve Johnson has stepped down as chairperson.havestepstep down fromHe was forced to step down from his post.beforcestep forward phrasal verb HELPto come and offer help, information etc: Police are appealing for witnesses to step forward.beappealwitnessstep in phrasal verb DO BADLYto become involved in an activity, discussion, or disagreement, sometimes in order to stop trouble SYN intervene: The military may step in if the crisis continues.continueParents have stepped in to provide homework help in the afternoon program.parentstepstep into something phrasal verb to start doing something, or become involved in a situation: Sally stepped into the role of team leader.stepstep out phrasal verb GOto leave your home or office for a short time SYN pop out British English: She’s just stepped out for a few minutes.stepminutestep up phrasal verb1INCREASE IN ACTIVITY, FEELINGS ETCstep something ↔ up to increase the amount of an activity or the speed of a process in order to improve a situation: The health department is stepping up efforts to reduce teenage smoking.bestepeffortsmokestepped-up security at airportsstepairport2(also step up to the plate) especially American English to agree to help someone or to be responsible for doing something: Residents will have to step up if they want to rid this area of crime.resident
verb (past tense and past participle won /wʌn/, present participle winning)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: winnan ‘to work, fight’ Verb form1competition/race [intransitive and transitive]WIN to be the best or most successful in a competition, game, election etc OPP losewin a race/a game/an election etc
Who do you think will win the next election?He won the Tour de France last year.winwin a war/battlethe young pilots who won the Battle of BritainpilotwinWho’s winning (=who is most successful at this point in the game)?winwin atI never win at cards.cardwin by 10 points/70 metres etcWe won by just one point.win2prize [transitive]GETWIN to get something as a prize for winning in a competition or game: How does it feel to have won the gold medal?dowinShe won £160 on the lottery.winwin something for somebodythe man who helped win the Cup for Arsenalhelp3get/achieve [transitive]GET to get something that you want because of your efforts or abilities SYN gainwin sb’s approval/support/trust etcThe proposal has won the approval of the city council.havewinKramer has certainly won the respect of his peers.havewinpeerwin sb’s heart (=make them love you or feel sympathy for you)The company has won a contract to build a new power plant outside Houston.havewinwin something from somebodyDavis hopes to win financial backing from a London investment firm.hopeback4make somebody win something [transitive] if something, usually something that you do, wins you something, you win it or get it because of that thingwin somebody somethingThat performance won Hanks an Oscar.winhankThat kind of behaviour won’t win you any friends.winfriend5you win spokenAGREE used to agree to what someone wants after you have tried to persuade them to do something else: OK, you win – we’ll go to the movies.movie6you can’t win spokenPROBLEM used to say that there is no satisfactory way of dealing with a particular situation: You can’t win, can you? You either work late and upset your family, or go home early and risk your job.7you can’t win them all (also you win some, you lose some) spokenSYMPATHIZE used to show sympathy when someone has had a disappointing experience8win or lose informal no matter whether you win or lose: Win or lose, I love competitive sports.sport9win the dayWIN to finally be successful in a discussion or argument SYN triumph: Common sense won the day, and the plans were dropped.winplanbedrop → win the toss at toss2(1), → winner, winningCOLLOCATIONSnounswin a race He should have won that race but he came third.shallwincomewin a game/match It’s supposed to be easier to win your home games.supposeeasygamewin a competition The competition was won by a team from Surrey.bewinwin an election Which party is likely to win the election?bewin a battle/war Who won the battle of Waterloo?winwin a victory The protesters have won one victory already.protesterwinadverbseasily Chavez won the election easily.wincomfortably (=by a large amount, so that you do not have to worry about winning) The Celtics won comfortably, with a 22-point lead.winconvincingly (=by a large amount) United won convincingly by three goals to nil.unitewingoaloutright (=clearly and completely) If one candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, he will win the seat outright.getnarrowly (=by only a small amount) In 1916 he narrowly won re-election.winhands down (=very easily or by a large amount) Everyone expected Sam to win hands down.expecthandphraseswin by 10 points/ten metres etc We won by 23 points.winpointa winning streak (=when you win many competitions one after another) They came here with a four-game winning streak.comewinTHESAURUSwin to be the best or most successful in a competition, game, election etc: Italy won the World Cup in 2006.win | He has a realistic chance of winning the Championship.havewincome first/be first to win a race or competition: Our team came first.come | Jo was first in the race and I was second.bebefinish in first place (also come in first) to win a race, competition, or election: The Democratic candidate finished in first place.finish | I couldn’t believe it when the horse I chose came in first.choosecometriumph written to win a great victory, especially after a long and difficult battle, game etc: Britain triumphed over its enemies.triumphenemy | In the end, the Yankees triumphed.triumphcome out on top informal to win a game, competition, argument etc: United came out on top after a thrilling game.unitecomethrill | They did a survey and the Swedish car-maker came out on top.docome | If you try to argue with him, he always comes out on top.comebe leading/be in the lead to be winning a game, race election etc at the moment: The High School team are leading with sixty points.beleadpoint | With only two minutes left to play, we were still in the lead.minuteleavebebe ahead to be doing better than someone else in a game, competition, or election: He’s still fifty seconds ahead of his nearest rival.secondnear | A week before the election, they were still ahead in the polls.bepollsomeone who wins somethingwinner the person or thing that wins a race, competition etc: A prize of £500 will be awarded to the winner.awardthe winning team/player/horse etc the one that wins: The winning team will go through to the grand final in Milan.winchampion (also the title holder American English) someone who has won a competition, especially in sport: He became the heavyweight boxing champion.becomeboxrecord-holder someone who has achieved the fastest speed, the longest distance etc in a sport: the world high-jump record-holderwin somebody/something ↔ back phrasal verb GETto succeed in getting back something or someone that you had before SYN regain: How can I win back her trust?win out phrasal verb SUCCEED IN DOING STHto finally succeed or defeat other people or thingswin out overOften presentation wins out over content (=is treated as more important than content).winwin somebody ↔ over (also win somebody ↔ roundwin somebody ↔ round British English) phrasal verb PERSUADEto get someone’s support or friendship by persuading them or being nice to them: We’ll be working hard over the next ten days to win over the undecided voters.workdayvoterwin through phrasal verb especially British English SUCCEED IN DOING STHto finally succeed in spite of problems SYN triumph: As in most of his films, it’s the good guys who win through in the end.filmguy
winnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Word sets 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleswinwinswinwin2 W3 noun [countable]Word family WINa success or victory, especially in sport OPP defeat: We’ve had two wins so far this season.havewinwin overIn the under-16 event England had their first win over Germany.have → no-win, win-winCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2ADJECTIVES/NOUN + win a big win (=an important win, or one that you win by a large amount) This is one of the biggest wins I’ve had.bebigwinhavean easy win The Australian appeared to be heading for an easy win.appearheada comfortable win (=one that you win by a large amount, so that you do not have to worry about winning) Chelsea had a comfortable win against Crystal Palace.havea convincing win especially British English (=a win by a large amount) Scotland cruised to a convincing win over Ireland.cruiseconvincea five-point/two-goal etc win The team had a nine-point win over Arizona.haveverbshave/score a win We haven’t had a win for three games.havegamenotch up a win (=achieve a win) Escude has now notched up three consecutive wins over him.havenotchwinpull off a win (=win when it is difficult to win) The side has pulled off two excellent wins in the past couple of weeks.havepullwinweekclinch a win (=finally win after a difficult contest) He suffered some anxious moments before clinching a 9–6 win over Dennis Taylor last night.suffermomentclinchcruise to a win (=win easily) Arsenal cruised to a win over Chelsea.cruiseTHESAURUSvictory noun [uncountable and countable] a situation in which you win a battle, game, election, or dispute: The crowds celebrated Italy’s victory against England.crowdcelebrate | The party won a comfortable victory in the general election.win | We’re very confident of victory.win noun [countable] a victory in a sports game or in a competition: It was an important win for the Yankees.be | A couple from London are celebrating a big lottery win.becelebratetriumph noun [countable] written an important victory, especially in war or politics: Thatcher’s greatest triumph was becoming the UK’s first female Prime Minister.greatbebecomeconquest noun [countable] a situation in which one country wins a war against another country and takes control of it: the Spanish conquest of Mexico | Caesar is well-known for his military conquests.beknowconquestlandslide noun [countable] an election victory in which one party or candidate gets far more votes than their opponents: In 1945, there was a Labour landslide.bewalkover especially British English, cakewalk American English noun [countable] informal a very easy victory: The match was expected to be a walkover for Brazil.beexpectupset noun [countable] a situation in which the person, team, party etc that was expected to win is defeated: Truman pulled off the greatest election upset in United States history.pullgreatunitestate
adjectiveWord familyDate: 1100-1200Language: Old French
Origin: especial, from Latin specialis ‘particular’, from species; → SPECIES 1UNUSUALDIFFERENTnot ordinary or usual, but different in some way and often better or more important:
a special place in the classroom for readingreadNo one receives special treatment.receiveMaria’s special recipe for apple pieThe good china was used only on special occasions.beuseoccasionEach village has its own special charm.haveanything/something/nothing specialAre you doing anything special for Christmas?bedo2IMPORTANTparticularly important to someone and deserving attention, love etc: a party with a few special friendsfrienda teacher who made every child feel specialmakeHer second son had a special place in her heart.have3[only before noun] a special position or job has a particular purpose or aim, and continues only until that purpose or aim is achieved: Mitchell acted as a special envoy in the Northern Ireland peace talks.acttalk4MORE/EXTRA[only before noun] more than usual SYN particular: Pay special attention to how you clean the wound.wind
specialnounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2Word sets 1Other dictionary examplesCorpus examplesspecialspecialsspecialspecial2 noun [countable usually singular]Word family1DIFFERENTUNUSUALsomething that is not usual or ordinary, and is made or done for a special purpose: a TV special on the election2CHEAPa lower price than usual for a particular product for a short period of time SYN special offer: a lunch special for $4.99be on specialBreyer’s ice cream is on special this week.be
adjectiveDate: 1200-1300Language: Latin
Origin: ‘larger, greater’, from magnus ‘large, great’ 1[usually before noun]SERIOUS SITUATION having very serious or worrying results OPP minor:
There is a major problem with parking in London.beparkThe loss of their goalkeeper through injury was a major setback for the team.beHe underwent major heart surgery recently.undergoIt could have sparked a major confrontation.canspark2[usually before noun]IMPORTANT very large or important, when compared to other things or people of a similar kind OPP minormajor role/part/factor etcBritain played a major role in the negotiations.playnegotiationThere are two major political parties in the US.bepartyThe government’s major concern is with preventing road accidents.bepreventaccidentSmoking is one of the major causes of cancer.smokebecausethe major developments in computer technologydevelopmenta major road3[not before noun] American English spokenIMPORTANT very important: This is major? You got me out of bed for this?beget4a major key is based on a musical scale in which there are semitones between the third and fourth and the seventh and eighth notes → minor: a symphony in D major
majornounCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesmajormajorsmajormajor2 noun [countable]1an officer of middle rank in the British or US army or marines, or in the US air force → drum major2especially American English the main subject that a student studies at college or university: Her major is history.be3American English someone studying a particular subject as their main subject at college or university: She’s a history major.4the majors [plural] the Major Leagues
majorverbCollocations from other entriesActivator 1Phrases from other entriesmajormajorsmajoredmajoringmajormajor3 verbVerb formmajor in something phrasal verb especially American English to study something as your main subject at college or university: He’s majoring in Political Science.majormajor on something phrasal verb especially British English to pay particular attention to one subject or thing: The company is planning to major on offering the machines we need.beplanoffermachine
adjectiveDate: 1400-1500Language: French
Origin: Latin recens ‘fresh, recent’ RECENTLYhaving happened or started only a short time ago:
Irving’s most recent bookrecent research into the causes of cancercausein recent years/months/times etcThe situation has improved in recent years.haveimproveyearthe recent pastRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say in the last/past few weeks/months/years etc rather than in recent weeks/months etc: Things have been pretty busy in the last few weeks.thingbeweekTHESAURUSnew: a new sports centresport | a new edition of the book | an entirely new theory of time and spacebrand new completely new: a brand new car | The house looks brand new.lookrecent made, produced etc a short time ago: recent research into brain chemistrythe latest [only before noun] the most recent: Have you seen his latest film?seelate | the latest fashions from Parislatefashionmodern different from earlier things of the same kind because of using new methods, equipment, or designs: modern technology | modern farming methodsfarmmethod | a modern kitchenoriginal new and completely different from what other people have done or thought of before, especially in a way that seems interesting: The play is highly original.be | His style is completely original.befresh fresh ideas, evidence, or ways of doing things are new and different, and are used instead of previous ones: We need a fresh approach to the problem. | They want young people with fresh ideas.idea | Police think they may have found some fresh evidence that links him to the murder.findlinknovel new and different in a surprising and unusual way – used especially about a suggestion, experience, or way of doing something: The club have come up with a novel way of raising cash.raise | The King was passionately in love, which was a novel experience for him.bebeinnovative completely new and showing a lot of imagination – used especially about a design or way of doing something: an attractive website with an innovative design | They came up with an innovative approach to the problem.comerevolutionary completely new in a way that has a very big effect – used especially about an idea, method, or invention: a revolutionary treatment for breast cancer | His theories were considered to be revolutionary at the time.theorybeconsidernew-fangled [only before noun] used about something that is new and modern but which you disapprove of: My grandfather hated all this newfangled technology.hate
verb
Date: 1400-1500Language: Old French
Origin: ester ‘to stand, stay’, from Latin stare Verb form1in a place [intransitive]STAY/NOT LEAVE to remain in a place rather than leave:
They stayed all afternoon chatting.staychatstay (at) homeI decided to stay home.decidestay for a year/ten minutes/a week etcIsabel stayed for a year in Paris to study.staystay inStay in bed and drink plenty of liquids.liquidShe stayed late to finish the report.staystay here/thereStay right there! I’ll be back in a minute.stay to dinner/stay for lunch etcWhy don’t you stay for supper?stay behind/afterSome of the students stayed after class (=remained after others had gone) to talk.studentstaystay and do somethingI should stay and help.shallRegisterIn written English, people often prefer to use remain rather than stay, because it sounds more formal:Many people opted to remain in their homes.opthomeShe remained as his deputy for ten years.remainyear2in a condition [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, linking verb]CONTINUE/NOT STOP to continue to be in a particular position, place, or state, without changing SYN remain: Rollings will stay as chairman this year.stay adjEat right to stay healthy.It was hard to stay awake.beNine women gained weight, and four stayed the same.womangainstaystay away/in/on etcStay away from my daughter!You stay on this road for a mile before turning off.turnstay aroundMost of her boyfriends don’t stay around (=stay with her) very long.boyfriend3live somewhere [intransitive]STAY WITH SB, IN A HOTEL ETC to live in a place for a short time as a visitor or guest: How long are they going to stay?begostay at/withMy mother is staying with us this week.bestaystay inThey’re staying in the same hotel.staystay the night/stay overnight/stay over (=stay from one evening to the next day)Did you stay the night at Carolyn’s?do4stay put spokenSTAY/NOT LEAVE to remain in one place and not move: Stay put until I get back.5be here to stayUSE STH to become accepted and used by most people: Professional women’s basketball is here to stay.womanbe6stay after (school)PUNISH to remain at school after the day’s classes are finished, often as a punishment7stay the course informalSUCCEED IN DOING STH to finish something in spite of difficulties: Dieters should try hard to stay the course.dietershall8stay tuned a)to continue watching or listening to the same television channel or radio station b)used to say that you should look or listen for more information about a particular subject at a later time: The project is still under discussion, so stay tuned.betune9stay!NOT MOVING used to tell a dog not to move10stay sb’s hand literarySTOP DOING STH to stop someone from doing something11stay an order/ruling/execution etc law if a judge stays an order, ruling etc, they stop a particular decision from being used or a particular action from happening → stay in touch at touch2(4)THESAURUSstay to not leave a place, or to be in a place for a particular period of time: Stay where you are and don’t move.be | John only stayed at the party for a couple of hours.stayhourremain formal to stay somewhere. In written English, people often prefer to use remain rather than stay, because it sounds more formal: Some 2,000 protesters remained outside the building and refused to leave.protesterremainbuildrefuse | The judge recommended that he remain in jail for the rest of his life.recommendlinger to stay in a place a little longer than you need to, because you are enjoying yourself, or because you hope to see someone or something: He lingered outside the lecture hall, hoping for a chance to talk to her.lingerhope | There are plenty of small cafés where you can linger over a cappuccino.beloiter to stay in a place not doing anything – used when you think someone is waiting for the chance to do something bad or illegal: The two men had been seen loitering in the area on the day that the car was stolen.manhavebeseeloiterbestealhang around informal to stay somewhere not doing anything: There are gangs of boys hanging around on street corners.begangboyhangcorner | I don’t mind hanging around for a few minutes.hangminute | The boss doesn’t like being kept hanging around.bekeephangstick around informal to stay in the same place or situation for a period of time, especially while you are waiting for something to happen or someone to arrive: I decided to stick around and see how it all turned out.decideturn | Make up your mind. I’m not going to stick around forever.gostay in phrasal verb to spend the evening at home rather than go out: I was tired, so I decided to stay in.betiredecidestay on phrasal verb CONTINUE/NOT STOPSTAY/NOT LEAVEto continue to do a job or to study after the usual or expected time for leaving: He resigned as chairman, but stayed on as an instructor.resignstaystay out phrasal verb1to remain away from home during the evening or night: He started staying out late, drinking.startstaydrink2stay out of something spoken to not get involved in an argument or fight: You stay out of it. It’s none of your business.stay up phrasal verb to not go to bed at the time you would normally go to bed: We stayed up all night talking.staytalkI let the kids stay up late on Fridays.kid
staynounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Word sets 1 2Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesstaystaysstaystay2 S3 noun1[countable usually singular]STAY WITH SB, IN A HOTEL ETC a limited time of living in a placestay in/atI met her towards the end of my stay in Los Angeles.meetlong/short/overnight etc staya short stay in the hospital2[uncountable and countable] law the stopping or delay of an action because a judge has ordered itstay of execution (=a delay in punishing someone by killing them)3[countable] a strong wire or rope used for supporting a ship’s mast4[countable] a short piece of plastic or wire used to keep a shirt collar stiffCOLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + staya long stay During his long stay in the south, he painted only one portrait.painta short/brief stay No visa is required for short stays.berequirestayan overnight stay Business trips may involve an overnight stay.tripa pleasant/enjoyable stay Our driver said goodbye and wished us a pleasant stay.saywisha hospital stay (also a stay in hospital British English, a stay in the hospital American English) Sally is back at work after a short stay in hospital.beverbshave a nice/pleasant etc stay We hope you have a pleasant stay.extend/prolong your stay (=stay longer) He could not be persuaded to extend his stay.canpersuade
noun
Word family1information [countable]RECORD information about something that is written down or stored on computer, film etc so that it can be looked at in the futurerecord of I try to keep a record of everything I spend.According to official records, five people were killed last year near that road junction.accordrecordbekill2highest/best ever [countable]BEST the fastest speed, longest distance, highest or lowest level etc that has ever been achieved or reached, especially in sport: The American team set a new world record in the sprint relay.3music [countable] a round flat piece of plastic with a hole in the middle that music and sound are stored on → vinyl: I spent a lot of time listening to records.spendlistenrecordMy dad’s got a huge record collection.geta major British record company → record player4past activities [singular]PAST the facts about how successful, good, bad etc someone or something has been in the pastrecord of/in (doing) somethingChemistry graduates have a good record in finding employment.graduatefindthe company’s track record in improving conditionsimproveconditionrecord onMr Davis defended the government’s record on unemployment (=what they have done about unemployment).defend5crime [countable] (also criminal/police record) information kept by the police that shows someone has committed a crime: He’s only 18 and he already has a record.haveThey won’t employ anyone with a criminal record.win6the record books if someone is in the record books, they have achieved more than anyone else in a particular way: She hopes to get into the record books by becoming the youngest woman to hold a pilot’s licence.hopebookbecomeyoung7in record time very quickly: She was out of bed and ready for school in record time that morning.be8off the recordRECORD if you say something off the record, you do not want people to repeat what you say, for example in newspapers or meetings: May I talk to you, strictly off the record?9be/go on (the) record as saying (that)RECORD to say something publicly or officially, so that it may be written down and repeated: She is on record as saying that teachers are under too much pressure.besayteacherbe10for the record spokenSAY/STATE used to tell someone that what you are saying should be remembered or written down: For the record, the police never charged me.charge11set/put the record straightCORRECT to tell people the truth about something, because you want to be sure that they understand what the truth really is: I would like to set the record straight on a few points.willpointCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1verbsthe records show something Official records show that 44 businesses have stopped trading in the last 12 months.recordbusinessstoptrademonthkeep a record Teachers keep a record of students’ progress.teacherstudentmaintain a record formal The directors are responsible for maintaining adequate accounting records.directorbemaintainaccountrecordplace/put something on record (=officially say something or write it down) I wish to put on record my objection to the scheme.access records (also have/gain access to records) (=be able to look at them) Every citizen has the right to access their medical records.haverecordADJECTIVES/NOUN + recorda written record Where written records do survive, they are incomplete.writerecordbehistorical records Using historical records, we have produced an image of the temple.userecordproduceofficial records This has been the wettest winter since official records began.havebewetrecordbeginan accurate record Many hospitals did not keep accurate records.hospitaldorecorda detailed record Edwardian travellers left detailed records of their journeys.travellerleavedetailrecordjourneya proper record Failure to maintain proper records would be a criminal offence.recordwillconfidential records They were transferring confidential student records onto computer.betransferrecorda permanent record You will have a permanent record of your work.medical/hospital/health etc records The hospital could not find my mother’s medical records.canrecord | Patients’ hospital records are kept on a database.patientrecordbekeepfinancial records The company’s financial records must be up-to-date.recordpublic records (=records of births, deaths etc, that the public are allowed to look at) He found the information while examining public records.findexaminerecordpolice records Violent assaults rose 39 percent, according to police records.assaultriseaccordrecordphrasesthe biggest/highest etc on record Last summer was one of the hottest on record.behota matter of public record formal (=something that has been written down so that anyone can know it) His salary is a matter of public record.beCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2verbsbreak/beat a record (=do better or be greater than an existing record) He broke the world record twice.breaksmash/shatter a record (=beat it easily) She smashed the record by a massive 28 seconds.smashsecondhold a record (=have it) Davies holds the record for most points in a season.holdpointset a record (=achieve it for the first time) The twenty-year-old set a new British record of 44.47 secs.secequal a record (also tie a record American English) (=do as well as the record) Woods equalled the course record and finished eleven under par.woodequalfinish | Davis tied a team record by hitting six field goals.tiehitgoala record stands (=is not beaten) His record stood for 42 years.standyeara record falls (=is beaten) Another record will fall on the last day of the season, if Arsenal win their final game.adjectivesan all-time record The price of oil has hit an all-time record.havea world record Powell equalled the 100 metres world record with a time of 9.77 seconds.equalmetresecondan Olympic record He won a gold medal and broke the Olympic record by 44 records.winbreakrecorda British/American/Italian etc record Jones won in 10.93 seconds, a new British record.winseconda course/track record (=the best score for a particular golf course or time for a racecourse or track) Lewis set the fastest lap with a new track record.fasta club/team record Irvin holds a team record with 111 catches this season.holdcatchrecord + NOUNa record number/level/time etc Pollution in the lake has reached record levels.havereachlevela record high/low The stock market reached a record high on August 21.reacha record attempt (=an attempt to break a record) They will make another record attempt next year.THESAURUSrecord information about something that is written down: your medical recordsrecord | the public records officerecord | I have to keep a record of all my spending when I’m travelling on business.spendtravelfile a set of written records, or information stored on a computer under a particular name: He began reading the file on the case.beginread | I think I may have accidentally deleted the file.deleteaccounts (also books informal) an exact record of the money that a company has received and spent: Companies are required by law to publish their annual accounts.companyberequireaccount | Someone had been falsifying the accounts.havebefalsifyaccount | The company’s books all seemed to be in order.bookseemledger one of the official books in which a company’s financial records are kept, which show how much it has received and spent: The costs have been moved from one column of the ledger to another.costbemoveminutes an official written record of what is said and decided at a meeting: Both points are mentioned in the minutes of the last meeting on August 3rd.pointbementionminutemeetdiary a book in which you regularly write down the things that have happened to you: In his diary he wrote, ‘It s lovely having him here, we’ve had so many cosy talks.’writehavehavetalk | I’ll just check in my diary to see if I’m free.blog a web page on the Internet on which someone regularly writes about their life, opinions, or a particular subject: I may not always agree with David, but I always read his blog.register an official list of names of people, organizations etc: Guests must sign the hotel register.guest | the national register of births, deaths, and marriagesbirthdeathmarriage | Lloyds Register of Shippingshiproll an official list of names, especially of people who are allowed to do something such as vote or be in a class at school: the electoral roll (=list of people who can vote in an area) | The teacher called the roll (=read out the list of the names of the students, who then have to say if they are present).calllog an official record that is kept on a ship or plane: Mr Appleby said he complained to a senior officer, who made a note in the ship’s log.saycomplainmake
recordverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4Word sets 1 2 3Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesrecordrecordsrecordedrecordingrecordre‧cord2 S3 W2 /rɪˈkɔːd $ -ɔːrd/ verbWord familyDate: 1100-1200Language: Old French
Origin: recorder ‘to bring to mind’, from Latin recordari, from cor ‘heart’ Verb form1[transitive]RECORD to write information down or store it in a computer or on film so that it can be looked at in the future:
Her husband made her record every penny she spent.makespendrecord thatHe recorded that the operation was successful.recordbeIn 1892 it is recorded that the weather became so cold that the river froze over.berecordbecomefreezeThe coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.record2[intransitive and transitive] to store music, sound, television programmes etc on tape or discs so that people can listen to them or watch them again: The group has just recorded a new album.haverecordIs the machine still recording?berecordI’ll record the film and we can all watch it later.late3[transitive] if an instrument records the size, speed, temperature etc of something, it measures it and keeps that information: Wind speeds of up to 100 mph have been recorded.speedberecord
noun
Word family1news a)the press [also + plural verb British English] people who write reports for newspapers, radio, or television: the freedom of the pressThe press have been very nasty about him.be b)reports in newspapers and on radio and television: To judge from the press, the concert was a great success.bepress reportsreportThe band has received good press coverage (=the reports written about something in newspapers).havereceivelocal/national etc pressThe story was widely covered in the national press.becovertabloid/popular etc press2get/be given a bad pressCRITICIZE to be criticized in the newspapers or on radio or television: The government's policy on mental health care is getting an increasingly bad press.beget3get/have a good pressPRAISE to be praised in the newspapers or on radio or television: Our recycling policy is getting a good press.recyclebeget4printing [countable] a)a business that prints and sometimes also sells books: the Clarendon Press b)(also printing press) a machine that prints books, newspapers, or magazines5machine [countable] a piece of equipment used to put weight on something in order to make it flat or to force liquid out of it: a trouser pressa flower press6push [countable, usually singular] especially British EnglishPUSH a light steady push against something small: Give the button another press.7go to press if a newspaper, magazine, or book goes to press, it begins to be printed: All information was correct at the time we went to press.bego8crowd [singular + of] especially British EnglishCROWD a crowd of people pushing against each otherCOLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + pressthe national press There was very little about the incident in the national press.bethe local press Evening classes are advertised in the local press.evenclassbeadvertisethe British/American etc press The British press have blamed other countries for North Sea pollution.blamecountrythe foreign press African countries want the foreign press to report African affairs.countryaffairthe quality press (=newspapers intended for educated people) The book received excellent reviews in the quality press.receivereviewthe tabloid/popular press (=popular newspapers that have a lot of news about famous people etc, rather than serious news) He regularly appeared in the tabloid press alongside well-known actresses.appearknowactressthe gutter press British English (=newspapers that print shocking stories about people’s private lives) The gutter press enjoyed printing the sensational story.enjoyprinta free press (=reporters whose reports are not restricted by the government) I am glad that we have a free press in this country.beverbstalk/speak to the press He is reluctant to talk to the press.betell the press something ‘It was a really tough decision,’ she told the press.betellleak something to the press (=give them secret information in an unofficial way) The confidential report was leaked to the press.beleakpress + NOUNpress reports According to press reports, he was suffering from exhaustion.accordreportbesufferpress coverage (=articles in newspapers) The event received a lot of press coverage.receivea press photographer A group of press photographers was waiting for her outside.photographerbewait
pressverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplespresspressespressedpressingpresspress2 S1 W2 verb
Word familyDate: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: presser, from Latin pressare, from premere ‘to press’; → PRINT2 Verb form1against something [transitive always + adverb/preposition]PUSH to push something firmly against a surface SYN push:
Manville kept his back pressed flat against the wall.keeppressShe pressed the gas pedal and the car leapt forwards.pressleapforwardHe pressed a card into her hand before leaving.pressleave2button [transitive]PRESS to push a button, switch etc to make a machine start, a bell ring etc SYN push: Lily pressed the switch and plunged the room into darkness.pressplungePress control, alt, delete to log on to the computer.3clothes [transitive] to make clothes smooth using a hot iron SYN iron: I’ll need to press my suit.4crowd [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]PUSH to move in a particular direction by pushing: The car rocked as the crowd pressed hard against it.rockpress5persuade [intransitive and transitive]PERSUADE to try hard to persuade someone to do something, especially by asking them many times: I felt that if I had pressed him he would have lent me the money.feelhavepresswilllendpress somebody to do somethingThe police pressed her to remember all the details.pressdetailpress somebody for somethingThe manufacturers are pressing the government for action.manufacturerbepresspress forWe must continue to press for full equality.I was pressing my claim for custody of the child.bepress6heavy weight [transitive]FLAT to put pressure or a weight on something to make it flat, crush it etc: pressed flowerspressflowerAt this stage the grapes have to be pressed.grapepress7hold somebody/something close [transitive]HOLD to hold someone or something close to youpress somebody/something to youHe reached out and pressed her to him.reachpress8press sb’s hand/armHOLD to hold someone’s hand or arm tightly for a short time, to show friendship, sympathy etc: Sometimes he was too ill to speak, and just pressed my hand.bepress9press chargesACCUSE to say officially that someone has done something illegal and must go to court10be pressed for time/cash etc to not have enough time, money etc: a government department that is pressed for both time and moneybepress11give [transitive] to offer something to someone and try to make them take itpress something on somebodyI pressed money on him, but he refused to take it.pressrefuse12exercise [transitive] to push a weight up from your chest using only your arms, without moving your legs or feet13press somebody/something into serviceUSE STH to persuade someone to help you, or to use something to help you do something because of an unexpected problem or need: The army was pressed into service to fight the fires.bepressfire14press the fleshHELLO to shake hands with a lot of people – used humorously: The President reached into the crowd to press the flesh.reach15press something home a)PUSHto push something into its place: Jane slammed the door and pressed the bolt home.slampress b)EMPHASIZEto repeat or emphasize something, so that people remember it: He decided it was time to press his point home.decidebe16press home your advantageADVANTAGE to try to succeed completely, using an advantage that you have gained17record [transitive] to make a copy of a record, CD etc → be hard pressed to do something at hard2(5)THESAURUSpress to push something down or against a surface with your fingers or foot: The doctor gently pressed her stomach.press | To move forward, press the accelerator. | I pressed ‘delete’ and started again.pressstartsqueeze to press something inwards from both sides: It’s one of those balls that make a funny noise when you squeeze it.ball | Squeeze the lemon and add the juice to the sauce.squash to press something against a surface accidentally and damage it by making it flat: Don’t squash the tomatoes.tomato | He sat on my hat and squashed it.sitsquashcrush to press something very hard so that it breaks into very small pieces, or is very badly damaged: Crush two cloves of garlic.clove | The front of the car was completely crushed in the crash.becrushmash to press cooked vegetables or fruit until they are soft and smooth: Mash the potatoes while they are warm.potatobe | Babies love mashed bananas.babymashbananagrind to press something solid until it becomes a powder, using a machine or tool: the machine that grinds the corngrind | freshly ground coffeegrindpress on (also press ahead) phrasal verbCONTINUE/NOT STOP to continue doing something, especially working, in a determined way: We’ll talk about your suggestion later – now let’s just press on.latepress on withShall we press ahead with the minutes of the last meeting?minutemeet
verb [transitive]
Word familyDate: 1300-1400Language: Old North French
Origin: receivre, from Latin recipere, from capere ‘to take’ Verb form1be given somethingGET to be given something SYN get:
All the children will receive a small gift.childreceive something from somebodyShe received an honorary degree from Harvard.receivereceive attention/affection/supportShe received no support from her parents.receiveparentreceive payment/money/a pension etcThey will be entitled to receive unemployment benefit.entitlereceive a prize/award/gift etcHe went up to receive his award from the mayor.goreceive education/training16 to 18-year-olds receiving full-time educationreceiveLee received 324 votes (=324 people voted for him).receivevoteRegisterReceive is a rather formal word, which is used especially in written English. In everyday English, people usually use get. What did you get for your birthday?doShe got a degree from York University.get2be sent something formalGET to get a letter, message, or telephone call, or something which someone has sent youreceive something from somebodyHe received a letter from his insurance company.receiveIf you would like to receive further information, return the attached form.willfarattachWe have received numerous complaints about the noise.receivecomplaint3treatment formal if you receive a particular type of medical treatment, it is done to you: He received hospital treatment for a cut over his eye.receive4reaction to something [usually passive]REACT to react in a particular way to a suggestion, idea, performance etc → reception: The film was well received by critics (=they said it was good).bereceivecriticHe received the news in silence.receive5be on/at the receiving end (of something)EFFECT/INFLUENCE to be the person who is affected by someone else’s actions, usually in an unpleasant way: She found herself on the receiving end of racist abuse.findreceive6receive an injury/blow formal to be injured or hit7people formal to officially accept someone as a guest or member of a groupreceive guests/visitorsShe isn’t well enough to receive visitors yet.visitorreceive somebody into somethingShe was later received into the Church.belatereceive8by radio a)if a radio or television receives radio waves or other signals, it makes them become sounds or pictures b)to be able to hear a radio message that someone is sending: Receiving you loud and clear!'receive
verb (past tense and past participle set, present participle setting)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: settan Verb form1put [transitive always + adverb/preposition]PUT written to carefully put something down somewhereset something (down) on something
She set the tray down on a table next to his bed.Mark filled the pan and set it on the stove.fillstaveset something down/asideThe workmen set the box down carefully on the floor.workmanRemove the mushrooms and set them aside.mushroom2put into surface [T always + adv/prep, usually passive] to put something into a surfacebe set into somethingGates should be hung on sturdy posts set well into the ground.gateshallhangpostgrindbe set into the wall/floor/ceiling etc (=be built into the surface of something so that it does not stick out)an alarm button set into the wall beside the door3story [T always + adv/prep, usually passive] if a film, play, story etc is set in a particular place or period, the action takes place there or thenbe set in somethingThe novel is set in France.bebe set against somethingAll this romance is set against a backdrop of rural Irish life.be4consider [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to consider something in relation to other thingsset something against/beside somethingThese casualty totals have to be set against the continuing growth in traffic.totalcontinueThis debate should be set in an international context.shall5establish somethingSTART STH/MAKE STH START [transitive] to establish a way of doing something that is then copied or regarded as goodset the pattern/tone/trend etc (for something)Art and literature flourished and this set the pattern for the whole of Europe.flourishThe Prime Minister’s fierce speech set the tone for the rest of the conference.It is important that parents set an example (=behave well).beparentThe outcome of the case will set a legal precedent.His photographs set the standard for landscapes.photographlandscapeFreud’s views on sexuality set the agenda for much of the century (=people paid attention to the subjects he dealt with).view6start something happening [transitive] to make something start happening or to make someone start doing somethingset something in motion/progress/trainA study by military experts was immediately set in motion.expertbeThe chief executive will set in train the process of finding a successor.findset something on fire/alight/ablaze (also set fire to something) (=make something start burning)Protesters set fire to two buses.protesterbusset somebody/something doing somethingHer last remark has set me thinking.havethinkThe wind set the trees rustling.treerustle7decide something [transitive] to decide and state when something will happen, how much something should cost, what should be done etcset a date/time (for something)The government has still not set a date for the election.haveInternational companies set the price of oil.companyset standards/limits/guidelines etchigh standards of hygiene set by the Department of Healthstandard8start working [intransitive and transitive] to start doing something in a determined way, or to tell someone to start doing somethingset to work to do somethingThey set to work to paint the outside of the building.buildset (somebody) to work on somethingHe’s about to set to work on a second book.set (somebody) to work doing somethingThe boys were set to work collecting firewood.boybecollectset somebody to do somethingRocard set himself to reform public sector industry.9machine/clock etc [transitive]START STH/MAKE STH START to move a switch on a machine, clock etc so that it will start or stop working at the time you want, or in the way you want: Did you set the alarm?doRemember to set the video to record the film.set something to/at/on somethingUsually, the heating is set on ‘low’.heatbe10liquid/glue/cement etc [intransitive]HARD to become hard and solid: How long does it take for the glue to set?do11sun [intransitive]DOWN when the sun sets, it moves down in the sky and disappears OPP rise12set (somebody) a goal (also set (somebody) a task/challenge British English)TRY TO DO OR GET STH to say what you or someone else will or must try to achieve: It’s best to set realistic goals that you can achieve.wellgoalHe set himself the task of learning Japanese.learn13set your heart/mind/sights on (doing) somethingWANTDETERMINED to want very much to have or achieve something, or to be determined to do something: Ellen has completely set her heart on that house.haveHe set his sights on crossing the Pacific by balloon.sightcross14set a recordBEST to achieve the best result in a sport, competition etc that has ever been achieved, by running fastest, jumping highest etc: The Kenyan runner set a new Olympic Record in the 3,000 metres.metre15set the table to arrange plates, knives, cups etc on a table so that it is ready for a meal SYN lay the table British English16set a trap a)to make a trap ready to catch an animal b)TRICK/DECEIVEto invent a plan to try and catch someone who is doing something wrong: They decided to set a trap for him by leaving him in charge.decideleave17set somebody free/looseFREE/NOT IN PRISON to allow a person or an animal to be free: All the other hostages were finally set free.hostagebe18set somebody straight/rightTALK TO SB to tell someone the right way to do something or the true facts about somethingset somebody straight/right onI set him right on a few points of procedure.point → set something right at right1(4), → set the record straight at record1(10)19face [intransitive] written if your face or mouth sets into a particular expression, you start to have an angry, sad, unfriendly etc expressionset intoHis mouth set into a rather grim line.20set your jaw to move your lower jaw forward in a way that shows your determination21bone a)[transitive] if a doctor sets a broken bone, he or she moves it into position so that the bone can grow together again b)[intransitive] if a broken bone sets, it joins together again22class work [transitive] British EnglishGIVE to give a student in your class a piece of work to doset somebody somethingMr Biggs has set us a 2,000-word essay.have23examination [transitive] British EnglishEXAM/TEST to write the questions for an examination: The head teacher sets the questions for the English exam.setquestion24printing [transitive] to arrange the words and letters of a book, newspaper etc so it is ready to be printed: In those days, books had to be set by hand.daybookhave25hair [transitive] to arrange someone’s hair while it is wet so that it has a particular style when it dries → set somebody at (their) ease at ease1(2), → set your face against something at face1(21), → set something to music at music(1), → set the pace at pace1(7), → set pen to paper at pen1(3), → set sail at sail2(2), → set the scene at scene(9), → set the stage for something at stage1(7), → set great store by/on something at store1(6), → set the world on fire/alight at world1(22), → set the world to rights at world1(23)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 5nounsset an example (=behave well in a way that other people can copy) Parents should try to set a good example to their teenagers.parentshallteenagerset a precedent (=do something that later actions or decisions may be based on) This legislation would set a most dangerous precedent.willset the pattern/trend (=do something in a way that is later repeated) That first day seemed to set the pattern for the following weeks.seemfollowweekset the tone (=establish a general mood or feeling) The gloomy first chapter sets the tone for the rest of the novel.setset the standard (=be very good, and so show how good other people or things should be) They wanted to set the standard for software.wantset the agenda (=establish what subjects should be discussed) We are not attempting to set the agenda for other women’s groups.beattemptwomangroupset the pace (=move or change quickly, so that others try to do the same) With regard to industrialization, Britain set the pace in the first half of the nineteenth century.COLLOCATIONSMeaning 7nounsset a date/time No date has been set for the election.havebeset a price We set the price at £30.set standards/guidelines (=decide on standards, rules etc) The government has set new food quality standards for all school canteens.havestandardcanteenset limits Set strict limits on your spending.limitspendset about something/somebody phrasal verb1START DOING STHto start doing or dealing with something, especially something that needs a lot of time and effort: A team of volunteers set about the task with determination.volunteerset about doing somethingHow do senior managers set about making these decisions?managermakedecision2ATTACK literary to attack someone by hitting and kicking them: They set about him with their fists.fistset somebody/something against somebody/something phrasal verb1AGAINST/OPPOSEto make someone start to fight or quarrel with another person, especially a person who they had friendly relations with before: The bitter civil war set brother against brother.2set yourself against (doing) something to decide that you are opposed to doing or having something: She’s set herself against going to university.go3set something against tax to officially record the money you have spent on something connected with your job, in order to reduce the amount of tax you have to payset somebody/something apart phrasal verb1DIFFERENTif a quality sets someone or something apart, it makes them different from or better than other people or thingsset somebody/something apart fromMan’s ability to reason sets him apart from other animals.setanimal2SEPARATE[usually passive] to keep something, especially a particular time, for a special purposeset somebody/something apart forTraditionally, these days were set apart for prayer and fasting.daybefastset something ↔ aside phrasal verb1SEPARATEto keep something, especially money, time, or a particular area, for a special purposeset something ↔ aside forTry to set aside some time each day for exercise.a room that had been set aside for visitorshavebevisitor2FORGETto decide not to consider a particular feeling or thing because something else is more important: Both sides agreed to set aside the question of independence.sideagree3to officially state that a previous legal decision or agreement no longer has any effect: The judge set aside the verdict of the lower court.low4if a farmer sets aside land, he or she agrees not to grow any crops on it, and accepts a payment from the government for thisset somebody/something back phrasal verb1set somebody/something ↔ backDELAY to delay the progress or development of something, or delay someone from finishing something: Environmental experts said the move would set back further research.expertsaywillfarIllness had set me back a couple of weeks.haveweek2informalCOST to cost someone a lot of moneyset somebody back $50/£100 etcThis jacket set me back over £1,000.set something/somebody ↔ down phrasal verb1WRITEto write about something so that you have a record of it: I wanted to set my feelings down on paper.wantfeeling2SAY/STATEto state how something should be done in an official document or set of rules: Clear guidelines have been set down for teachers.guidelinebeteacher3British English to stop a car, bus etc and allow someone to get out: The driver set her down at the station.set forth phrasal verb1set something ↔ forth formalWRITESAY/STATE to explain ideas, facts, or opinions in a clearly organized way in writing or in a speech SYN set out: He set forth an idealistic view of society.2literarySTART DOING STH to begin a journey: They were about to set forth on a voyage into the unknown.beset in phrasal verb START TO HAPPEN, EXIST ETCif something sets in, especially something unpleasant, it begins and seems likely to continue for a long time: Winter seems to be setting in early this year.seemsetFurther economic decline set in during the 1930s.farset off phrasal verb1LEAVE A PLACEto start to go somewhere: I’ll set off early to avoid the traffic.set off forJerry and I set off on foot for the beach.2set something ↔ offSTART STH/MAKE STH START to make something start happening, especially when you do not intend to do so: News that the claims might be true set off widespread panic.claimHong Kong’s stock market fell, setting off a global financial crisis.fallsetRegisterIn written English, people often say that something triggers a particular reaction or event, rather than sets it off, because it sounds more formal:This could trigger a global financial crisis.can3set something ↔ off to make an alarm start ringing: Smoke from a cigarette will not normally set off a smoke alarm.4set something ↔ offEXPLODE to make a bomb explode, or cause an explosion: Any movement could have set off the bomb.can5set something ↔ offSUIT/LOOK GOOD TOGETHER if a piece of clothing, colour, decoration etc sets something off, it makes it look attractive: The blue sundress set off her long blonde hair.6set somebody offSTART STH/MAKE STH START to make someone start laughing, crying, or talking about something: Don’t mention what happened – you’ll only set her off again.happen7set something off against tax to officially record the money you have spent on something connected with your job, in order to reduce the amount of tax you have to pay: Some expenses can be set off against tax.expenseset on somebody phrasal verb British English1set somebody/something on somebodyATTACK to make people or animals attack someone: The farmer threatened to set his dogs on us.threatendog2[usually passive] if you are set on by people or animals, you are suddenly attacked by them: A thirty-five-year-old man was set on by four youths last night.beyouth3set somebody on/onto somebody to give someone information about a person who you think has done something wrong, because you want that person to be found and caught: If I refuse, he’ll set the police onto me.set out phrasal verb1START DOING STHto start a journey, especially a long journeyset out forKate set out for the house on the other side of the bay.set out on a journey/drive/voyage etcThe band are setting out on a European tour in March.beset2PLANSTART DOING STHto start doing something or making plans to do something in order to achieve a particular resultset out to do somethingsalesmen who deliberately set out to defraud customerssalesmancustomerset out with the idea/purpose/intention etc of doing somethingThey set out with the aim of becoming the number one team in the league.becomenumb3set something ↔ outWRITESAY/STATE to explain ideas, facts, or opinions in a clearly organized way, in writing or in a speech: He set out the reasons for his decision in his report.reason4PUTset something ↔ out to put a group of things down and arrange them: The market traders began setting out their displays.traderbeginsetdisplay5set out on somethingSTART DOING STH to start doing something, especially something new, difficult, or important: My nephew is just setting out on a career in journalism.besetset to phrasal verb British English START DOING STHto start doing something eagerly and with determination: If we all set to, we’ll finish the job in half an hour.set up phrasal verb1company/organization etcSTART STH/MAKE STH START to start a company, organization, committee etc SYN establishset something ↔ upThey want to set up their own import–export business.new regulations for setting up political partiesregulationsetpartyset (yourself) up (as something) (=start your own business)John decided to set up as a graphic designer.decideset up shop/set up in business (=begin operating a business)Now Betterware plans to set up shop elsewhere in Europe.plan2arrange/organize set something ↔ upSTART STH/MAKE STH START to make the arrangements that are necessary for something to happen: I’ll set up an appointment for you.There was a lot of work involved in setting up the festival.beinvolveset3equipmentPREPARE to prepare the equipment that will be needed for an activity so that it is ready to be used: The next band was already setting up on the other stage.besetset something ↔ upCan someone set the overhead projector up?4build/put up set something ↔ upPUT to place or build something somewhere, especially something that is not permanent: They’ve set up roadblocks around the city.roadblock5trick somebody set somebody ↔ up informalGUILTY to trick someone in order to achieve what you want, especially to make it appear that they have done something wrong or illegal: Cox claimed that the police had tried to set him up.claimhavetry6provide money set somebody ↔ up British English informalRICH to provide someone with money that they need, especially in order to start a business: After he qualified as a doctor, his mother set him up in a practice of his own.qualifySelling her share of the company has set her up for life.sellhave7healthy/full of energy set somebody upHEALTHY British English to make you feel healthy and full of energy: A good breakfast will set you up for the day.8set yourself up as something to deliberately make people believe that you have the authority and skill to do something, especially when this is not true: politicians who set themselves up as moral authoritiespoliticianauthority9put somebody in position set somebody up to put someone in a position in which they are able to do something, or in which something is likely to happen to themset somebody up forIf he won the fight, it would set him up for a title shot.winwillshootAnyone with public duties sets themselves up for attack.dutyset10relationship set somebody ↔ up informal to arrange for two people to meet, because you think they might start a romantic relationship: ‘How did you meet Nick?’ ‘A friend set us up.’do11set up home/house (also set up housekeeping American English)LIVE SOMEWHERE to get your own home, furniture etc, especially when you leave your parents’ home to live with a wife, husband, or partner: Many parents try to help their children set up home.parentchild12NOISEset up a commotion/din/racket etc to start making a loud unpleasant noise: The party guests were setting up a steady din.guestbeset → set up camp at camp1(1)
setnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4Word sets 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplessetsetssetset2 S1 W1 noun
Sense 1-2, 5-6, 8-10:Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: sette, from Latin secta; → SECTSense 3-4, 7, 11:
Date: 1300-1400
Origin: → SET1 1group of things [countable]GROUP OF THINGS a group of similar things that belong together or are related in some wayset of
a set of toolstoolWe face a new set of problems.problemThe older generation have a different set of values.oldvaluea chess set2television/radio [countable] a television, or a piece of equipment for receiving radio signals: a colour television set3film [countable] a place where a film or television programme is filmedon set/on the setCruise met Kidman on the set of ‘Days of Thunder’.meetday4stage [countable] the scenery, furniture etc used on a stage in a play or in the place where a film or television show is being made5sport [countable] one part of a game such as tennis or volleyball: Nadal won the second set 6–4.win6people [singular]FRIEND a group of people who are similar in some way and spend time together socially: a favourite meeting place of the smart set (=rich and fashionable people)meetVal got in with a wild set at college.get → jet set7the set of sb’s face/jaw/shoulders etc the expression on your face or the way you hold your body, which tells people how you are feeling: From the set of her shoulders, it was clear that Sue was exhausted.shoulderbebeexhaustthe hard set of his face8music [countable] a performance by a singer, band, or disc jockey: Sasha performed a three-hour set.perform9maths [countable] technical a group of numbers, shapes etc in mathematics: The set (x, y) has two members.havemember10students [countable] British EnglishCLASS/GROUP OF STUDENTS a group of children who are taught a particular school subject together because they have the same level of ability in that subject SYN streamtop/bottom etc setAdam’s in the top set for maths.math11onion [countable] a small onion that you plant in order to grow bigger ones: onion setsset
setadjectiveCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplessetsetset3 adjective
Date: 1200-1300Origin: Past participle of → SET1 1placedPLACE [not before noun] being in the position that is mentionedset in/on/back etc
a medieval village set high on a hilla big house set back from the road2background used to say that something is in front of a particular background, especially in a way that is attractiveset againsta small town of white buildings, set against a background of hillsbuildinghillpink petals set against dark green foliagepetal3fixedCHANGE/MAKE STH DIFFERENT [only before noun] a set amount, time etc is fixed and is never changed: We were paid a set amount each week.bepayThe evening meal is served at a set time.evenbeserveSmall children like a set routine.child4ready [not before noun] informalREADY someone who is set for something is ready for itset forAre you all set for the trip?beset to do somethingI was just set to go when the phone rang.beringGet set (=get ready) for a night of excitement.On your marks – get set – go (=said to start a race).mark5set on/upon/against (doing) somethingDETERMINED determined about something: Nina’s set on going to the party.goThe government’s dead set (=completely determined) against the plan.6opinions/habits etcCHANGE/BECOME DIFFERENT# not likely to change: People had very set ideas about how to bring up children.haveideachildMark was 65 and rather set in his ways (=habits).beway7have your heart/sights set on somethingDETERMINEDWANT to want to do something very much, or to be aiming to do something: She’s got her heart set on going to France this summer.getgoDon has his sights set on a career in law.havesight8set to do somethingPROBABLY likely to do something: The weather is set to change.beThis issue is set to cause some embarrassment.be9deep-set/wide-set/close-set eyes eyes whose position is deep in the face, far apart on the face, or close together on the face10be set with gems/jewels etc to be decorated with jewels: a gold bracelet set with rubiesruby11meal [only before noun] British English a set meal in a restaurant has a fixed price and a more limited choice than usualset lunch/dinner/menuThe hotel does a very good set menu.do12set book/text etc British EnglishEXAM/TEST a book that must be studied for an examination13fixed expression literaryPRETENDDETERMINED if your face is set, it has a fixed expression on it, especially one that is angry, worried etc: He stared at her, his face set.stareKate’s face was set in a grim expression.beset smile/teeth/jaw‘Damn you,’ he said through set teeth.saytooth
noun (plural stories) [countable]
Date: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: estorie, from Latin historia; → HISTORY 1for entertainmentSTORY a description of how something happened, that is intended to entertain people, and may be true or imaginary → talestory about/of
a story about a princessfairy/ghost/love etc storya detective storytell/read somebody a storyMommy, will you read me a story?a book of short storiesstoryWe cuddled together over a bedtime story.cuddleThe film was based on a true story.bebaseDon’t be frightened – it’s only a story (=it is imaginary).frighten2newsSUCCESSFUL a report in a newspaper or news broadcast about a recent event, or something that is reported on: a front-page story‘The Observer’ ran a story about the scandal (=printed it).runcover story (=the main story in a magazine, which is about the picture on the cover)3eventsREASON an account of something that has happened, usually one that people tell each other, and which may not be true: The full story of what happened has never been reported.happenhavebereportHer parents did not believe her story.parentdoFirst, he wanted to hear Matthew’s side of the story (=his description of what happened).wantHe was having an affair with Julie, or so the story goes (=people are saying this).behavego4excuse an excuse or explanation, especially one that you have invented: Where were you? And don’t give me some story about working late!beworkWell, that’s my story (=that is what I say happened), and I’m sticking to it.stick5historySTORY a description of the most important events in someone’s life or in the development of something: the Charlie Parker StoryHe wanted to have his life story told on film.wanttell6building American English a floor or level of a building SYN storey British English: a 50-story buildingbuild7of a film/play etc what happens in a film, play, or book SYN plot: The story is similar in all her books.bebook8it’s the same story here/there/in ...SAME used to say the same thing is happening in another place: Unemployment is falling in the US, and it’s the same story in Europe.befallSPOKEN PHRASES9it’s the same old storyTYPICAL used to say that the present bad situation has often happened before: It’s the same old story – too much work and not enough time.10it’s a long story used to tell someone that you do not want to give them all the details that a full answer to their question would need11to cut a long story short (also to make a long story short American English)SHORT TIME used when you only give the main point of something you are talking about, and not all the other details12but that’s another storyMENTION used when you have mentioned something that you are not going to talk about on this occasion13that’s not the whole storyADD used to say that there are more details which people need to know in order to understand the situation14that’s the story of my lifeDISAPPOINTED used after a disappointing experience to mean that similar disappointing things always seem to happen to you15end of storyEMPHASIZE used to say that there is nothing more to say about a particular subject: As far as I’m concerned, Terry is still a friend – end of story.concernbe16it's a different story used to say that something is not what you expect it to be: It looks like a big house, but inside it’s a different story.look17lieLIE/TELL A LIE a lie – used by children or when speaking to children SYN tale: You shouldn’t tell stories.story → short story, → cock and bull story at cock1(4), → hard-luck story, sob story, → success story at success(5)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 1ADJECTIVES/NOUN + storya true story ‘Schindler’s List’ tells the true story of Oskar Schindler.tella classic story (=old and admired by many people, or typical and good ) a classic story about a little girl who falls down a rabbit holefalla short story He has published two collections of short stories.havepublishcollectionstorya children’s story Enid Blyton is famous for writing children’s stories.bewritechildstorya love story ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a classic love story.bea fairy story (=a children's story in which magical things happen) She looked like a princess in a fairy story.lookan adventure story an exciting adventure story for childrenexcitechilda detective story Most detective stories are about a murder.storybea ghost/horror story They sat round the fire telling ghost stories.sittellstory | She likes reading horror stories.likereadstorya bedtime story (=one that you read to a child before they go to sleep) He remembered his mother reading him a bedtime story.rememberreadverbstell (somebody) a story Would you like me to tell you a story?willread (somebody) a story She read a lot of detective stories.storywrite a story The story was written by Lewis Carroll.bewriteCOMMON ERRORS ► Do not say 'say (somebody) a story'. Say tell (somebody) a story.COLLOCATIONSMeaning 2ADJECTIVES/NOUN + storya big story (=a report about something important) He had promised the newspaper a big story on a major celebrity.havepromisethe lead/top story (=the most important story in a newspaper or news programme) The floods were the lead story on the news that evening.floodbeevena front-page story The Times published a front-page story about the scandal.timepublisha cover story (=the main story in a magazine, mentioned on the cover) Hello magazine did a cover story on her last year.doverbsdo a story (=write and then print or broadcast it) I went to Iraq to do a story on the war.goprint/publish a story The News of the World decided not to print the story.deciderun a story (=print it or broadcast it) There wasn't enough definite information to run the story.cover a story (=report on it) Her family complained about the way that journalists had covered the story.complainjournalisthavecoverbreak a story (=report on it for the first time) The Daily Mail was the paper which broke the story.bebreakleak a story (=secretly tell a reporter about it) We may never know who leaked the story to the press.leaka story breaks (=it is reported for the first time) I still remember the shock when that story broke.breakTHESAURUSstory a description of how something happened that is intended to entertain people, and may be true or imaginary: a ghost story | a love story | It’s a story about a man who loses his memory.lose | a book of short storiesstorytale a story about strange imaginary events, or exciting events that happened in the past: a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen | I loved hearing tales of his travels.loveheartaletravelmyth noun [uncountable and countable] a very old imaginary story about gods and magical creatures: an ancient myth | Greek and Roman mythsmythlegend noun [uncountable and countable] an old story about brave people or magical events that are probably not true: popular legends of the creation of the worldlegend | According to legend, King Arthur was buried there.accordbeburyfable a traditional imaginary short story that teaches a moral lesson, especially a story about animals: the fable of the tortoise and the hare | a Chinese fableepic a story told in a long book, film, or poem which is about great or exciting events, especially in history: an epic about 13th-century Scottish hero William Wallacesaga a story about a series of events that take place over a long period of time, especially events involving one family: a family saga beginning in the 1880sbeginyarn informal a long exciting story that is not completely true: The movie’s a rattling good yarn and full of action.rattleCOLLOCATIONSMeanings 3 & 4verbstell (somebody) a story (also recount/relate a story formal) I'd better tell you the whole story from the beginning.wellbegin | He laughed as he recounted the story.laughrecountgive (somebody) a story I had the feeling that she wasn't giving me the full story.havefeelgivehear a story (also listen to a story) I’ve heard that story a hundred times.heartimemake up/invent a story She confessed to making up the story of being abducted.confessmakebeabductstick to your story (=keep saying it is true) He didn’t believe her at first, but she stuck to her story.stickchange your story During police interviews, Harper changed his story several times.interviewchangetimebelieve a story The jury did not believe Evans's story.doswap stories (=tell each other stories) They swapped stories and shared their experiences.swapstoryshareexperiencethe story goes (=this is what is people say happened) The story goes that he was drowned off the south coast, but not everyone believed it.gobedrownbelievea story goes around (=people tell it to each other) A story went around that she had been having an affair.gohavebehaveadjectivesthe full/whole story I did not know the full story.doa plausible/convincing story She tried to think up a convincing story to tell her parents.tryconvinceparenta remarkable story The film tells the remarkable story of their escape from a prison camp.tellan apocryphal story (=one that is well-known but probably not true) There are many apocryphal stories about him.bestorythe inside story (=including facts that are known only to people involved) Though I’d seen the official report, I wanted the inside story.seewantphrasessb’s side of the story (=someone’s account of what happened, which may be different from someone else’s) I would like to give my side of the story.will
verb
Date: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: retourner, from tourner ‘to turn’ Verb form1go back [intransitive]RETURN to go or come back to a place where you were before SYN go back, come back:
It was forty five minutes before she returned.beminutereturnreturn toAre you planning to return to Spain?beplanreturn fromI have just returned from five months in Zimbabwe.returnmonthAlison decided to return home.decideHe left his country, never to return.leaveRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say come back (=return to the place where the speaker is) or go back (=return to a different place from where the speaker is), rather than return: It was forty five minutes before she came back.beminutecomeAre you planning to go back to Spain?beplan2give back [transitive]GIVE to give or send something back, or to put something back in its place SYN give back, put backreturn something to something/somebodyCarson returned the notebook to his pocket.returnI returned the books to the library unread.returnbookPlease complete the enclosed application form and return it in the envelope attached.encloseattachRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say that they take something back, put it back, or bring it back, rather than return it: He put the key back in his pocket.Did you take the books back to the library?dobook3feeling/situation [intransitive]START TO HAPPEN, EXIST ETC if a feeling, situation etc returns, it starts to exist or happen again SYN come back: If the pain returns, take two of the tablets with some water.returntabletDavid could feel his anger returning.canreturnreturn towhen peace finally returns to this countryreturnRegister In everyday English, people usually say that a feeling comes back rather than returns:I’m worried that the pain will come back.worry4do the same [transitive]DOGIVE to do something to someone because they have done the same thing to you: He smiled at her warmly and she returned his smile.smilereturnI phoned him twice on Friday and left messages, but he never returned my call (=he didn’t phone me).phoneleavemessagereturnThanks very much. I’ll return the favour (=do something to help you) some day.thankThe police did not return fire (=shoot back at someone who shot at them).do5answer [transitive] written to answer someone: ‘Yes,’ he returned. ‘I’m a lucky man.’return6ball [transitive] to hit the ball back to your opponent in a game such as tennis7elect [transitive usually passive] British English to elect someone to a political position, especially to represent you in parliamentreturn somebody to somethingYeo was returned to Parliament with an increased majority.bereturnincreasereturn somebody as somethingAt the election, she was returned as MP for Brighton.bereturn8return a verdict when a jury return their verdict, they say whether someone is guilty or not9profit [transitive] to make a profit: The group returned increased profits last year.returnincreaseprofitCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 4nounsreturn sb’s call (=phone someone who phoned you) I left a message but he hasn't returned my call.leavereturnreturn sb’s gaze/stare She kept her eyes fixed on the floor, refusing to return his gaze.keepeyefixrefusereturn sb’s smile Mark returned her smile.returnreturn sb’s love/feelings (=love someone who loves you) Sadly, she could never return his love.canreturn the favour (=help someone who helped you) Thanks a lot. I hope I'll be able to return the favour.thankreturn fire (=shoot back at someone) One plane opened fire on the American aircraft, which immediately returned fire.openreturnTHESAURUSreturn to go back or come back to a place where you were before. Return sounds more formal than go back or come back, and is more commonly used in written English: She returned to the hotel hoping to find a message.returnhope | Alastair returned from the office late that night.return | On Friday, I returned home around six o'clock.returngo back to go to the place where you were before, or to the place where you usually live: It’s cold out here – shall we go back inside? | When are you going back to Japan?begogo home to go to your home again, or to the country where you were born, after you have been away from it: I did a bit of shopping and then went home.dobiteshopgo | Are you going home to Hong Kong when the course finishes?begofinishcome back to come to the place where you are again, after going away from it: I’ll be away for two days – coming back on Thursday night.daycome | He’s just come back from a vacation in Miami.get back to arrive somewhere where you were before, especially your home or the place where you are staying: We got back at about 9 o'clock.get | She couldn’t wait to get back to London.turn back to turn around and go back in the direction you came from: We took the wrong road and had to turn back.takehave | He ordered the soldiers to turn back and march south.ordersoldierreturn to something phrasal verb1to change back to a previous state or situation, or to change something back: David waited for a moment to let his breathing return to normal.waitbreathereturn something to somethingThe new chairman made the cuts necessary to return the company to profitability.makecut2to start doing an activity, job etc that you were doing before you stopped or were interrupted SYN go back: Nicholas looked up, grinned, then returned to his newspaper.lookgrinreturnThe children return to school next week.childEllie needed to return to work soon after the birth.need3formal to start discussing or dealing with a subject that you have already mentioned: I will return to this problem in a moment.
returnnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Word sets 1 2 3 4Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesreturnreturnsreturnreturn2 S2 W2 noun
1coming back [singular]RETURN the act of returning from somewhere, or your arrival back in a place: We’re all looking forward to your return!lookreturn fromI need to know the date of her return from Europe.return toMalcolm decided to delay his return to York.decideon/upon sb’s returnOn his return from Canada, he joined the army.join2giving back [singular]GIVE the act of giving, putting, or sending something backreturn ofA mother is appealing for the safe return of her baby son.beappealPolice have arranged for the return of the stolen goods.arrangestealgood3changing back [singular]START TO HAPPEN, EXIST ETC a change back to a previous state or situationreturn toThe United States called for a return to democracy.unitestatecalla return to normal4starting again [singular]CONTINUE/START AGAIN when someone starts an activity again after they had stoppedreturn toRose’s return to the teaching professionriseteachJean is well enough now to consider her return to work.be5profit [uncountable and countable] the amount of profit that you get from something: The markets are showing extremely poor returns.marketbeshowreturnreturn onHow can you get the best return on your investment?wellreturn fromThe returns from farming are declining.returnfarmbedeclineThe average rates of return were 15%.ratebe6in return (for something)EXCHANGE as payment or reward for something: He is always helping people without expecting anything in return.behelpexpectWe offer an excellent all-round education to our students. In return, we expect students to work hard.studentstudentLiz agreed to look after the baby in return for a free room.agree7feeling/situation [singular] when a feeling, situation etc starts to exist or happen againreturn ofShe felt a return of her old anxiety.feelDavid had noticed the return of worrying symptoms in the last few days.havenoticeworrysymptomday8computer [uncountable] the key that you press on a computer at the end of an instruction or to move to a new line SYN enter: Key in the file name and press return.9statement [countable]ANSWER/REPLY a statement giving written information in reply to official questions: an analysis of the 1851 census returnsreturn → tax return10vote [countable] technical a vote in an election: What are the returns from last night’s voting?bereturnvote11by return (of post) British English if you reply to a letter by return, you send your reply almost immediately12ticket [countable] British EnglishRETURN a ticket for a journey from one place to another and back again OPP single SYN round trip American English → day return, → the point of no return at point1(10)THESAURUSprofit money that you gain by selling things or doing business, after your costs have been paid: Our profits are down this year.profitbe | The big oil companies have made enormous profits following the rise in oil prices.companymakeprofitfollowpriceearnings the profit that a company makes: The company said it expected fourth-quarter earnings to be lower than last year’s results.sayexpectlowresult | Pre-tax earnings have grown from $6.3 million to $9.4 million.growreturn the profit that you get from an investment: You should get a good return on your investment.shall | We didn’t get much of a return on our money. | They’re promising high returns on investments of over $100,000.promisereturninvestmentturnover the amount of business done during a particular period: The illicit drugs industry has an annual turnover of some £200 bn.drughavetakings the money that a business, shop etc gets from selling its goods in a day, week, month etc: He counted the night’s takings.count | This week’s takings are up on last week’s.beinterest money paid to you by a bank or other financial institution when you keep money in an account there: They are offering a high rate of interest on deposits of over £3000.beofferdeposit | The money is still earning interest in your account.beearndividend a part of a company’s profit that is divided among the people who have shares in the company: Shareholders will receive a dividend of 10p for each share.shareholder | The company said it will pay shareholders a final dividend of 700 cents a share.sayshareholdercent
returnadjectiveCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5Word sets 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesreturnreturnreturn3 adjective [only before noun] RETURNused or paid for a journey from one place to another and back again → single SYN round trip American English: a return ticketa return fare
noun [uncountable]
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: wæter 1liquidWATER the clear liquid without colour, smell, or taste that falls as rain and that is used for drinking, washing etc:
There’s water all over the bathroom floor.Does anyone want a drink of water?doa glass of sparkling mineral watersparkleAll rooms have hot and cold running water.roomrunPour boiling water over the rice and let it soak.boila fresh water springWhen dealing with a burst pipe, always turn off the water first.dealcontamination of the local water supply2area of water a)WATERan area of water such as the sea, a lake etcshallow/deep waterRangoon is surrounded on three sides by water.besurroundsideDenzil dived into the water.diveHe stepped down to the water’s edge.stepby water (=by boat)The temple can only be reached by water.reach b)WATERthe surface of a lake, river etc → underwateron the watersomething floating on the waterfloat3waters [plural] a large area of water, especially an ocean that is near or belongs to a particular country: the coastal waters of AlaskawaterKorean/Mexican/Pacific etc watersThe ship drifted into Turkish territorial waters.driftwatera species found in inland waters (=not the sea, but rivers, lakes etc)findwater4high/low water the highest or lowest level of the sea and some rivers SYN tide5uncharted/troubled/murky waters formal a situation that is difficult, dangerous, or unfamiliar: the uncharted waters of the 21st centurywater6be (all) water under the bridge informalFORGET used to say that what happened in the past should be forgotten7like water if you use something or spend money like water, you use or spend large amounts of it when you should try to save it – used to show disapproval: Some of the companies were spending money like water.companybespend8like water off a duck’s back informal if criticism, warnings etc are like water off a duck’s back, they have no effect on the person you are saying them to9sb’s waters break when a pregnant woman’s waters break, liquid comes from her body just before her baby is born10water on the brain/knee old-fashioned informal liquid around the brain or knee as the result of a disease11take the waters old-fashioned to wash yourself in or drink special water that is thought to make you healthy12make/pass water formal to urinate → soda water, toilet water, → in deep water at deep1(15), → take to something like a duck to water at duck1(4), → of the first water at first1(18), → (be/feel) like a fish out of water at fish1(3), → not hold water at hold1(37), → in hot water at hot1(10), → muddy the waters at muddy2(2), → pour cold water over/on something at pour(6), → still waters run deep at still2(5), → test the water at test2(7), → tread water at tread1(5), → troubled waters at troubled(3)COLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + water drinking water (=water that you can drink safely) There is no source of drinking water on the island.bedrinktap water (=water that comes out of a tap) The tap water is not safe to drink.bebottled water (=water to drink that you buy in bottles) Sales of bottled water have rocketed.salebottlerocketmineral water (=water that has natural substances in it, and is sold in bottles) The mineral water comes from the Scottish mountain.comespring water (=water that comes naturally out of the ground and has not been treated with any chemicals, usually sold in bottles) I ordered a glass of spring water.orderrunning water (=water that comes out of a system of pipes into buildings) Only half the city’s houses had running water.househaverunfresh water (=water in lakes, rivers etc that does not contain salt) This bird is usually found in open country near fresh water.befindsalt water (=water from the sea, or water to which salt has been added) He washed his hands in a pool of salt water.washhandhard (=containing a lot of calcium) Hard water is formed as rainwater passes down through layers of limestone.beformpasslayersoft (=not containing much calcium) In our area the water is quite soft.behot There isn't any hot water!cold The water in the pool was pretty cold.belukewarm (=only slightly warm) Stir the yeast into lukewarm water.clean Millions of people do not have access to clean drinking water.drinkdirty Diseases can be spread by dirty water.diseasecontaminated (=water that has harmful substances in it) They became ill from drinking contaminated water.becomedrinkcontaminatesoapy Wash your hands with hot soapy water.handwater + NOUNthe water supply (=water and the lakes, reservoirs etc where it is stored ) A dam was built to improve the water supply.bebuilda water shortage There is a severe water shortage in many parts of the country.bepartphrasesa glass of water She poured herself a glass of water.poura drink of water He asked for a drink of water.askverbsturn the water off/on (=turn a tap to stop water coming out of pipes or to let it come out) Turn the water off while you're brushing your teeth.brushtoothwater runs I let the cool water run down my back.water flows We watched the water flow under the bridge.watch
waterverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Word sets 1 2 3Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleswaterwaterswateredwateringwaterwater2 verb
Word familyVerb form1plant/land [transitive]WATER if you water plants or the ground they are growing in, you pour water on them: Will you water my houseplants while I’m away?houseplantThe garden needs watering daily.needwater2your eyes waterCRY if your eyes water, tears come out of them: Chopping onions makes my eyes water.choponionmakeeye → mouth-watering, → make your mouth water at mouth1(11)3animal [transitive] to give an animal water to drink: Have the horses been fed and watered?horsebefeedwater4river [transitive usually passive] technicalWATER if an area is watered by a river, the river flows through it and provides it with water: Colombia is watered by several rivers.bewaterriver5weaken [transitive] (also water down)WATER to add water to a drink to make it less strongwater something ↔ down phrasal verb1REDUCEto make a statement, report etc less forceful by changing it or removing parts that may offend people – used to show disapproval: The report of the investigation had been watered down.havebewater → watered-down2WATERto add water to a drink to make it less strong SYN dilute
nounWord family [uncountable and countable] an amount of money that you must pay to the government according to your income, property, goods etc and that is used to pay for public servicestax ona tax on fuelHe already pays 40% tax on his income.paybefore/after taxprofits before tax of £85.9 mprofit → capital gains tax, → corporation tax at corporation(1), → council tax, income tax, sales tax, stealth tax, VAT, PAYECOLLOCATIONSverbspay tax Many people feel they are paying too much tax.bepayraise/increase taxes (also put up taxes British English) He claimed the Labour Party would put up taxes.claimwilltaxlower/cut/reduce taxes There’s no point promising to cut taxes if you can’t afford it.promisetaxADJECTIVES/NOUN + taxhigh Higher taxes will slow down consumer spending.hightaxspendlow Republican voters say they want lower taxes and sensible spending cuts.voterlowtaxspendcutincome tax (=tax paid on money that you earn) The rich should pay more income tax.shallsales tax (=a tax on things you buy) We have to pay 15% sales tax on everything we buy.saleinheritance tax (=tax paid on money, property etc that you receive from someone when they die) Inheritance tax applies to the total value of the deceased’s assets.applyasseta direct tax (=a tax on income) The government’s revenue comes mainly from direct taxes.cometaxan indirect tax (=a tax on things you buy) The effect of indirect taxes is to raise the prices of goods.taxbepricegooda flat (rate) tax (=a tax that is the same for different people or things) Corporate taxes are to be abolished and replaced by a flat rate tax.taxbeabolishreplacetax + NOUNthe tax rate/the rate of tax The government reduced the basic rate of tax to 25p in the pound.reducetax cuts He believes that big tax cuts will encourage economic growth.believecuttax increases He accused the president of planning the biggest tax increases in U.S. history.accuseplanbigincreasetax incentives (=lower taxes that encourage people to do something) We have introduced new tax incentives for savings.introduceincentivesavinga tax allowance (=an amount you can earn without paying tax on it) Cutting personal tax allowances penalizes the poor.cutallowancepenalizethe tax burden (=the amount of tax paid) The total tax burden has risen only slightly.haveriseTHESAURUStax money that you must pay to the government, especially from the money you earn, or as an additional payment when you buy something: How much income tax do you pay each month? | The Republicans promised to reduce taxes before the last election.republicanpromisetax | Consumers are angry that the tax on petrol has gone up yet again.consumerbehavegoduty a tax you pay on something you buy: The budget also sharply raised the duty on alcohol and tobacco.raise | customs duty (=tax you pay on goods you buy and bring into the country)customtariff a tax on goods coming into a country or going out of a country, especially to protect a country’s industry from cheap goods from other countries: the import tariffs on hi-tech equipmenttariff | The government’s tariff and trade policies came under fierce attack.policycomelevy an extra amount of money that you have to pay the government, usually as a tax, often in order to encourage people not to use or do something: A new levy on fuel inefficient vehicles has been proposed.vehiclehavebeproposesurcharge an amount of money that you have to pay in addition to the agreed or stated price of something: British Airways will increase its fuel surcharge on all airline tickets from June 3.airwayticket | When you get cash at some machines, you have to pay an ATM surcharge.machine
taxverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplestaxtaxestaxedtaxingtaxtax2 verb [transitive]Word familyDate: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: taxer ‘to make a judgment about, tax’, from Latin taxare ‘to feel, make a judgment about, blame’, from tangere; → TANGIBLE Verb form1to charge a tax on somethingtax something at 10%/a higher rate etc
They may be taxed at a higher rate.taxhightax somebody on somethingThe individual is taxed on the amount of dividend received.betaxreceiveCigarettes are heavily taxed in Britain.cigarettebetax2British English to pay the sum of money charged each year for using a vehicle on British roads → car tax, road tax3USE STHto make someone have to work hard or make an efforttax sb’s patience/strength etcThe kids are really taxing my patience today.kidbetaxIt shouldn’t tax your brain too much. → taxingtax somebody with something phrasal verb formal BLAMEto complain to someone they have done something wrong
noun [countable]
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: steorra 1in the sky a large ball of burning gas in space that can be seen at night as a point of light in the sky → constellation, galaxy, supernova:
I lay on my back and looked up at the stars.lielookstarThe sky was filled with stars.befillstarThe stars were shining.starbeshineThe stars were all out (=they were shining).starbeThe stars were twinkling overhead (=shining and quickly changing from bright to faint).starbetwinkleunder the stars (=outdoors at night)sitting around a campfire under the starssitstar → falling star, morning star, shooting star2famous performer/player a famous and successful actor, musician, or sports player: By the age of 20, she was already a big star (=a very famous and successful performer).bea pop/movie/TV/football etc starHe is a rising star (=someone who is becoming famous and successful) in the music world.beriseShe’s a good actress but she lacks star quality (=a special quality that could make someone a star).lack3main person in a film/play etc the person who has the main part, or one of them, in a film, play, show etcstar ofRay Grimes, the star of the television series ‘Brother John’grime4best/most successful person a)the person who gives the best performance in a film, play, show etc: Laporte, as Ebenezer Scrooge, is undoubtedly the star of the show.beShamu, the killer whale, is the show’s star attraction (=best and most popular person or thing).be b)SUCCESSFULthe best or most successful person in a group of players, workers, students etcstar player/performer/salesman etcthe team’s star playerthe school’s star pupilthe star columnist of ‘The Sunday Times’time5shape a)a shape with four or more points, which represents the way a star looks in the sky b)a mark in the shape of a star, used to draw attention to something written SYN asterisk: I put a star next to the items that we still need to buy.item c)a piece of cloth or metal in the shape of a star, worn to show someone’s rank or position – used especially on military uniforms: a four-star general6hotels/restaurants a mark used in a system for judging the quality of hotels and restaurantsthree-star/four-star/five-star etca two-star hotel7the stars British English informal a description, usually printed in newspapers and magazines, of what will happen to you in the future, based on the position of the stars and planets at the time of your birth SYN horoscopesb’s starsI never read my stars.star → star sign8something is written in the stars used to say that what happens to a person is controlled by fate (=a power that is believed to influence what happens in people’s lives): Their marriage was surely written in the stars.bewritestar9see starsUNCONSCIOUS to see flashes of light, especially because you have been hit on the head: I felt a little dizzy and could see stars.feelcanstar10have stars in your eyesEXCITED to imagine that something you want to do is much more exciting or attractive than it really is → starry-eyed11you’re a star!/what a star! British English spoken said when you are very grateful or pleased because of what someone has done: Thanks, Mel. You’re a real star!thank → guiding star at guiding(2), → born under a lucky/unlucky star at born2(7), → reach for the stars at reach1(11), → thank your lucky stars at thank(3)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 1verbsa star shines I looked up and saw hundreds of stars shining in the sky.lookseehundredstarshinea star twinkles (=shines with an unsteady light) Stars began to twinkle in the darkening night sky.starbegindarkenstars appear/come out (=appear in the sky) We arrived home just as the stars were coming out.arrivestarbecomethe stars are out (=they are shining) There was a full moon, and the stars were out.bestarbelook up at the stars I had spent a lot of time looking up at the stars as a kid.havespendlookstarsleep under the stars (=in a place with no roof) In the desert, they slept out under the stars.sleepstaradjectivesbright the brightest star in the night skybrightfaint The star is faint but visible.bea distant star (=very far away) He stared up towards the distant stars.starestarphrasesa cluster of stars (=a small group of stars close together in the sky) He fixed his telescope on a tiny little cluster of stars in the constellation of Taurus.fixstarCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2ADJECTIVES/NOUN + stara big star (=a very famous and successful star) He has worked with some of the world’s biggest stars.haveworkbigstara movie/Hollywood star (also a film star especially British English) He looked like a movie star.looka pop/rock star Who’s your favourite pop star?a TV star Most TV stars do quite a lot of charity work.stara soap star (=a star in a television soap opera) She was known as a soap star before she took up singing.beknowtakesinga sports/football/basketball etc star Sam was a football star in college.bean international star (=a star who is famous in many countries) His performance in 'The Titanic' made him an international star.makea rising star (=someone who is becoming famous and successful) She is very much the rising star of Black American fiction.berisea child star (=a child who is a famous performer) The production team say they have been careful to look after all their child stars.bestarstar + NOUNstar quality (=a special quality that could make someone a star) She radiates genuine star quality.radiatestar treatment (=special treatment that a star gets) Winners get star treatment from the media.winnermediuma star vehicle (=a film or television programme that is intended to show the abilities of one particular star) He denied that the movie was just a star vehicle for Tom Hanks.denybehankphrasesa star of stage and screen (=a star who has been in plays and films) Now this much-loved star of stage and screen has been made a Dame.lovehavebemakeTHESAURUSMeaning 1in the skystar a large ball of burning gas in space, which can be seen at night as a point of light in the sky: The dark night sky was clear and full of stars.bestarplanet one of the large objects that goes around the sun, for example the Earth, Saturn, Mercury, or Mars: The planet Uranus was discovered in 1781.bediscoversun the star that gives us light and heat, around which the planets move. There are also many millions of other suns in the universe: The sun came out from behind a cloud.come | a dying sundiemoon the round object that moves around the Earth every 28 days, or a similar object that goes around another planet: The moon rose in the night sky.rise | Titan is one of the moons of Saturn.bemoonasteroid a mass of rock that moves around the sun. Most asteroids are found between Jupiter and Mars: the asteroid beltpulsar a type of star that is far away in space and produces radiation and radio wavesquasar an object like a star that is far away in space and shines extremely brightlysupernova a very large exploding starconstellation a group of stars that forms a particular pattern and has a name: The constellation of Orion is one of the most easily recognizable patterns of stars in the night sky.bepatternstargalaxy one of the large groups of stars that make up the universe: Astronomers have detected a galaxy 11 billion light years away.astronomerdetectyearthe universe all space, including all the stars and planets: How many planets in the universe have life?planetTHESAURUSMeaning 2a famous personstar a famous and successful actor, musician, or sports person: She dreamed of becoming a movie star.dreambecome | a talent show to find the stars of the futurestarcelebrity someone who often appears in newspapers, on television etc and is well-known to the public. Celebrities are often famous for being famous, not because they have any great talent: The magazine is full of gossip about celebrities.becelebrityname a famous person whose name is known by many people – used especially in the following expressions: All the big names in football were at the awards dinner.namebeaward | Giorgio Armani is one of the most famous names in fashion.bename | He is yet to become a household name (=someone who everyone has heard of).bepersonality an entertainer or sports player who is famous and often appears in the newspapers, on television etc. – used especially in the following phrases: Many advertisers use TV personalities to promote their products.advertiserpersonalityproduct | He was chosen as sports personality of the year.bechoosesporta very famous personsuperstar an extremely famous performer, especially a musician or film actor: The film made Tom Cruise an international superstar.makelegend someone who is famous and admired for being extremely good at doing something – used especially about people who are at the end of a long career or who have died: blues legend John Lee Hookerblue | Jane Fonda is the daughter of film legend Henry Fonda.begreat [usually plural] someone who was one of the best players or performers that there have ever been: He was one of the all-time soccer greats.begreat
starverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1Word sets 1 2Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesstarstarsstarredstarringstarstar2 verb (past tense and past participle starred, present participle starring)Verb form1[intransitive]ACTOR/ACTRESS if someone stars in a film, television show etc, they are one of the main characters in itstar inEastwood starred in ‘The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly’.starstar with/oppositeDeVito stars opposite Dreyfuss in the movie.starstar asHugh Grant stars as the romantic hero.star‘The Freshman’ was Brando’s first starring role (=the most important part in a film) in ten years.bestaryear2[transitive]ACTOR/ACTRESS if a film, television show, or play stars someone, that person is one of the main characters in it SYN feature: a film starring Meryl Streepstarstar somebody as ...The movie starred Orson Welles as Harry Lime.star3WRITE[transitive usually passive] to put an asterisk (=a star-shaped mark) next to something written: The starred items are available.staritembe
noun
Word familyDate: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: signe, from Latin signum ‘mark, sign, image, seal’ 1gives information [countable]SIGN/SYMBOL a piece of paper, metal, or wood with words or a picture that gives people information, warnings, or instructions:
a sign on the doorroad signssigna no smoking signsmokeDon’t ignore the fog warning signs.warnsign2shows something is true [countable]SIGN/INDICATION an event, fact etc that shows that something is happening or that something is true or exists SYN indicationsign ofA red morning sky is a sign of an impending storm.beimpendCrying is seen as a sign of weakness.crybeseeA paw print in the dust was a sign that a tiger was close.bebeThere are signs that the situation is improving.besignbeimproveThere were no signs of forced entry into the house.besignforce3movement or sound [countable]SIGN/GESTURE a movement, sound etc that you make in order to tell someone something: the thumbs-up sign (=a sign that you make with your hand to show that something is successful)thumbgive/make a signWait until I give the sign.sign thatBruce made a sign that he was ready to leave.makebesign (for somebody) to do somethingThree short blasts on the whistle was the sign to begin.blastbe4symbol [countable]SIGN/SYMBOL a mark or shape that has a particular meaning SYN symbol: the dollar signa minus sign5star sign [countable] (also star sign) a group of stars, representing one of 12 parts of the year, that some people believe influences your behaviour and your life: What sign are you?be6language [uncountable] a language that uses hand movements instead of spoken words, used by people who cannot hear SYN sign language7there is no sign of somebody/something used to say that someone or something is not in a place or cannot be found: I waited for two hours but there was still no sign of her.waithourbe8sign of life a)living/alivea movement that shows that someone is alive, or something that shows that there are people in a particular place: She listened intently for signs of life.listensign b)something that shows that a situation is becoming more active: Commercial property markets are now showing definite signs of life.marketbeshowsign9sign of the timesSIGN/INDICATION something that shows how people live now: It’s just a sign of the times that many children have mobile phones.timechildphone10the sign of the CrossSIGN/GESTURE the hand movement that some Christians make in the shape of a cross, to show respect for God or to protect themselves from evilCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2ADJECTIVES/NOUN + signa clear/obvious/unmistakable sign There are clear signs of a slowdown in economic growth.besigna sure sign (=a very clear sign) He was walking up and down, a sure sign that he was worried.bewalkbeworrya good/positive/encouraging/hopeful sign If she can move her legs, that’s a good sign.lega bad/ominous sign The jury was taking ages to make up its mind, which he felt was probably a bad sign.betakeagefeelbean outward/visible sign (=one that people can see clearly) Kim received the news without showing any visible sign of emotion.receiveshowa warning sign (=one that shows something bad might be happening) In this case, social workers missed the warning signs and failed to protect the children.workermisswarnsignfailchilda telltale/tell-tale sign (=signs that clearly show something bad) She would not look at me directly, a tell-tale sign that she was embarrassed.willbeembarrassthe first sign of something (=the first thing that shows something is happening, or something exists) They ran off at the first sign of trouble.runan early sign (=a sign near the beginning of something that shows that it is happening, or that it exists) an early sign of springverbsthere are signs There are now signs of an improvement in the economy.besignhave signs It had all the signs of a crime of passion.havesignshow signs of something Did she show any signs of distress?dosignbear signs of something (=have signs) The bed was neatly made and bore no signs of having been slept in.bemakebearsignhavebesleepsee/detect signs of something I could see some signs of improvement in her health.cansignTHESAURUSsign [countable] an event, fact etc that shows that something is happening or that something is true or exists: The curtains were still drawn and there was no sign of activity.curtainbedrawbe | A score of 80 or more is a sign that you are doing very well.bebedoindication [countable] a sign. Indication is more formal than sign: Recently there have been several indications of improving relations.beindicationimproverelation | There was no indication the killings were related to the drug trade.bekillingberelateevidence [uncountable] facts or signs that show clearly that something exists or is true, especially something that you are trying to prove: Scientists are hoping to find evidence that there was once life on Mars.scientistbehopebemar | There was not enough evidence to convict him of the murder.besymptom [countable] a sign that someone has an illness or that a serious problem exists: The first symptoms are tiredness and loss of weight.symptombe | Is this a symptom of the decay of Western civilization?beindicator [countable] a sign that shows you what is happening or what is true – used about a process, or about the state or level of something: There are a number of indicators of economic slowdown.benumbindicator | The tests are considered a good indicator of intelligence.testbeconsidersignal [countable] a sign that shows that you should do something, or that you have a particular attitude: Severe chest pain is a warning signal that cannot be ignored.bewarnignore | Legalizing drugs could send the wrong signal to young people.legalizedrugcanmark [countable] a sign, especially that you respect or honour someone: People stood in silence as a mark of respect.stand | It was a mark of her popularity that so many colleagues and friends attended the presentation.becolleaguefriendattend
signverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplessignsignssignedsigningsignsign2 S2 W2 verb
Word familyDate: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: signer, from Latin signare, from signum; → SIGN1 Verb form1name [intransitive and transitive]SIGN YOUR NAME to write your signature on something to show that you wrote it, agree with it, or were present:
Sign here, please.The artist had signed his name in the corner of the painting.havesignpaintYou forgot to sign the cheque.forgetOver a hundred people have signed the petition.signSerena signs her autograph every time she’s asked.signaska signed photo of Paul McCartneysign2sign an agreement/contract/treaty etcSIGN YOUR NAME to make a document, agreement etc official and legal by writing your signature on it: France has just signed a new trade deal with Japan.havesign3music/sport [intransitive and transitive] if a football team or music company signs someone, or if someone signs for them, that person signs a contract in which they agree to work for them: CBS Records had signed her back in 1988 on a three-album contract.recordhavesignsign for/to/withMiller worked in the shipyards before signing for Rangers.workshipyardsignrangerBefore long, they had signed with Virgin.havesign4sign on the dotted line informal to officially agree to something by signing a contract: Make sure the repairs are done before you sign on the dotted line.repairbedodot5sign a bill/legislation/agreement into law if someone in authority signs something into law, they make it part of the law by signing an official document6(all) signed and sealed (also (all) signed, sealed, and delivered)AGREE with all the necessary legal documents signed: It’ll all be signed and sealed by Friday, and you can move in then.signseal7use movements [intransitive]SIGN/GESTURE to try to tell someone something or ask them to do something by using signs and movements SYN signalsign to somebody to do somethingHe signed to the maid to leave the room.signsign for somebody to do somethingShe signed for us to go inside.sign8language [intransitive and transitive]SPEAK A LANGUAGE to use, or translate something into, sign language—signersignerssigner noun [countable]THESAURUSwrite to use a pen or pencil to make words, letters etc: Have you written a shopping list?writeshop | The children are learning to read and write.childbelearnwrite something down to write something on paper, in order to remember it or make a record: He wrote down everything she said.writesayput to write something in a particular place, or to write particular words: I’ve put the dates of the meetings in my diary.datemeeting | At the end of the email she put ‘PS I love you’.put something in writing to write something that you have agreed or promised, so that there is an official record: They said they would pay me 50%, but they haven’t actually put it in writing.saywillwritemake a note of something to write information that you might need later: I’ll just make a note of your address. | Make a note in your diary.take notes to write things while someone is speaking or while something is happening, so that you can use them later: His lawyer was with him taking notes.betakenotescrawl /skrɔːl $ skrɒːl/ to write something carelessly and untidily, especially in big letters – often used to show disapproval: Someone had scrawled graffiti on the school wall.havescrawl | He’d scrawled a few unhelpful comments at the bottom of my work.scrawlcommentfill something in/out to write information on a form or other official document: Please fill in the application form in black ink. | Would you mind filling out a questionnaire?willfillsign to write your name at the end of a letter, document etc: Read the contract carefully, and then sign it. | Don’t forget to sign your name.sign something ↔ away phrasal verb GIVEto sign a document that gives your property or legal rights to someone else: She had signed away all claims to the house.havesignclaimI felt as if I was signing away my life.feelbesignsign for something phrasal verb SIGN YOUR NAMEto sign a document to prove that you have received something: This is a registered letter – someone will have to sign for it.beregistersign in phrasal verb1SIGN YOUR NAMEto write your name on a form, in a book etc when you enter a place such as a hotel, office, or club: Remember to sign in at reception.2sign somebody ↔ inSIGN YOUR NAME to write someone else’s name in a book so that they are allowed to enter a club, an office etcsign off phrasal verb1informalGOODBYE to end a radio or television programme by saying goodbye2SIGN YOUR NAMEto write your final message at the end of an informal letter: It’s getting late, so I’ll sign off now. Love, John.get3sign somebody off British English if a doctor signs someone off, he or she gives them a note saying that they are ill and not able to work: For the last month, she has been signed off sick from work.havebesign4sign something ↔ off British English, sign off on something American English to show that you approve of a plan or that something is finished by signing an official document: Major repainting work now needs to be signed off by a qualified engineer.repaintneedsignqualifysign on phrasal verb1British English to state officially that you are unemployed by signing a form, so that you can get money from the government2SIGN YOUR NAMEto sign a document to show that you agree to work for someonesign on asHe signed on as a soldier in the US army.signsign on withI’ll probably have to sign on with a nursing agency.nursesign out phrasal verb1SIGN YOUR NAMEto write your name in a book when you leave a place such as a hotel, an office, or a club2sign something ↔ outBORROWSIGN YOUR NAME to write your name on a form or in a book to show that you have taken or borrowed something: Bernstein signed out a company car.sign3sign somebody ↔ out to write in a book that someone is allowed to leave somewhere such as a school, an office etc: Parents must sign pupils out when collecting them for doctor’s or dentist’s appointments.parentpupilcollectappointmentsign something ↔ over phrasal verb GIVEto sign an official document that gives your property or legal rights to someone elsesign something ↔ over toWhen he became ill, he signed his property in France over to his son.becomesignsign up phrasal verb1to put your name on a list for something because you want to take part in itsign up forI’m thinking of signing up for a yoga course.thinksignsign up to do somethingOver half the people who signed up to do engineering were women.signengineerbewoman2WORK FOR SBsign somebody ↔ up if someone is signed up by an organization, they sign a contract in which they agree to work for that organization: Several well-known researchers have been signed up for the project.knowresearcherbesign
noun
Word familyDate: 1200-1300Origin: Partly from Old French point ‘small hole or spot, point in time or space’, from Latin punctum, from pungere ( → PUNGENT); partly from Old French pointe ‘sharp end’, from Vulgar Latin puncta, from Latin pungere 1idea [countable]SUBJECT a single fact, idea, or opinion that is part of an argument or discussion:
That’s a very interesting point.interestShe made some extremely good points.makepointThere are three important points we must bear in mind.bepointThis brings me to my next point.bringpoint aboutI agree with John’s point about keeping the costs down.keepcost2main meaning/idea the pointMEANING the most important fact or idea: The point is, at least we’re all safely back home.belittleNobody knows exactly how it works. That’s the whole point.knowworkHe may not have stolen the money himself, but that’s not the point.stealI wish you’d get to the point (=talk about the most important thing).I’ll come straight to the point (=talk about the most important thing first).I need to find out who killed Alf, and more to the point (=what is more important) I need to do it before anyone else gets killed.killgetkillWe all like him, but that’s beside the point (=not the most important thing).I think you’ve missed the point (=you have not understood the most important thing).miss3purpose [uncountable]PURPOSE the purpose or aim of something: I suppose we could save one or two of the trees, but what’s the point?cantreepoint ofWhat’s the point of this meeting anyway?meetThe whole point of this legislation is to protect children.bechildThere’s no point in worrying.worryWe’re going to lose anyway, so I can’t see the point of playing.goplayI didn’t see the point in moving to London.move4place [countable]PLACE a particular place or position: The accident happened at the point where the A15 joins the M1.happenjoinNo cars are allowed beyond this point.carbeallowa border crossing pointcrossCairo is a convenient departure point for tours.betourDover is a point of entry into Britain.be5in time/development [countable]TIME/AT A PARTICULAR TIME an exact moment, time, or stage in the development of something: I had reached a point in my career where I needed to decide which way to go.havereachneedShe had got to the point where she felt that she could not take any more.havegetfeelcanTheir win over old rivals Manchester United was the high point (=best part) in their season.rivalunitebeSales reached a low point in 1996.salereachWe will take last week’s riots as a starting point for our discussion.riotstartAt one point, I thought he was going to burst into tears.thinkbegotearMaybe at this point we should move onto some of the practical experiments.shallexperimentAt that point, I was still living at home and had no job.belivehaveYou will probably sell the car at some point in the future.It is impossible to give a definite answer at this point in time.beSome children are bullied to the point of suicide (=until they reach this stage).childbebully6quality/feature [countable usually plural]CHARACTER OF STHCHARACTER/PERSONALITY a particular quality or feature that something or someone hassb’s/sth’s good/bad pointsSometimes she had to remind herself of his good points.havepointpoint ofThey would spend hours discussing the finer points (=small details about qualities and features) of various cars.willhourdiscussfinepointcarThe low price is one of its main selling points (=features that will help to sell it).besellpointDriving was not one of Baxter’s strong points.drivebepointOne of the club’s plus points is that it is central.pointbebeThere were some weak points in his argument.bepoint7games/sport [countable] one of the marks or numbers that shows your score in a game or sport: He is three points behind the leader.bepointLeeds United are now six points clear at the top of the table.unitebepointShe had to win this point.haveYou get three points for a win and one point for a draw.pointYou lose a point if you do not complete the puzzle on time.The fight went the full fifteen rounds, and in the end the American won on points.goroundwinpoint8
sharp end [countable]END/POINT a sharp end of something: the sharp point of a spear9boiling point/freezing point/melting point etcLEVEL the temperature at which something boils, freezes, melts etc: Heat the water until it reaches boiling point.reachboil10the point of no returnCONTINUE/NOT STOP a stage in a process or activity when it becomes impossible to stop it or do something differentreach/pass the point of no returnI was aware that we had passed the point of no return.behavepass11point of departure an idea which you use to start a discussion: He takes the idea of personal freedom as his point of departure.take12be on the point of (doing) somethingSOON to be going to do something very soon: I was on the point of giving up the search when something caught my eye in the bushes.begivecatchbushThe country’s economy is on the point of collapse.be13up to a pointPARTLY partly, but not completely: I agree with you up to a point.That is true, but only up to a point.be14to the point dealing only with the important subject or idea, and not including any unnecessary discussions: Her comments were brief and to the point.commentbe15make a point of doing somethingDELIBERATELY to do something deliberately, even when it involves making a special effort: He made a point of spending Saturdays with his children.makespendchildI always make a point of being early.be16when/if it comes to the point British English used to talk about what happens when someone is in a difficult situation and has to make a difficult decision: I’m sure that if it came to the point, he would do what is expected of him.comewillbeexpect17in point of fact formal used when saying that something is true, although it may seem unlikely: We were assured that the prisoners were being well treated, when in point of fact they were living in terrible conditions.beassureprisonerbebetreatbelivecondition18not to put too fine a point on it especially British EnglishHONEST used when you are saying something in a very direct way: She’s lying, not to put too fine a point on it.lie19numbers [countable] a sign (.) used to separate a whole number from any decimals that follow it20measure on a scale [countable]MEASURE a mark or measure on a scale: The stock market has fallen by over 200 points in the last week.havefallpoint21small spot [countable]SMALL a very small spot of light or colour: The stars shone like points of light in the sky.starshinepoint22direction [countable]DIRECTION one of the marks on a compass that shows direction: Soldiers were advancing on us from all points of the compass.soldierbeadvancepoint23piece of land [countable] a long thin piece of land that stretches out into the sea: We sailed round the point into a small, sheltered bay.sailshelter24electricity [countable] British English a piece of plastic with holes in it which is attached to a wall and to which electrical equipment can be connected: a telephone pointan electrical point25railways points [plural] British English a piece of railway track that can be moved to allow a train to cross over from one track to another: The train rattled over the points.rattlepoint → pointeCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1adjectivesa good point I think that’s a very good point.an interesting point He has made an interesting point.havemakeinterestan important point That’s an important point to bear in mind.a serious point He’s making a joke but there is a serious point there as well.makebea valid point She raised a number of valid points.raisenumbpointa general point I’d like to make one further general point.fara similar point Kevin Phillips made a similar point in his 1993 book, ‘Boiling Point’.makeboilthe main point Finally, I will summarise the main points of this chapter.pointone final/last point There is one final point I would like to make.bewillverbsmake a point He makes the point that predicting behaviour is not easy.makepredictbeput/get your point across (=make people understand it) I think we got our point across.getraise a point (=mention it) I was going to raise that point.begoillustrate/demonstrate a point A simple example will illustrate the point.prove your/a point (=prove that what you say is right) He was determined to prove his point.bedetermineunderstand a point I’m sorry, I don’t understand your point.see/take/get sb’s point (=understand or agree with it) OK, I take your point. But it’s not that easy.have a point (=have made a good point) Maybe she has a point.havelabour the point British English, belabor the point American English (=keep saying something) I don’t wish to labour the point, but why didn’t you just tell me?clarify a point (=make it clearer) Could you clarify a couple of points for me?canpointphrasespoint taken (=used to say to someone that you accept what they say) All right, point taken – I should have asked you first.takeshallaskthe finer points of something (=the small details) I’m afraid I don’t understand the finer points of the game.finepointCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2phrasesthe point is (that) ... The point is that going by bus would be a lot cheaper.begowillcheapthat’s the (whole) point That’s the point. She didn’t tell us what was going on.begothat's not the point We'd earn a lot of money, but that's not the point.be beside the point (=be not the most important thing to consider) He's the best person for the job so his age is beside the point.wellbemore to the point (=what is more important) When did she leave, and, more to the point, why?doverbsget/come (straight) to the point (=talk about the most important thing immediately) I haven't got much time so let's get straight to the point.getget the point (=understand it) He didn’t get the point at first.miss the point (=not understand it) I don't know why but Mel always seems to miss the point.seemCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 5verbsreach a point Some couples reach a point where divorce is the only solution.couplebeget to a point You get to the point where ordinary things like climbing stairs are difficult.thingclimbstairbemark a high/low/turning etc point (=be or happen at a particular time in the development of something) The day of the accident marked a turning point in Kenny’s life.markturnADJECTIVES/NOUN + pointa high point Winning the World Championship was the high point of my career.winbea low point She helped me when I was at a low point in my life.helpbea starting point The following recipes are a good starting point for making your own bread.followrecipebestartmakea turning point (=the time when an important change starts, especially an improvement) A turning point in the history of the republic came in 1358.turncomecrisis point (=the point at which a situation becomes extremely serious) The tensions within the country have reached crisis point.tensionreachbreaking point (=a time when someone or something can no longer deal with something) Our resources are stretched to breaking point.resourcebestretchbreakbursting point (=a time when something is completely full) The hospital was full to bursting point.beburstsaturation point (=a time when no more can be added to something) Is the market for computer games reaching saturation point?begamereachphrasesat one point (=at a time in the past) At one point I was thinking of studying physics.bethinkstudyat some point Over half the population suffers from back pain at some point in their lives.sufferliveat this/that point I’m not prepared at this point to make any decision.prepareat this/that point in time formal (=used especially in official speeches, announcements etc) It would be wrong to comment at this point in time.willto the point of something (=until a stage is reached or is near) British industry was driven to the point of collapse.bedrivethere comes a point when ... There comes a point where you have to accept defeat.comeCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 6adjectivesgood points Every system has its good points and its drawbacks.havepointdrawbackbad points What would you say are Natalie’s bad points?willbepointsb’s strong point (=something that they are good at) Mathematics was never my strong point.besb’s weak point (=something that they are not good at) Be honest about assessing your weak points.assesspointa plus point British English (=an advantage or good feature) The airline’s outstanding safety record is a major plus point.bea positive point Underfloor heating has a lot of positive points.heathavepointa negative point A few negative points should be mentioned.pointshallmentiona selling point (=a quality or feature that makes people want to buy something) The house's main selling point is its beautiful garden.sellbethe finer points of something (=small details about the qualities or features of something) I'm afraid I'm not interested in the finer points of cars.interestfinepointcarCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 7verbsscore a point (=especially in games such as football, baseball, cricket etc) The Kiwis scored 206 points in their three matches.kiwiscorepointmatchwin a point (=especially in games such as tennis, where the ball goes back and forth between competitors) I didn't win a single point in my first few games.gameget a point informal (=score a point) Our aim is to get as many points as possible.bepointlose a point If he’s got the answer wrong, he loses 250 points.getlosepointgive/award somebody a point I was awarded 17 points out of 20.beawardpointphraseswin/lose by 5/10 etc points We only lost by two points.losepointwin/lose on points (=win or lose a fight because of the judges’ decision) He was knocked down twice, before losing on points.beknocklosepointbe level on points BrE: The teams finished level on points.teamfinishpoint
pointverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplespointpointspointedpointingpointpoint2 S2 W2 verb
Word familyVerb form1show something with your finger [intransitive and transitive]POINT AT to show something to someone by holding up one of your fingers or a thin object towards it: ‘Look!’ she said and pointed.saypointpoint atI could see him pointing at me and telling the other guests what I had said.canpointtellguesthavesaypoint to/towardsShe was pointing to a small boat that was approaching the shore.bepointbeapproachpoint withThe driver pointed with his whip.pointShe pointed in the direction of the car park.pointHe stood up and pointed his finger at me.standpoint2aim something [transitive always + adverb/preposition]POINT AT to hold something so that it is aimed towards a person or thingpoint something at somebody/somethingHe stood up and pointed his gun at the prisoner.standpointShe produced a camera and pointed it at me.producepoint3face in one direction [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]SHOOT to face or be aimed in a particular direction: The arrow always points north.pointThere were flashlights all around us, pointing in all directions.beflashlightpointdirectionpoint atThere were TV cameras pointing at us.becamerapointpoint to/towardsThe hands of the clock pointed to a quarter past one.handpointWe found footprints pointing towards the back door.findfootprintpoint4show somebody where to go [transitive always + adverb/preposition]POINT AT to show someone which direction they should go in: She pointed me towards an armchair.pointCould you point me in the direction of the bathroom, please?can5suggest what somebody should do [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to suggest what someone should do: My teachers were all pointing me towards university.teacherbepointA financial adviser should be able to point you in the right direction.shall6suggest that something is true [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to suggest that something is true: Everything seemed to point in one direction.seempoint to/towardsAll the evidence pointed towards Blake as the murderer.pointEverything points to her having died from a drugs overdose.pointhavediedrug7walls/buildings [transitive] British English to put new cement between the bricks of a wall8point your toes to stretch the ends of your feet downwards9point the/a finger at somebodyBLAME to blame someone or say that they have done something wrong: I knew that they would point the finger at me.knowwillI don’t want to point a finger of blame at anyone.10point the way a)DIRECTIONto show the direction that something is inpoint the way to/towardsAn old-fashioned signpost pointed the way to the restaurant.fashionpoint b)SHOW/LET SB SEE STHto show how something could change or develop successfullypoint the way forward/forwardsThis report points the way forward for the water industry.pointpoint the way to/towardsa government paper which points the way towards reformpointpoint something ↔ out phrasal verb1EXPLAINto tell someone something that they did not already know or had not thought about: He was always very keen to point out my mistakes.bemistakeThe murder was obviously well planned, as the inspector had pointed out.beplanhavepointpoint out thatSome economists have pointed out that low inflation is not necessarily a good thing.economistpointbepoint something out to somebodyThank you for pointing this out to me.point2POINT ATto show something to someone by pointing at it: Luke pointed out two large birds by the water’s edge.pointbirdpoint somebody/something out to somebodyI’ll point him out to you if we see him.point to something phrasal verb MENTIONto mention something because you think it is important: Many politicians have pointed to the need for a written constitution.politicianpointwritepoint something ↔ up phrasal verb formal EMPHASIZEto make something seem more important or more noticeable: These cases point up the complete incompetence of some government departments.casedepartmentTHESAURUSlead to take a person or animal somewhere by going in front of them while they follow, or by pulling them gently: Rachel led Jo into the kitchen.lead | She was leading a horse, which seemed to have a bad leg.beleadseemtake to take someone somewhere with you when you have the transport, know the way, are paying etc: I took her to see a film.take | Matt’s taking me in his car.takeguide to take someone through or to a place you know, showing them the way: Ali guided us through the streets to his house on the edge of the town.guidestreetshow to take someone to a place such as a table in a restaurant or a hotel room and leave them there: A waitress showed us to our table.show | We were shown to our seats near the front of the theatre.beshowseatpoint to show someone which direction to go using your hand or a sign: The sign back there pointed this way.pointescort to take someone somewhere, protecting them, guarding them, or showing them the way: He was escorted from the court by police.beescort | The President’s car will be escorted by a military convoy.escortusher to show someone the way to a room or building nearby, usually as part of your job: His housekeeper ushered us into the living room.usherliveshepherd to carefully take someone somewhere – used especially about a group of people: The police shepherded thousands of people to safety in the cathedral.shepherddirect formal to tell someone where to go or how to get somewhere: He directed us to a cafe a few blocks away.directblock | Can you direct me to the station?
adverbWord family PROBABLYused to say that something is likely to happen, likely to be true etc: It will probably take about a week.This would probably be a good time to take a break.willIt’s probably the best movie I have ever seen.wellsee[sentence adverb]‘Are you going to be able to do this?’ ‘Yes, probably.’bego‘Is she going to send it back?’ ‘Probably not, no.’begovery/most probablyThe building will be replaced, most probably by a modern sports centre.buildreplacesportTHESAURUSprobably adverb used when saying that you think something is true or will happen, although it is not completely definite: He’s probably gone home.go | Rod is probably going to study law.bego | ‘Is she lying?’ ‘Probably.’belielikely adjective probably going to happen or probably true: The most likely result is a win for the Democrats.bedemocrat | The price of petrol is likely to rise again this year.be | It is likely that we’ll lose.beit looks as if/it looks like used when saying that the present situation makes you think that something will probably happen or is probably true: It looks like Greg has been delayed.lookhavebedelay | There aren’t any taxis, so it looks as if we’ll have to walk.taxilookmay/could/might well used when saying that you think something will probably happen or is probably true: He may well come back. | Take an umbrella. It might well rain later on.late | It may well be his last game.I would/should think spoken (also I would guess spoken) used when saying that you think something will probably happen or is probably true, although you are not sure: ‘Will the match still go ahead?' ’Yes, I would think so.’will | I should think she’s about 24 or 25.shall
noun [uncountable] (also researches [plural] formal)Word familyWord familyDate: 1500-1600Language: Old French
Origin: recerche, from recerchier ‘to find out about something thoroughly’, from cerchier; → SEARCH2 1STUDYserious study of a subject, in order to discover new facts or test new ideasresearch into/on
research into the causes of cancercauseGould was helped in his researches by local naturalists.behelpresearchnaturalist2STUDYthe activity of finding information about something that you are interested in or need to know about: It’s a good idea to do some research before you buy a house. → investigation → market researchCOLLOCATIONSverbsdo/carry out research (also conduct research formal) The research was carried out by a team of scientists at Edinburgh University.becarryscientist | Little research has been conducted into the subject.havebeconductundertake research formal (=start or do research) They are planning to undertake research into the genetic causes of the disease.beplancauseadjectivesscientific research Our conclusions are based on scientific research.conclusionbebasemedical research The charity raises money for medical research.raisehistorical research This is a fascinating piece of historical research.befascinatebasic research (=the most important or most necessary area of research) He wants to conduct basic research into the nature of human cells.wantcellextensive research (=research that examines a lot of information and details) Extensive research has proved the theory wrong.haveprovepainstaking research (=very careful and thorough research) She spent years carrying out painstaking historical research.spendyearcarrypioneering research (=research that produces completely new information) Watson did pioneering research on the long-term effects of dieting.dopioneereffectdietresearch + NOUNa research project/programme The research project will be funded by the Medical Research Council.fundresearch findings (=what is discovered by a piece of research) He will present his research findings at the conference.findingresearch work Doctor Fox received world-wide acclaim for her research work on breast cancer.receivea research team The professor will head a research team working on the effects of climatic change on agriculture.workeffecta research student He supervised many research students.supervisestudenta research grant (=money for doing research) Have you applied for a research grant?applyphrasesan area/field of research This is a very exciting area of research.beexcitea piece of research A recent piece of research shows why marriages break up.showmarriagea body of research (=results from several pieces of research) There is a large body of research which indicates that passive smoking causes cancer.beindicatesmokecauseCOMMON ERRORS ► Do not say 'make research'. Say do research or carry out research.THESAURUSresearch noun [uncountable] careful detailed work that is done in order to find out more about a subject, especially as a part of a scientific or academic project: Billions of dollars have been spent on research into the causes and treatment of cancer.dollarbespendcause | The University has for a long time been a leading centre for research in this field.havebeleadwork noun [uncountable] the studies that have been done on a particular subject: Faraday is famous for his work on electricity.be | A lot of work has been done on hydrogen-powered cars.havebedopowercar | Their work had an enormous influence on the study of genetics.havestudy noun [countable] a piece of work in which someone examines a particular subject in order to find out more about it, and writes about what they have found: The study showed that 25 percent of adults do not eat breakfast at all, compared with 14 percent in 1961.showadultcompare | Recent studies suggest that our sense of smell is closely linked with the part of the brain that deals with memory.studybelinkdealexperiment noun [countable] a scientific test in order to find out what happens when you do something: They carried out a series of experiments (=they did a series of experiments) in order to try to prove their theory.carryexperiment | Experiments have shown that there is an increased risk of some forms of cancer.experimentshowbeincreaseform
researchverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1Word sets 1Other dictionary examplesCorpus examplesresearchresearchesresearchedresearchingresearchre‧search2 AC /rɪˈsɜːtʃ $ -ɜːr-/ verb [intransitive and transitive]Word familyWord familyVerb form1STUDYto study a subject in detail, especially in order to discover new facts or test new ideas → investigate: He’s been researching material for a documentary.beresearchresearch intoTen years ago I began researching into the role of women in trade unions.yearbeginresearchwomanunionRegisterIn everyday English, people often use the expression do research rather than the verb to research:She’s been doing some research into the history of the area.bedo2STUDYto get all the necessary facts and information for something: This book has been very well researched.haveberesearch—researcherresearchersresearcher noun [countable]
adverb1MOST[used before an adjective or adverb to form the superlative] having the greatest amount of a particular quality OPP least: She’s one of the most experienced teachers in the district.experienceteacherThe most important thing is to stay calm.beA recent study showed that gardening is easily the most popular activity among the over 50s.showgardenbeWe shall find out which system works most effectively.workIt is the kind of tea most often served in Chinese restaurants.beserverestaurantGrammarUse the most when you are comparing one person or thing with all others: It was the most terrifying experience of my life.beterrifyIn spoken English, you can also use the most when you are talking about just two people or things: Which is the most enjoyable – tennis or squash?be However, some users of English think that this use is incorrect and use the more instead: Which is the more enjoyable – tennis or squash?be ► Do not use most before the -est form of an adjective or adverb: one of the hardest things to do (NOT one of the most hardest things to do)hardthinghardthing2MOSTto a greater degree or more times than anything else: What annoyed him most was the way she wouldn’t even listen.annoybeI guess the food I eat most is pasta.beMost of all, I just felt sad that it was over.feelbe3[+adjective/adverb] formalVERY very: Thank you for a most interesting evening.interestevenI was most surprised to hear of your engagement.besurprise4American English informalALMOST almost: He plays poker most every evening.playeven
mostdeterminerCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesmostmostmost2 S1 W1 determiner, pronoun [the superlative of ‘many’ and ‘much’]1MOSTnearly all of the people or things in a group, or nearly all of something SYN the majority: Like most people, I try to take a vacation every year.Most research in this field has been carried out by the Russians.havebecarrymost ofIt was Sunday and most of the shops were shut.beshopbeMost of what Hannah told me wasn’t true.tellSome were barefoot, most were in rags.beberagmost of the time/most days etc (=usually)Most of the time it’s very quiet here.Most evenings we just stay in and watch TV.evening2MOSTa larger amount or number than anyone or anything elsethe mostThe team that scores the most points wins.scorepointwinWhich class has the most children in it?havechildIt’s unfair that you should have to pay the most when you earn so little.shallThe animal that caused most trouble was a little black puppy.causebe3MOSTthe largest number or amount possible: The aim is to help patients to obtain most benefit from their treatment.bepatientthe mostThe most you can hope to achieve is just to get him to listen to your ideas.beidea4at (the) mostLIMIT used to say that you think an amount cannot be larger than the amount you are mentioning: It’ll take 20 minutes at the most.minuteThere were at most 50 people in the audience.beThe boy looked nine at the very most (=he was probably younger).look5for the most partIN GENERAL used to say that something is generally true but not completely true: For the most part, people seemed pretty friendly.seem6make the most of something/get the most out of somethingADVANTAGE to gain the greatest possible advantage from something: Charming and friendly, she will help you make the most of your visit.charmadvice on how to get the most out of your computerGrammarWhen you mean 'nearly all' use most, not the most: Most of the songs (NOT The most of the songs) they played were new.songsongplaybe ► If you are talking about a type of person or thing in general rather than a specific group, do not use 'of': Most people (NOT Most of people) think the law should be changed.shallchange
-mostsuffixOther dictionary examples-most-most-most /məʊst $ moʊst/
suffix [in adjectives] NEARnearest to something: the northernmost town in Sweden (=the town that is furthest to the north)the topmost branches of the treebranch
adjective
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: wid 1distance a)WIDEmeasuring a large distance from one side to the other SYN broad OPP narrow:
a wide tree-lined roadlinea hat with a wide brimwide smile/grinAs he ran toward me, his face broke into a wide grin.runbreak b)WIDEmeasuring a particular distance from one side to the other: How wide is the door?beThe boat was nearly as wide as the canal.befive metres/two miles etc wideThe river is more than fifty yards wide.beyard2variety [usually before noun]VARIOUS/OF DIFFERENT KINDS including or involving a large variety of different people, things, or situations: a man with a wide experience of foreign affairsaffairOur aim is to bring classical music to a wider audience.bewidea wide range/variety/choice etc (of something)This year’s festival includes a wide range of entertainers.includeentertainerholidays to a wide choice of destinationsholidaydestination3in many places [usually before noun]EVERYONEEVERYWHERE happening among many people or in many places: The radio and newspapers gave the trial wide coverage.newspapergive4a wide variation/difference/gap etcBIG a large and noticeable difference: the ever-wider gap between the richest and poorest countrieswiderichpoorcountry5the wider context/issues/picture etcDETAIL the more general features of a situation, rather than the specific details: We hope that by the end of the course students will be able to see their subject in a wider context.studentwide6eyes literaryOPEN wide eyes are fully open, especially when someone is very surprised, excited, or frightened: Her eyes grew wide in anticipation.eyegrow7give somebody/something a wide berthAVOID to avoid someone or something8not hit something not hitting something you were aiming atwide ofHis shot was just wide of the goal.shootbe9the (big) wide world especially spokenOUT/OUTSIDE places outside the small familiar place where you live: Soon you’ll leave school and go out into the big wide world.10nationwide/city-wide etcEVERYWHERE affecting all the people in a nation, city etc: a country-wide revolt against the government
wideadverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleswidewidewide2 W3 S3 adverbWord family1WAKE UP/GET UPwide open/awake/apart completely open, awake, or apart: Someone left the back door wide open.leaveAt 2 a.m. I was still wide awake.beSandy stood with his back to the fire, legs wide apart.standleg2OPENopening or spreading as much as possibleopen/spread (something) wideSpiro spread his arms wide in a welcoming gesture.armwelcomeLeonora’s eyes opened wide in horror.eyeopenThe windows had been opened wide and she could feel a slight breeze.windowhavebeopencan3WINwide open if a competition, election etc is wide open, it is possible for anyone to succeed: Most experts agree that the election is wide open at this point.expertbe4EXACTnot hitting something you were aiming at, and missing it by a large distance: His throw to first base went wide.go5wide of the mark a)not correct about something, by a large amount: The opinion polls were hopelessly wide of the mark.pollbe b)not hitting something you were aiming at, and missing it by a large distance: One of the bombs fell wide of the mark.bombfall → far and wide at far1(11)
noun
Date: 1100-1200Language: Old French
Origin: estat, from Latin status, from the past participle of stare ‘to stand’ 1condition [countable]CONDITION/STATE OF STH the physical or mental condition that someone or something is instate of
There are fears for the state of the country’s economy.befearin a bad/terrible etc stateWhen we bought the house, it was in a terrible state.buybesb’s mental/physical/emotional stateFrankly, I wouldn’t trust his emotional state right now.She was in an extremely confused state of mind.beconfusein no fit state to do something (=should not do something because you are not in a suitable condition)David’s in no fit state to drive.She can’t go home now. Look at the state of her!be in a good/bad state of repair (=be in good condition and not need repairing, or be in bad condition)The boat was in a good state of repair.beThe country was in a state of war (=officially fighting a war).beWater exists in three states: liquid, gaseous, and solid.existstate → state of emergency2government [singular, uncountable] (also the State) especially British EnglishPUBLIC/GOVERNMENT the government or political organization of a country: The state has allocated special funds for the emergency.haveallocatefundstate employees/property/regulations etc especially British English: limits on salary increases for state workerslimitincreaseworkerstate-owned/state-funded/state-subsidized etc (=owned, paid for etc by the government)a state-funded community housing projectfundhousematters/affairs of state (=the business of the government) → welfare state3country [countable]COUNTRY/NATION a country considered as a political organization: a NATO member state (=a country belonging to NATO)democratic/one-party/totalitarian etc state → police state4part of a country [countable] (also State British English)COUNTRY/NATION one of the areas with limited law-making powers that together make up a country controlled by a central government, such as the US and Australia → province, county, region: Queensland is one of the states of Australia.bestatethe state of Iowastate employees/property/regulations etcthe state governmentstate and federal taxestax5the States spoken a word meaning the US, used especially by someone when they are outside the US: Which part of the States would you suggest I visit?statewill6be in a state/get into a state British English spokenWORRIEDNERVOUS to be or become very nervous, anxious, or excited: Mum and Dad were in a right state when I got in.beget7official ceremony [uncountable]PUBLIC/GOVERNMENT the official ceremonies and events connected with government or rulers: the Queen’s first state visit here in 17 yearsyearmusic for state occasions (=special public events)occasion8state of affairs formalSITUATION a situationunsatisfactory/sad/sorry state etc of affairsI must say this is a very unsatisfactory state of affairs.beaffair9the state of play especially British English a)SITUATIONthe position reached in an activity or process that has not finished yet: What is the state of play in the current negotiations?benegotiation b)the score in a sports game10lie in state if the body of an important person who has just died lies in state, it is put in a public place so that people can go and show their respectCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1adjectivesa bad state (also a poor/sorry state) The report commented on the poor state of the roads.commentroada terrible state His apartment was in a terrible state.bea healthy state (=a good state) Student numbers at the college are in a healthy state.numberbesb’s mental/emotional state Whenever Ben stops his medication, his mental state deteriorates.stopdeterioratesb’s physical state Our emotions can have an effect on our physical state.emotionsth’s natural state There's a plan to return large areas of farmland to their natural state.areasth’s present/current state We can deduce how the planet evolved from its beginnings to its present state.evolvebeginninga constant/permanent/perpetual state of something They lived in a constant state of fear.livean advanced state of something The dead bird was in an advanced state of decay.beadvancephrasessb’s state of mind What was his state of mind at the time of the attack?besb’s state of health The doctor said my general state of health was good.saybesth’s state of repair/preservation School buildings should be kept in a good state of repair.buildingshallkeepa state of shock/confusion/panic etc Howard, still in a state of shock, stared at Newman.starea state of collapse (=the state of being very ill or weak) The economy was in a state of collapse.bea state of war Syria was still in a state of war with Israel.bethe present/current state of knowledge That is the best advice we can offer, given our current state of knowledge about the disease.bewellgiveCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 3ADJECTIVES/NOUN + statean independent state (also a sovereign state formal) Croatia became an independent state in 1991.becomea democratic state They wanted to transform the country into a modern democratic state.wanta totalitarian state (=where there is no democracy) Politicians get away with this sort of behaviour only in totalitarian states.politicianstatea one-party state Until recently, the country was a one-party state.bea communist/socialist state The former communist states began opening up their markets to foreign investment.statebeginopenmarketa fascist state Freedom of speech is not tolerated in a fascist state.betoleratea police state (=where the government strictly controls what people can say or do) Too many laws bring us frighteningly close to the creation of a police state.lawa member state (=a country that belongs to an organization of countries) The statement said that NATO would counter any attack against a member state.saywill
stateverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesstatestatesstatedstatingstatestate2 S3 W2 verb [transitive]Word familyVerb form1SAY/STATEto formally say or write a piece of information or your opinion: Please state your name and address.Rembert again stated his intention to resign from Parliament.stateThe government needs to clearly state its policy on UN intervention.needstate (that)The witness stated that he had not seen the woman before.statehaveseeFine, but aren’t you just stating the obvious here?state2SAY/STATEif a document, newspaper, ticket etc states information, it contains the information written clearly: The price of the tickets is stated on the back.ticketbestateTHESAURUSto say somethingsay to tell someone something, using words: ‘I really ought to go,’ she said.say | Lauren said she’d probably be late.saystate to say something, especially in a definite or formal way – used in official contexts: The witness stated that he had never seen the woman before.statehavesee | Please state your name and address.announce to publicly tell people about something: The chairman announced his resignation.announce | The results will be announced tomorrow.resultannounce | We will announce the winners next Sunday.winner | They were announcing the train times over the loudspeaker system.beannouncetimedeclare to say something very firmly: ‘My personal life is none of your business,’ she declared.bedeclaremention to talk about someone or something, especially without giving many details: Did Tom mention anything about what happened at school?dohappen | Your name was mentioned!bementionexpress to let someone know your feelings by putting them into words: Young children often find it difficult to express their emotions.childemotioncomment to say what your opinion is about someone or something: The prime minister was asked to comment on the crisis.beasknote/remark formal to say that you have noticed that something is true – used especially in formal writing: We have already noted that most old people live alone.note | Someone once remarked that the problem with computers is that they only give you answers.remarkcomputerbeansweradd to say something more, after what has already been said: He added that he thought it could be done fairly cheaply.addthinkcandopoint out to mention something that seems particularly important or relevant: Dr Graham points out that most children show some signs of abnormal behaviour.pointchildsign | It’s worth pointing out that few people actually die of this disease.pointair to talk about your opinions, worries, or the things you disagree about: air your views/grievances/differences: The programme will give listeners the chance to air their views about immigration.listenerview | Workers were able to air their grievances.workerbegrievancevoice to talk publicly about your feelings or about whether you approve or disapprove of something formal: voice concern/support/doubt/fears etc: The president has already voiced his support for the proposal.havevoice | She voiced concern for the safety of the hostages.voicehostage
verb (past tense and past participle sold /səʊld $ soʊld/)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: sellan Verb form1give something for money [intransitive and transitive]SELL to give something to someone in exchange for money OPP buy:
If you offer him another hundred, I think he’ll sell.He regrets selling all his old records.regretsellrecordsell something for £100/$50/30p etcToni’s selling her car for £700.sellsell somebody somethingI won’t sell you my shares!winsharesell something to somebodyThe vase was sold to a Dutch buyer.besellsell something at a profit/loss (=make or lose money on a sale)Tony had to sell the business at a loss.have2make something available [intransitive and transitive]SELL to offer something for people to buy: Do you sell cigarettes?cigarettea job selling advertising spaceselladvertisesell at/for £100/$50/30p etc (=be offered for sale at £100/$50/30p etc)Smoke alarms sell for as little as five pounds.alarmpound3make somebody want something [transitive]PERSUADE to make people want to buy something: Scandal sells newspapers.sellnewspapersell something to somebodyThe car’s new design will help sell it to consumers.consumer4be bought [intransitive and transitive]SELL to be bought by people: Tickets for the concert just aren’t selling.ticketsellHer last book sold millions of copies.sellcopyAll the new houses have been sold.housebesellsell well/badly (=be bought by a lot of people, or very few people)Anti-age creams always sell well.cream5sell like hot cakesSELL to sell quickly and in large amounts6idea/plan [intransitive and transitive]ACCEPT to try to make someone accept a new idea or plan, or to become accepted: It’s all right for Washington, but will it sell in small-town America?sell something to somebodyIt’s hard for any government to sell new taxes to the electorate.taxsell somebody somethingmanagers selling employees the new working hoursmanagersellemployeeworkhourbe sold on (doing) something (=think an idea or plan is very good)Joe’s completely sold on the concept.sell7sell yourself a)IMPRESSto make yourself seem impressive to other people: If you want a promotion, you’ve got to sell yourself better.getwell b)(also sell your body) to have sex with someone for money8sell somebody/something shortMODEST to not give someone or something the praise, attention, or reward that they deserve: Don’t sell yourself short – tell them about all your qualifications.qualification9sell your soul (to the devil)BAD BEHAVIOUR OR ACTIONS to agree to do something bad in exchange for money, power etc10sell somebody down the riverBETRAY to do something that harms a group of people who trusted you, in order to gain money or power for yourself11sell your vote American English to take money from someone who wants you to vote for a particular person or planTHESAURUSsell to give something to someone in exchange for money: He sold his motorcycle.sell | The shop sells old furniture.sell | Do you sell books on gardening?bookgardenexport to send goods to another country to be sold: Which countries export oil to the United States?countryunitestatedeal in something to buy and sell a particular type of goods as part of your business: He deals in antiques.dealantiqueput something up for sale/put something on the market to make something available to be bought: When the painting was first put up for sale, no one thought that it would be worth so much money.paintbethinkwill | The farm was put up for sale.besell up British English to sell your house or your business so that you can move to a different place or do something different: They’re thinking of selling up and moving to Canada.thinksellmoveauction something/sell something at auction to sell things at a special event to the person who offers the most money: The contents of his home will be auctioned.contentauctionflog British English informal to sell something, especially something that is of low quality: A man at the market was flogging £10 watches.beflogwatchpeddle to sell cheap things in the street. Also used about selling illegal drugs and pornography: Street vendors peddled American and British cigarettes.vendorpeddlecigarette | People who peddle drugs to children should be severely punished.drugchildshallpunishtraffic in something to buy and sell large quantities of illegal goods or people: They trafficked in illegal weapons.trafficweapon | The gang were involved in people-trafficking.beinvolvetraffic | drug-traffickingtrafficsell something ↔ off phrasal verb1SELLto sell something, especially for a cheap price, because you need the money or because you want to get rid of it: After the war, we had to sell off part of the farm.haveWe sell off leftover cakes before we close.cake2SELLto sell all or part of an industry or company: The Leicestershire company has sold off many of its smaller branches to cut debts.havesellsmallbranchdebtsell out phrasal verb1SELLif a shop sells out of something, it has no more of that particular thing left to sellbe/have sold outSorry, we’re sold out.sellsell out ofWe’ve completely sold out of those shirts in your size, sir.sellshirt2SELLif products, tickets for an event etc sell out, they are all sold and there are none left: Wow! Those cakes sold out fast.cakesellbe/have sold outTonight’s performance is completely sold out.besell3CHANGE/BECOME DIFFERENTto change your beliefs or principles, especially in order to get more money or some other advantage – used to show disapproval: ex-hippies who’ve sold out and become respectable businessmenhippysellbusinessman4SELLto sell your business or your share in a business: Wyman says he’ll sell out if business doesn’t pick up.saysell out toThe T-mail Co. has sold out to San José-based DMX Inc for an undisclosed sum.havesellbasesell up phrasal verb British English SELLto sell most of what you own, especially your house or your business: Liz decided to sell up and move abroad.decide
sellnounCollocations from other entriesPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriessellsellsell2 noun a hard/tough sell (also not an easy sell) something that it is difficult to persuade people to buy or accept: This tax increase is going to be a hard sell to voters.begovoter → hard sell, soft sell
verb [transitive]
Word familyDate: 1400-1500Language: Latin
Origin: producere, from ducere ‘to lead’ Verb form1causeCAUSE to cause a particular result or effect → product:
New drugs are producing remarkable results.drugbeproduceresulta rise in sea level produced by climatic changeproduceAs a policy, it did not produce the desired effect.dodesire2create/make to make, write etc something to be bought, used, or enjoyed by people → product, production: The factory produces an incredible 100 cars per hour.producecarHow did you manage to produce a meal so quickly?do → mass-produced3make naturallyCAUSEMAKE to grow something or make it naturally → product, production: This region produces the grapes used in champagne.producegrapeusePlants produce oxygen.plant4showSHOW/LET SB SEE STH if you produce an object, you bring it out or present it, so that people can see or consider it: When challenged, he produced a gun.challengeproduceThey were unable to produce any statistics to verify their claims.bestatisticclaim5play/film if someone produces a film or play, they find the money for it and control the way it is made → producer: Costner produced and directed the film.producedirect6baby to give birth to a baby or young animals: An adult cat may produce kittens three times a year.kittentimeTHESAURUSmake used about things you make yourself, or things that are made in a factory: Diane makes all her own clothes.makeclothe | My camera was made in China.bemakeproduce to make something in large quantities to be sold, or to make something as the result of a natural process: The factory produces high-quality steel.produce | Japan produces some of the most advanced mobile phones.produceadvancephone | The pancreas is a gland in your body which produces hormones.beproducehormonecreate to make something new and original: Tarantino created a whole new style of films.createfilm | Many companies invest a lot of money in creating new products.companycreateproduct | Potter was famous for creating characters such as ‘Peter Rabbit’.becreatecharacter | This technique is used to create images of beautiful forests.beuseimageforestmanufacture to make machines, cars, equipment etc in factories: The company manufactures aircraft parts.manufacturepartmass-produce to make very large quantities of something in a factory: They developed a way to mass-produce the drug.developdevelop to design and make something new over a period of time: In 1962, Enders developed an effective vaccine against measles.develop | The company is developing new anti-virus software.bedevelopform to make something as the result of a natural process or chemical reaction: Hydrogen and oxygen combine to form water. | The research will help us understand how planets are formed.planetbeformgenerate to make something such as heat, electricity, or power: Wind can be used to generate electricity.use
producenounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesproduceproducesproduceprod‧uce2 /ˈprɒdjuːs $ ˈproʊduːs/ noun [uncountable]Word family MAKEfood or other things that have been grown or produced on a farm to be soldagricultural/organic etc producefresh local producedairy produce British English (=milk, butter, cheese etc)COLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + produceorganic produce (=produced without artificial chemicals) There is increased demand for organic produce.beincreaseagricultural/farm produce The government bought surplus agricultural produce from farmers.buyfarmergarden produce She had filled a basket with her garden produce.havefilllocal produce Local produce is used wherever possible.beusefresh produce Wash all fresh produce before use.dairy produce British English (=milk, butter, cheese etc) Vitamin A can also be obtained from dairy produce and eggs.obtainegg
noun [countable]Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: modor 1MOTHERa female parent of a child or animal:
His mother and father are both doctors.bedoctormother of two/three etc (=mother of two/three etc children)Janet is a full-time teacher and a mother of two.bethe relationship between mother and childGoodnight, Mother.Mother said they’d met at university.saymeetIf food is scarce, the mother will feed the smaller, weaker chicks.besmallweakchickmother cat/bird/hen etc (=an animal that is a mother)2be (like) a mother to somebodyMOTHER to care for someone as if you were their mother: She’s like a mother to them. If they need anything she always helps out.help3like a mother henPROTECT if someone behaves like a mother hen, they try to protect their children too much and worry about them all the time4learn/be taught something at your mother’s kneeLEARN to learn something when you are a very young child: the prayers which he had been taught at his mother’s kneeprayerhavebeteach5the mother of something a)COME FROM/ORIGINATEthe origin or cause of something: Westminster is known as ‘the mother of parliaments’.beknowparliamentNecessity is the mother of invention (=people have good ideas when the situation makes it necessary).be b)informalBAD a very severe or extreme type of something, usually something bad: I woke up with the mother of all hangovers.wakehangover6spoken especially American EnglishBIG something very large and usually very good: a real mother of a car7American English taboo spokenINSULTDON'T LIKE motherfucker8Mother used to address the woman who is in charge of a conventTHESAURUSmother a female parent: My mother and father are both teachers.beteachermum British English informal, mom American English informal used when talking to your father, or about someone's father: My mum and dad won’t mind if you want to stay the night.win | Mom, where’s my sweater?mummy British English, mommy American English a name for mother, which is used especially by young children or when you are talking to young children: Where’s Mummy, Abbie?ma American English old-fashioned used when talking to your mother, or about someone's mother: Ma stirred the soup on the stove.stirstavemama old-fashioned used when talking to your mother, or about someone's mother: Mama seldom disagreed with Papa.disagreestepmother (also stepmum British English informal, stepmom American English informal) a woman who is married to your father, who is not your mother but often acts as your parent: the wicked stepmother in fairy storiesstory
motherverbCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesmothermothersmotheredmotheringmothermother2 verb [transitive]Word familyVerb form MOTHERto look after and protect someone as if you were their mother, especially by being too kind and doing everything for them: I don’t like being mothered!bemother
adjective
Word familyLanguage: Old English
1door/container etcOPEN not closed, so that things, people, air etc can go in and out or be put in and out OPP closed, shut: He threw the door open and ran down the stairs.throwrunstairan open windowThe gates swung silently open.gateswingThe bar door flew open and a noisy group burst in.flyAll the windows were wide open (=completely open).windowbeShe looked at the open suitcase with surprise.lookThere was an open bottle of wine on the table.be2eyes/mouthOPEN not closed, so that your eyelids or your lips are apart: I was so sleepy, I couldn’t keep my eyes open.beeyeHe was fast asleep with his mouth wide open.be3not enclosed [only before noun]SHOW/LET SB SEE STH not enclosed, or with no buildings, walls, trees etc: There was open ground at the end of the lane.begrindopen spaces such as parks and gardensspaceparkgardenopen countryside/countryAt weekends people want to leave the town for open countryside.weekendA shoal of fish swam past heading for the open sea (=part of the sea away from land).swimheadThe car’s performance is good, especially going fast on the open road (=a road without traffic where you can drive fast).bego4not coveredCOVER without a roof or cover: The president was riding with his wife in an open car.berideMartin was struggling with the sails on the open deck.bestrugglesailan open drainopen to the sky/air/elementsMany of the tombs had been robbed and left open to the sky.tombhaveberobleave5the open airOUT/OUTSIDE outdoorsin the open airThe dancing was outside, in the open air.dancebeJane wanted to rush to the door and get out into the open air.want → open-air6business/building etc [not before noun]READY ready for business and allowing customers, visitors etc to enter OPP closed, shut: The museum is open daily in the summer months.bemonthThe offices are also open at weekends.officebeweekendAfter the security alert, most of the firms affected were open for business on Monday morning.firmaffectbeThe villagers are anxious that their local school is kept open.villagerbebekeepI declare this exhibition open (=officially say that it is now open).7not restrictedFREE TO DO WHAT YOU WANT allowing everyone, or everyone in a group, to take part in something, know about something, or have a chance to win somethingopen toThe competition is open to all readers in the UK.bereaderIn many schools, governors’ meetings are not open to the public.schoolgovernormeetingbeThe discussion was then thrown open for the audience’s questions.bethrowquestionan open meetingmeetThe men’s race appears wide open (=anyone could win it).manappearThe painting would fetch several hundred dollars on the open market (=a market in which anyone can buy or sell).paintwilldollar8opportunity [not before noun]AVAILABLE if an opportunity, a possible action, a job etc is open to you, you have the chance to do it: The job is being kept open for her.bebekeepopen toThe 1960s was a period when greater opportunities were open to women.begreatopportunitybewomanSo what other options are open to us?optionbeThere is only one course of action open to the local authority.be9not secret [only before noun]HIDE/NOT SHOW actions, feelings, intentions etc that are open are not hidden or secret: Her father watched her with open admiration.watchopen hostility between the two nationsnationThe party was calling for more open government (=when the government makes information freely available).becallThe case will be tried in open court (=in a court where everything is public).tryIt is an open secret (=it is supposed to be secret, but most people know about it) that she is having an affair with another man.bebehave10honestHONEST honest and not wanting to hide any facts from other peopleopen withThe couple are quite open with each other about their feelings.befeelingopen aboutShe was quite open about her ambitions.beambitionhis friendly, open manner11clothesFASTEN/DO UP not fastened: the open neck of his shirtShe was wearing an open jacket.bewear12not yet decidedDECIDE needing more discussion or thought before a decision can be made: The matter remains an open question.remainopen toThe new rates of pay are open to negotiation.ratebeThe test results are open to interpretation.resultbekeep/leave your options openOfficers investigating her death are keeping their options open.officerinvestigatebekeepoption13open to something a)PROBABLYlikely to suffer from something or be affected by something: The magazine’s editor is open to criticism in allowing the article to be printed.beallowprintThe regulations are open to abuse by companies.regulationbecompanyHe has left himself open to accusations of dishonesty.haveleaveaccusation b)SUGGESTwilling to consider something new or to accept something new: Teachers need to be open to children’s ideas.teacherchildideaThe committee is open to suggestions.besuggestionThe owners of the building want to sell and are open to offers.ownerbuildbeoffer14not blocked if a road or line of communication is open, it is not blocked and can be used: We try to keep the mountain roads open all through the winter.road15spread apart spread apart instead of closed, curled over etc: At night the flowers were open.flowerbeJohnson raised an open hand.raiseHe was sitting in bed with a book lying open (=with its pages apart so it can be read) on his knees.besitlieknee16an open mindINDEPENDENT PERSON if you have an open mind, you deliberately do not make a decision or form a definite opinion about something: It’s important to keep an open mind as you study the topic.17be open to question/doubtNOT SURE if something is open to question, there are doubts about it: Whether the new situation is an improvement is open to question.bebe18welcome/greet somebody/something with open armsFRIENDLY to be very pleased to see someone or something: Mike will be welcomed back into the team with open arms.welcomearm19an open invitation a)VISITan invitation to visit someone whenever you like b)EASYsomething that makes it easier for criminals to steal, cheat etcan open invitation toThe lack of security measures provides an open invitation to crime.measureprovide20be an open bookKNOW STH to be something that you know and understand very well: The natural world was an open book to him.be21the door is open there is an opportunity for someone to do somethingthe door is open toSchoolgirls are being told that the door is open to them to pursue careers in science.schoolgirlbebetellbecareer22keep your eyes/ears openNOTICE to keep looking or listening so that you will notice anything that is important, dangerous etc23open weave/texture cloth with an open weave or texture has wide spaces between the threads → keep an eye open (for something) at eye1(14), → with your eyes open at eye1(19), → open-eyedTHESAURUSnot hiding the truth or the factshonest saying what you really think and not hiding the truth or the facts: I’m going to ask you something, and I want you to be honest with me.go | an honest answer | To be honest, I didn’t think his speech was very good.bestraight informal honest and saying what you really think: I can’t help you if you’re not straight with me. | I need a straight answer.open willing to talk about what you think, feel etc in an honest way, rather than trying to hide it: People have become more open about their feelings.feeling | She’s very easy to talk to because she’s so open.frank speaking honestly and directly about something, especially something that people find difficult to discuss: In his book, he’s brutally frank about his experience with his illness. | a frank discussion about sexdirect saying exactly what you think in an honest clear way, even when this might annoy or upset people: Not everyone liked his direct manner.like | She can be very direct.blunt speaking in a completely honest way, even if it upsets people, when it would be better to be more careful or polite: Sorry if I was a bit blunt with you.bebite | His hard tone and blunt words were hurtful.wordbe | She didn’t reply and I knew I had been too blunt.knowhavebeupfront [not before noun] informal talking and behaving in an honest way, even when it is difficult to do this, in a way that people respect: It’s best to be upfront about your financial problems.wellproblem | You have to be upfront with kids.kidoutspoken expressing your opinions publicly in a very direct way, which may offend or annoy some people: an outspoken critic of the government | He was known for his outspoken views on various controversies.beknowviewcontroversyforthright formal saying exactly what what you think, without being afraid of what other people will think: The opposition have not come up with a clear forthright statement of their policies.policy | At times, Helena was a little too forthright.timebecandid formal honest about the facts, or about your opinions and feelings, even if other people disapprove of them: He’d always been completely candid about his past.be | It was an unusually candid admission for a politician.be
openverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Word sets 1 2 3Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesopenopensopenedopeningopenopen2 S1 W1 verb
Word familyVerb form1door/window etc [intransitive and transitive]OPEN to move a door, window etc so that people, things, air etc can pass through, or to be moved in this way: Jack opened the window.openHe opened the drawer of the desk.openShe heard a door open and then close.hear2container/package [transitive]OPEN to unfasten or remove the lid, top, or cover of a container, package etc: Louise opened a bottle of wine.openHe opened the letter and began to read it.openbeginThe children were opening their presents.childbeopenpresentMark was about to open a beer when the doorbell rang.bering3eyesOPEN [intransitive and transitive] to raise your eyelids so that you can see, or to be raised in this way: Barry was awake long before he opened his eyes.beopeneyeCarrie smelled coffee and her eyes opened reluctantly.smelleyeopen4mouthOPEN [intransitive and transitive] to move your lips apart, or to be moved in this way: He opened his mouth but couldn’t think what to say.open5start operating [intransitive and transitive] (also open up)START STH/MAKE STH START if a place such as an office, shop, restaurant etc opens or is opened, it starts operating or providing a service: Sarah had recently opened an office in Genoa.haveopenFrench and Scandinavian offices are due to open in the autumn.officebeThe Forestry Commission has opened a plant centre selling rare plants.haveopensellplantThe centre has been a great success since it opened its doors a year ago.havebeopendoor6shop/restaurant etc [intransitive] (also open up)START DOING STH to start business, letting in customers or visitors, at a particular time: What time do the banks open?bankThe bakery opens early.open7start an activitySTART STH/MAKE STH START [transitive] to start an activity, event, or set of actions: The US attorney’s office has opened an investigation into the matter.haveopenAn inquest into the deaths will be opened next week.deathopen8computer [transitive] to make a document or computer program ready to use: Click on this icon to open the File Manager.9meeting/event [intransitive and transitive]START STH/MAKE STH START if a meeting etc opens or is opened in a particular way, it starts in that way: Hughes, opening the Conference, made a dramatic plea for peace.openmakeopen withThe concert opens with Beethoven’s Egmont Overture.open10official ceremony [transitive]START STH/MAKE STH START to perform a ceremony in which you officially state that a building is ready to be used: The new County Hall building was officially opened by the King.buildbeopen11spread/unfold [intransitive and transitive]OPEN to spread something out or unfold something, or to become spread out or unfolded: She opened her umbrella.openJohn opened his hand to show her he wasn’t holding anything.openholdThe flowers only open during bright weather.flowerI sat down and opened my book.sitopenShe opened the curtains (=pulled the two curtains apart).opencurtainDave opened his arms (=stretched his arms wide apart) to give her a hug.openarm12make a way through [transitive] to make it possible for cars, goods etc to pass through a place: They were clearing away snow to open the tunnel.beclearThe peace treaty promises an end to war and opens the borders between the two countries.promiseopenbordercountry13film/play etc [intransitive]START TO HAPPEN, EXIST ETC to start being shown to the public: Paula and Rachael star as mother and daughter in the play, which opens tonight.openThe film opened yesterday to excellent reviews.openreview14open an account to start an account at a bank or other financial organization by putting money into it: Mary was in the bank to ask about opening a current account.beopen15open fire (on something)SHOOT to start shooting at someone or something: Troops opened fire on the rioters.troopopen16open the door/way to something (also open doors)CHANCE/OPPORTUNITY to make an opportunity for something to happen: Research on genes should open the door to exciting new medical treatments.geneshallexcitetreatmentIf the record is successful, it could open doors for my career.becandoor17open sb’s eyes (to something)REALIZE to make someone realize something that they had not realized before: The purpose of the training is to open managers’ eyes to the consequences of their own behaviour.trainbemanagereyeconsequence18open your mind (to something)THINK ABOUT to be ready to consider or accept new ideas19open your heart (to somebody)TRUST to tell someone your real thoughts and feelings because you trust them20the heavens openedWEATHER literary it started to rain heavily → open the floodgates at floodgateTHESAURUSopen used about a door, window, container, package, letter, your eyes, or your mouth: I opened the door quietly.open | She was nervous about opening the letter.beopen | Open your mouth wide.unlock to open a door, drawer, box etc with a key: You need a key to unlock the safe.unscrew to open a lid on a bottle, container etc by turning it: I carefully unscrewed the lid of the jar.unscrewforce open to open a drawer, window, cupboard etc using force: The door was locked so we had to force it open.belockhaveunwrap to open a package by removing the paper that covers it: The children were busy unwrapping their Christmas presents.childbeunwrappresentunfasten/undo to make something no longer fastened or tied, for example a seat belt or a piece of clothing: He unfastened the top button of his shirt.unfasten | I was so full I had to undo my belt.behaveopen onto/into something phrasal verb ENTERif a room, door etc opens onto or into another place, you can enter that other place directly through it: The door opens onto a long balcony.openopen out phrasal verb1WIDEif a road, path, or passage opens out, it becomes wideropen out intoBeyond the forest the path opened out into a track.open2British EnglishSHY if someone opens out, they become less shyopen up phrasal verb1opportunityDEVELOP if opportunities open up, or a new situation opens them up, they become available or possible: With a microscope, a whole new world of investigation opens up.openopen something ↔ upThe new international agreement opens up the possibility of much greater co-operation against terrorism.opengreat2land open something ↔ upREACH if someone opens up an area of land, they make it easier to reach and ready for development: The new road will open up 300 acres of prime development land.acre3door/container etcOPEN to open something that is closed, locked, or covered: Open up, this is the police!beopen something ↔ upHe opened up his case and took out a clean sweater.opentake4shop/office etc a)START STH/MAKE STH STARTif a shop, office etc opens up or is opened up, someone starts it b)START DOING STHif a shop, office etc opens up at a particular time, it starts business at that time5disagreement/discussion open something ↔ upDISAGREE to start a discussion or argument: The article was written with the intention of opening up a public debate.bewriteopen6competition/race if someone opens up a lead in a competition or race, they increase the distance or number of points by which they are winning7talkSHY to stop being shy and say what you really think: Last night was the first time that Ken had opened up about his feelings.behaveopenfeeling8with a gunSHOOT to start shooting9hole/crack etcHOLE if a hole, crack etc opens up or is opened up, it appears and becomes wider
opennounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesopenopensopenopen3 noun1OUT/OUTSIDEin the open outdoors: In the summer, we camped in the open.camp2KNOW STH(out) in the open information that is out in the open is not hidden or secret: By now the whole affair was in the open.beShe never let her dislike for him come out into the open.All these concerns need to be brought out into the open.concernbringTHESAURUSActions when using a computerstart up/boot up to make a computer start working: I’m having problems starting up my computer.haveproblemstartlog on/in to start using a computer system by typing your name and password: He logged on and read his emails.logemailclick on something to press a button on a computer mouse to choose a program, file etc from the screen: When you click on the link, it sends you to the company’s website.sendinstall to add new software to a computer so that the software is ready to be used: All users should install anti-virus software.usershalldownload to move information, pictures, or music from the Internet onto your computer: You can download MP3 files.fileupload to move information, pictures, or music from your computer to a different computer across the Internet: Sites such as YouTube allow you to upload your own videos.sitevideoopen to make a file or program ready to use: Open a new file and type in the information.scroll up/down to move information on a computer screen up or down so that you can read it: Scroll down to read the questions and answers.questionanswerenter to type information into a computer: The program requires you to enter a password.requiredelete to remove information from a computer: I’ve deleted his email.delete | When you delete a file, it first gets moved to the recycle bin.getmovecut and paste to remove information from one place and put it in another place: Tutors are looking out for students who cut and paste their essays from the Internet.tutorbelookstudentessaysave to make a computer keep the work that you have done on it: Make sure you save any work you do before you shut the computer down.close to stop having a file or program ready to use: To close the window, click on the ‘X’ in the top right-hand corner of the screen.log off/out to stop using a computer system by giving it particular instructions: I get an error message when I log off.shut down to make a computer stop working: Employees should shut their computers down at the end of each day.employeeshallcomputerrestart/reboot to make a computer start working again: Wait a few minutes before rebooting your computer.minutereboot
noun [countable]Language: Old EnglishOrigin: stræt 1ROAD/PATHa public road in a city or town that has houses, shops etc on one or both sides:
We moved to Center Street when I was young.movebeShe lives just a few streets away.livestreetI walked on further down the street.walkfarSomeone just moved in across the street.movea car parked on the other side of the streetpark2the streets [plural] (also the street)HOME the busy public parts of a city where there is a lot of activity, excitement, and crime, or where people without homes liveon the streetsyoung people living on the streetslivestreetShe felt quite safe walking the streets after dark.feelwalkstreetChildren as young as five are left to roam the streets (=walk around the streets) at night.childbeleavestreetstreet musicians (=ones who play on the street)musicianShe has written about the realities of street life (=living on the streets).havewritereality3the man/woman in the street (also the man/woman on the street)ORDINARY the average person, who represents the general opinion about things: The man on the street assumes that all politicians are corrupt.assumepoliticianbe4(right) up your street British EnglishSUITABLE exactly right for you5streets ahead (of somebody/something) British English informalBETTER much better than someone or something else: James is streets ahead of the rest of the class at reading.bestreetread →, → be (living) on easy street at easy1(13), → one-way street at one-way(1), → high street, two-way street, → walk the streets at walk1(8)COLLOCATIONSadjectivesbusy (=with a lot of traffic or people) The house faces onto a busy street.facecrowded (=with a lot of people) The streets get very crowded at weekends.streetcrowdweekendquiet (=with very few people) It was late and the streets were quiet.bestreetbeempty/deserted (=with no people) As he walked home, the street was deserted.walkbedesertnarrow an old city with quaint narrow streetsstreetthe main street (=the biggest street in a town or village) They drove slowly along the main street.drivethe high street British English (=the main street with shops) I bought this coat at a shop on the high street.buya shopping street British English (=with a lot of shops) This is one of Europe’s most elegant shopping streets.beshopstreeta residential street (=with houses, not shops) a quiet residential streeta one-way street (=in which you can only drive in one direction) He was caught driving the wrong way down a one-way street.becatchdrivea side/back street (=a small quiet street near the main street) The restaurant is tucked away in a side street.betuckwinding streets (=streets that turn in many directions) We spent hours exploring the town’s winding streets.spendhourexplorewindstreetcobbled streets (=with a surface made from round stones) The cobbled streets were closed to cars.cobblestreetbeclosecarverbscross the street (=walk to the other side) She crossed the street and walked into the bank.crosswalkstreet + NOUNa street corner (=a place where streets meet) Youths were standing around on street corners.youthbestandcornera street light/lamp It was getting dark, and the street lamps were already on.begetlampbestreet crime/violence (=when people are attacked in the street) Young men are most likely to be victims of street crime.manbevictimstreet clothes (=ordinary clothes, not a special uniform or costume) She changed into her street clothes and left the theatre.changeclotheleaveTHESAURUStypes of roadroad a hard surface for cars, buses etc to drive on: They're planning to build a new road.plan | My address is 42, Station Road.bestreet a road in a town, with houses or shops on each side: She lives on our street.live | We walked along the streets of the old town.walkstreet | Oxford Street is one of Europe's busiest shopping areas.bebusyshoparea | He was stopped by the police, driving the wrong way down a one-way street.bestopdrive | Turn left on Main Street (=the street in the middle of a town, where most of the shops are – used in American English).leave | These days the same shops are on every high street (=the street in the middle of a town, where most of the shops are – used in British English).dayshopbeavenue a road in a town, often with trees on each side: the busy avenue in front of the cathedral | He lived on Park Avenue.liveboulevard a wide road in a city or town – used especially in street names in the US, France etc. In the UK, streets are usually called avenue rather than boulevard: the world-famous Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.lane a narrow road in the country: a winding country lanewindcul-de-sac a short street which is closed at one end: The house is situated in a quiet cul-de-sac in North Oxford.besituatetrack especially British English, dirt road American English a narrow road in the country, usually without a hard surface: The farm was down a bumpy track.bering road British English a road that goes around a town: The airport is on the ring road.bebypass British English a road that goes past a town, allowing traffic to avoid the centre: The bypass would take heavy traffic out of the old city centre.willdual carriageway British English, divided highway American English a road with a barrier or strip of land in the middle that has lines of traffic travelling in each direction: I waited until we were on the dual carriageway before I overtook him.waitbeovertakefreeway/expressway American English a very wide road in a city or between cities, on which cars can travel very fast without stopping: Take the Hollywood Freeway (101) south, exit at Vine Street and drive east on Franklin Avenue. | Over on the side of the expressway, he saw an enormous sedan, up against a stone wall.seemotorway British English, highway American English a very wide road for travelling fast over long distances: The speed limit on the motorway is 70 miles an hour.bemil | the Pacific Coast Highwayinterstate American English a road for fast traffic that goes between states: The accident happened on Interstate 84, about 10 miles east of Hartford.happenmiltoll road a road that you pay to use: The government is planning to introduce toll roads, in an effort to cut traffic congestion.beplanroadturnpike American English a large road for fast traffic that you pay to use: He dropped her off at an entrance to the New Jersey Turnpike.drop
verb
Date: 1100-1200Language: Old North French
Origin: waitier ‘to watch’ Verb form1not go/start something [intransitive]WAIT to stay somewhere or not do something until something else happens, someone arrives etc:
Hurry up! Everyone’s waiting.waitWould you mind waiting outside?willwaitwait fora queue of people waiting for a buswaitWait for me!wait for somebody/something to do somethingShe paused, waiting for Myles to say something.pausewaitI sat waiting patiently for the wedding to end.sitwaitwait until/tillI’ll wait till you come back.wait (for) three hours/two weeks etcCan you wait for five minutes?minuteWe’ve been waiting ages.bewaitagewait to do somethingAre you waiting to use the phone?bewaitkeep somebody waiting (=make someone wait, especially by arriving late)I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.keepwait ► Do not say that you ‘are waiting’ someone or something. Say that you are waiting for someone or something.2something has not happened [intransitive]EXPECT if you are waiting for something that you expect or hope will happen or arrive, it has not happened or arrived yet: ‘Have you heard about the job?’ ‘No, I’m still waiting.’hearwaitwait forI’m still waiting for my results.waitresultwait for somebody/something to do somethingI’m waiting for him to realize how stupid he’s been.waitbe3wait a minute/second/moment etc spoken a)WAITused to ask someone not to leave or start doing something immediately: Wait a second, I’ll get my coat and come with you.Wait a moment, just let me think. b)INTERRUPTused to interrupt someone, especially because you do not agree with what they are saying: Wait a minute! That’s not what we agreed!agree c)used when you suddenly think of, remember, or notice something: Wait a minute, I’ve got a better idea.getwell4somebody can’t wait/can hardly wait spoken a)EXCITEDused to emphasize that someone is very excited about something and is eager for it to happen: We’re going to Australia on Saturday – I can’t wait!gocan’t wait to do somethingI can’t wait to tell Gloria the good news.Laura could hardly wait to see the twins again.cantwinsomebody can’t wait/can hardly wait forI can’t wait for the summer. b)BORINGused humorously to say that something seems likely to be very boring: A lecture on transformational grammar? I can hardly wait!5something can/can’t wait spokenAFTER if something can wait, it is not very urgent. If something can’t wait, it is very urgent: Go home. The report can wait till tomorrow.6wait and see spokenWAIT used to say that someone should be patient because they will find out about something later: ‘What’s for dinner?’ ‘Wait and see.’We will just have to wait and see how things develop.thing7wait until/till ... spokenEXCITED used when you are excited about telling or showing someone something: Wait till you see Gaby’s new house!8be waiting (for somebody)WAIT if something is waiting for you, it is ready for you to use, collect etc: There’ll be a rental car waiting for you at the airport.waitCome round at eight and I’ll have dinner waiting.wait9wait your turnWAIT to stay calm until it is your turn to do something, instead of trying to move ahead of other people: I’ve got two hands and there are three of you. So you’ll have to wait your turn!gethandbe10something is (well) worth waiting for spokenGOOD/EXCELLENT used to say that something is very good, even though it takes a long time to come: Their new album was worth waiting for.bewait11(just) you wait spoken a)British English used to warn or threaten someone: I’ll get you back for what you’ve done, just you wait.do b)used to tell someone you are sure something will happen: It’ll be a huge success. Just you wait.12what are you waiting for? spokenDO STH/TAKE ACTION used to tell someone to do something immediately: Well, what are you waiting for? Go and apologize.bewait13what are we waiting for? spokenDO STH/TAKE ACTION used to say in a cheerful way that you think everyone should start doing something immediately: What are we waiting for? Let’s go eat.bewait14wait for it British English spoken a)TELLused just before you tell someone something that is funny or surprising: His name was – wait for it – Mr Bacon.be b)NOT DO STHused to tell someone not to do something until the correct time because they seem very impatient to do it now15be waiting in the wingsWAIT to be ready to do something if it is necessary or if a suitable time comes: Other firms are waiting in the wings, ready to step in and make an offer should the current deal fall through.firmbewaitwingshall16wait tables American English to work in a restaurant serving food and drink to people at their tables: I spent the summer waiting tables.spendwaittable17(play) a/the waiting gameWAIT if you play a waiting game, you try to gain an advantage for yourself in a particular situation by deliberately doing nothing until you have seen what other people doCOLLOCATIONSadverbswait two hours/ten minutes etc William waited an hour for his sister to arrive.waitwait long (=wait a long time – used especially in questions or negative sentences) She did not have to wait long for a train.dowait ages informal especially British English (=wait a long time) I had to wait ages for a bus.haveagepatiently They patiently waited for the rain to stop.waitimpatiently He waited impatiently for a reply.waitanxiously All his friends were waiting anxiously for their exam results.friendbewaitresultwait expectantly (=hoping that something good or exciting will happen soon) He took out his camera and waited expectantly.takewaitphraseskeep somebody waiting He kept us waiting for half an hour.keepwaitwait with bated breath (=while feeling very anxious or excited) She waited with bated breath to see what he would say.waitwillwait in vain (=wait for something that never happens) They waited in vain for their son to come home.waitTHESAURUSwait to stay somewhere or not do something until something else happens, someone arrives etc: I’ll wait here while you call him. | He said he was waiting for a friend.saybewaithang around (also hang about British English) informal to wait in a place not doing anything, especially so that you are wasting time: They kept us hanging around for hours at the hospital.keephanghourhold on/hang on to wait because you are hoping that something will happen: The captain decided it was best to hold on and wait for the other ship to arrive.decidebewell | We hung on until the very last moment.hangcan you hold on/hang on? spoken used when telling someone to wait: Can you hang on a minute? I just want to finish this email.stand by/be on standby to wait and be ready to do something if needed – used especially about soldiers, police, medical teams etc: The army are standing by.bestand | Emergency services were on standby after someone called to say there was a bomb in the city centre.servicebecallbeawait formal to wait for something – used about something that you know will happen or arrive: I will await your reply (=in a formal letter). | In February, nearly 200,000 prisoners were awaiting trial.prisonerbeawait | The soldiers awaited the order to advance.soldierawaitwait around (also wait aboutwait about British English) phrasal verb WAITto stay in the same place and do nothing while you are waiting for something to happen, someone to arrive etc: Movie-making involves acting for ten minutes and then waiting around for two hours.makeinvolveactminutewaithourWe’d better be going. We can’t wait about like this any longer.wellgolongwait behind phrasal verb British English WAITto stay somewhere after other people have left: She waited behind to help Debbie with the clearing up.waitclearwait in phrasal verb British English WAITto stay at home and wait there for someone to arrive: I have to wait in for the repair man.wait on somebody/something phrasal verb1to serve food and drink to someone at their table, especially in a restaurant2WAITto wait for a particular event, piece of information etc, especially before doing something or making a decision: We’re waiting on the blood test results.waitresult3wait on somebody hand and footWORK HARD to do everything for someone while they do nothing – used to show disapproval: His wife waits on him hand and foot.waitwait something ↔ out phrasal verb WAITif you wait out an event, period, or time, especially an unpleasant one, you wait for it to finish: Let’s find a place where we can wait out the storm.wait up phrasal verb1SLEEPto wait for someone to return before you go to bedwait up forDon’t wait up for me; I may be late.2Wait up! American EnglishWAIT used to tell someone to stop, so that you can talk to them or go with them: ‘Wait up!’ he called.call
waitnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleswaitwaitswaitwait2 noun [singular] WAITa period of time in which you wait for something to happen, someone to arrive etcwait forThe average wait for an appointment at the clinic was eight weeks.beweeklong/three-hour/two-week etc waitThere was an hour wait before the next train departed.bedepartThey’ll have a long wait. → lie in wait at lie1(8)
adjective
Word familyDate: 1400-1500Language: French
Origin: publique, from Latin publicus, probably from poplicus, from populus ‘people’; influenced by pubes ‘adult’ ( → PUBES) 1ordinary people [only before noun]SOCIETY relating to all the ordinary people in a country, who are not members of the government or do not have important jobs:
We have to show that publishing this story is in the public interest (=helpful or useful to ordinary people).publishbefull public access to informationPublic opinion is gradually shifting in favor of the imprisoned men.beshiftimprisonmanThere was a public outcry (=expression of anger by a lot of people) about the shooting.beshootTheir activities have been hidden from the public gaze (=people's eyes or attention).activitybehide2for anyone [only before noun]PUBLIC/NOT PRIVATE available for anyone to use OPP private: a public telephonea public footpathproposals to ban smoking in public placesproposalsmokeplacea public librarypublic transport British English public transportation American English (=buses, trains etc)3government [only before noun]PUBLIC/GOVERNMENT relating to the government and the services it provides for people OPP private: the Government’s public spending plansspendplanWe do not believe he is fit for public office (=a job in the government).beefforts to control public expenditureeffortpublic funding for the artsfundart → public service4known aboutPUBLIC/NOT PRIVATE known about by most people: Details of the highly sensitive information have not been made public.detailbemakeAlthough not a public figure (=famous person), he was a man of great influence.be5not hiddenPUBLIC/NOT PRIVATE intended for anyone to know, see, or hear OPP private: Today the school finds itself in the midst of a very public debate.findpublic display of grief/affection etc (=showing your emotions so that everyone can see)She was acutely embarrassed by his public display of temper.beembarrassThere will be a public inquiry into the sinking of the oil tanker.sinka fear of public speakingspeak6place with a lot of peoplePLACE a public place usually has a lot of people in it OPP private: Let’s go somewhere less public where we can talk.little7public lifeFAMOUS work that you do, especially for the government, that makes you well known to many people: Howard seems to have retired from public life.seemretire8public imageCHARACTER OF STH the public image of a famous person or organization is the character or attitudes that most people think they havepublic image ofattempts to improve the public image of the policeattempt9go public a)PUBLICIZE/MAKE KNOWNto tell everyone about something that was secretgo public on/withThe planners are almost ready to go public on the road-building scheme.plannerbebuild b)to become a public company: Many partnerships went public in the 1980s to secure extra capital.partnershipgo10public appearanceVISIT a visit by a famous person in order to make a speech, advertise something etc: She is paid £10,000 for the briefest of public appearances.bepaybriefappearance11the public eye someone who is in the public eye is seen a lot on television, written about in newspapers etc: It is a job that brings him constantly into the public eye.bebring12public property a)PROVIDEsomething that is provided for anyone to use, and is usually owned by the government: The army was called out to protect public property.becall b)PUBLIC/NOT PRIVATEsomething that everyone has a right to know about: Our lives seem to have become public property.live13public enemy number one the criminal, problem etc that is considered the most serious threat to people’s safety: Drugs have become public enemy number one.drugnumb
publicnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplespublicpublicspublicpublic2 S2 W2 nounWord family1the public [also + plural verb British English]SOCIETY ordinary people who do not work for the government or have any special position in society: The meeting will be open to the general public.meetPolice warned members of the public not to approach the man, who may be armed.warnmemberarmOn the whole, the public are conservative about education.be2in publicPUBLIC/NOT PRIVATE if you do something in public, you do it where anyone can see OPP in private: Her husband was always nice to her in public.be → wash/air your dirty linen/laundry (in public) at dirty1(7)3[singular, U also + plural verb British English]LISTEN the people who like a particular singer, writer etc: He is adored by his public.beadoreThe theatre-going public are very demanding.gobedemand
noun
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: stæf ‘stick’ 1workers [C, also plural British English]WORKER the people who work for an organizationstaff of 10/50 etc
Our department has a staff of seven.haveThe entire staff has done an outstanding job this year.havedoThey employ a total of 150 staff.The staff were very helpful.bemedical/academic/library etc staffa strike by ambulance staffone of our longest-serving staff memberslongservemembermember of staff British English: I’d like to welcome a new member of staff.on the staff (of something)We were both on the staff of the British Film Institute at the time.beon staff American English: Joan is the only lawyer we have on staff.bea staff meetingmeetstaff room British English (=a room for teachers in a school)GrammarIn British English, staff is often used as a plural noun and followed by a plural verb: We need to recruit more staff.All the teaching staff were women.teachbewomanIn American English, staff is not often used in this way, and is never followed by a plural verb. ► You never refer to a person as 'a staff'. Say a staff member, a member of staff (BrE), or an employee.2stick [countable] (plural staves /steɪvz/) a)old use a long thick stick to help you walk b)a long thick stick that an official holds in some ceremonies3music [countable] especially American English the set of five lines that music is written on SYN stave4the staff of life literaryFOOD bread → general staff, ground staffCOLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + stafffull-time/part-time staff The school has over 100 full-time staff.havepermanent/temporary staff Much of the work is done by temporary staff.bedosenior/junior staff I have taken on board the comments of my senior staff.takecommentmedical/academic/technical etc staff We would like to thank all the medical staff at Broadgreen Hospital.willhospital/library/office etc staff He had responsibility for training library staff.havetrainsupport staff (=office staff, technical staff etc) A school needs good support staff.needtrained/qualified staff Recruitment of trained staff was a continuing problem.trainbecontinuestaff + NOUNa staff member (also a member of staff British English) At least one staff member should always be present.littleshalla staff meeting On Wednesdays there’s our weekly staff meeting.meetstaff training The company has made a massive investment in staff training.havemaketrainthe staff room British English (=a room for teachers in a school) I usually have a coffee in the staff room before school starts.startstaff morale (=how happy and confident the staff somewhere feel) Staff morale has been badly affected by the reorganisation.havebeaffectverbshave staff (also employ staff formal) The hotel has 145 staff.havejoin the staff Kelly Jones has joined the staff as a medical secretary.havejoinphrasesbe on the staff British English, be on staff AmE: He is no longer on the staff.belong
staffverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesstaffstaffsstaffedstaffingstaffstaff2 verb [transitive usually passive]Verb form WORKERto be or provide the workers for an organization → overstaffed, understaffed: The centre is staffed mainly by volunteers.bestaffvolunteer—staffingstaffingsstaffing noun [uncountable]: staffing levelsstafflevel
verb (past tense showed, past participle shown /ʃəʊn $ ʃoʊn/)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: sceawian ‘to look, look at, see’ Verb form1let somebody see [transitive]SHOW/LET SB SEE STH to let someone see somethingshow somebody something
The children proudly showed me their presents.childshowpresentshow something to somebodyShow your ticket to the woman at the entrance.The man grinned, showing bad teeth.grinshowtooth2prove something [transitive]SHOW/BE A SIGN OF to provide facts or information that make it clear that something is true, that something exists, or that something has happened: Figures showed a 9% rise in inflation.figureshowGary has shown his faith in the club’s future by agreeing to stay on.haveshowagreeshow (that)Mike needed a copy of the will to show that the books had been left to him.needbookhavebeleaveshow somebody (that)We have shown our critics that we can succeed.showcriticshow howThis document shows how to oppose bad decisions about new housing.showdecisionhouseshow whatShe just wants a chance to show what she can do.wantshow somebody/something to be somethingCharles showed himself to be a fine leader.showbe shown to be/do somethingThe campaign has been shown to be a waste of money.havebeshowThe new treatment has been shown to reduce the number of deaths.havebeshownumbdeathstudies/evidence/research etc showsSeveral studies have shown that aggressive toys lead to bad behaviour.studyshowtoyThe Polish economy began to show signs of recovery.beginsignIt just goes to show (=proves) how much people judge each other on how they look.goRegisterIn written English, people often prefer to use indicate, which sounds more formal than show:The latest statistics indicate that the country is falling deeper into recession.latestatisticbefalldeepIn scientific contexts, they often prefer prove or demonstrate, which sound more definite:This research demonstrates the need to treat cancer early.demonstrate3feelings/attitudes/qualities [transitive]SHOW A FEELING OR ATTITUDE to let your feelings, attitudes, or personal qualities be clearly seen OPP hide: Think positively and show some determination.She had learned not to show her emotions.havelearnemotionIt was the sound a man might make when in pain but trying not to show it.betryMary showed great interest in the children.showchild4explain with actionsEXPLAIN [transitive] to explain to someone how to do something, by doing it yourself or using actions to help them learnshow somebody howShow me how the gun works.workshow somebody how to do somethingMaureen showed Peter how to feed the young animals.showanimalshow somebody somethingCan you show Lucy the way to slice onions?onion5picture/map etcSHOW/BE A SIGN OF [transitive] if a picture, map etc shows something, you can see it on the picture, map etc: I want a photograph that shows his face.showThe map shows the main rivers of the region.showriver6guide somebody [transitive]SHOW/LET SB SEE STH to go with someone and guide them to a placeshow somebody to/into somethingCan you show Mrs Davies to the bathroom?show somebody out/inI can show myself out (=out of the office or house).show somebody somethingCome on, I’ll show you the way.7point at something [transitive]SHOW/LET SB SEE STH to let someone see where a place or thing is, especially by pointing to itshow somebody whereCan you show me exactly where he fell?fall8film/television [intransitive and transitive] to make a film or television programme available on a screen for people to see, or to be on a screen: The film was shown on television last night.beshowThe match was shown live (=could be seen on television while it was being played).beshowIt’s now showing at cinemas across London.showcinema → showing(1)9be easy to see [intransitive]OBVIOUS if something shows, it is easy to see: His happiness showed in his face.showHer scar doesn’t show, because her hair covers it.coverStephen was worried, and it showed.beworryshow10dirt/mark [transitive]CLEAR/EASY TO SEE if material shows the dirt or a mark, it is easy to see the dirt or mark on it: Light-coloured clothes tend to show the dirt.colourclothe11increase/decrease [transitive]PROFIT to have an increase or decrease in something, or a profit or loss: The price of players is the reason why many football clubs show big losses on their balance sheets.playerbeclublosssheetRecent elections have shown significant gains by right-wing groups.electionshowgaingroup12art/pictures [transitive]SHOW/LET SB SEE STH to put a group of paintings or other works of art in one place so that people can come and see them SYN exhibit: Her recent sculptures are being shown at the Hayward Gallery.sculpturebebeshowThe Whitney Museum was the first to show Mapplethorpe’s photographs.bephotograph13I’ll show him/them etc spokenPROVE used to say that you will prove to someone that you are better, more effective etc than they think you are14have something to show for somethingSUCCEED IN DOING STH to have something as a result of what you have been doing: If he fails, he’ll have nothing to show for his time at school.failShe had plenty of money to show for all her work.have15show your faceGO TO/ATTEND if you will not show your face somewhere, you will not go there because you have a good reason to feel ashamed or embarrassed about being there: She never shows her face around here.show16show your handINTEND to make your true power or intentions clear, especially after you have been keeping them secret: There were so many rumours that the company was forced to show its hand.berumourbeforce17animal [transitive] to put an animal into a competition with other animals: Do you plan to show your dogs?dog18arrive [intransitive] (also show up) informal especially American EnglishARRIVE to arrive at the place where someone is waiting for you SYN turn up: I went to meet Hank, but he never showed.goshow19show somebody in a good/bad etc lightLIKE SB OR STHDON'T LIKE if an action shows you in a good or bad light, it makes people have a good or bad opinion of you: During an interview, you need to show yourself in the best possible light.well20show somebody the doorLEAVE A PLACE to make it clear that someone is not welcome and should leave21show (somebody) who’s boss informalCONTROL to prove to someone who is threatening your authority that you are more powerful than they are: You’ve got to show your dog who’s boss. When you say ‘Sit!’, he should sit.getshall22show the wayEXAMPLE if you show the way for other people, you do something new that others then try to copy23show willing British English to make it clear that you are willing to do something: He hasn’t done any cooking yet, but at least he’s shown willing.docooklittleshowwill24show a leg! British English spokenWAKE UP/GET UP used to tell someone to get out of bed25show (somebody) a clean pair of heels British English old-fashioned informalESCAPE to run away very fast26show me the money American English spoken informal used to tell someone to give or pay you a lot of money, rather than just talk about the fact that they will give it to youTHESAURUSlet someone see show to let someone see something, especially by holding it out in front of them: Everyone has to show their identity cards at the entrance to the building.havecardbuild | Stephanie showed us her engagement ring.showflash to show something to someone very quickly: ‘We’re police’, he said, flashing his card at us.sayflash | Miranda flashed a surprised look into the mirror.flashsurpriselet somebody have a look/take a look especially spoken to show something to someone, especially so that they can examine it, repair it etc: If the wound doesn’t get better soon, you should let the doctor take a look at it.windwellshall | Mike’s good with cars – let him have a look.carreveal especially written to let someone see or know about something that is usually hidden, or that you want to keep secret – often used about showing your feelings or private thoughts: Suzy looked away quickly in order not to reveal her true feelings.lookfeeling | He lifted the lid of the box to reveal a small snake.liftexpose especially written to let someone see something that could not be seen before: The receding tide had exposed huge expanses of sand.recedehaveexposeexpanse | The bear opened its mouth, exposing rows of sharp teeth.openexposerowtoothshow someone how to do somethingshow to explain to someone how to do something or how something works, especially by doing it yourself: Laurie’s been showing me how to snowboard.beshow | Can I show you how the oven works?workdemonstrate to show how to do something or how something works – especially to a group of people: A qualified instructor will demonstrate how to use the machines properly.qualifymachine | There’s a meeting this afternoon to demonstrate the new software.meetguide/take somebody through something to show someone how to do something, or how a process happens, especially something difficult or complicated: The book guides you through the different stages of starting your own business.guidestagestart | A stockbroker will take you through the minefield of stocks and shares.stockshareshow somebody around (something) (also show somebody round (something)show somebody round (something) British English) phrasal verb SHOW/LET SB SEE STHto go around a place with someone when they first arrive there, to show them what is interesting, useful etc: Harrison showed her around the house.showshow off phrasal verb1SHOW OFFto try to make people admire your abilities, achievements, or possessions – used to show disapproval → show-off: He couldn’t resist showing off on the tennis court.show2show something ↔ offSHOW OFF to show something to a lot of people because you are very proud of it: a picture of the restaurant’s owners showing off their awardownershow3show something ↔ offSUIT/LOOK GOOD TOGETHER if one thing shows off something else, it makes the other thing look especially attractive SYN complement: The white dress showed off her dark skin beautifully.showshow somebody over something phrasal verb especially British English SHOW/LET SB SEE STHto guide someone through an interesting building or a house that is for sale: Ingrid has a job showing visitors over the castle.haveshowvisitorshow up phrasal verb1informalARRIVEGO TO/ATTEND to arrive, especially at the place where someone is waiting for you SYN turn up: Seth showed up, apologising for being late.showbeWe had 200 people show up for our seminar.have2show something ↔ upNOTICE to make it possible to see or notice something that was not clear before: The sunlight showed up the marks on the window.showmark3CLEAR/EASY TO SEENOTICEto be easy to see or notice: Use a light colour which will show up on a dark background.4show somebody ↔ upEMBARRASSED to make someone feel embarrassed by behaving in a stupid or unacceptable way when you are with them SYN embarrass: She says I showed her up in front of her friends when they came to the house.sayshowfriendcome
shownounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesshowshowsshowshow2 S1 W1 noun
1performance [countable]PERFORM a performance for the public, especially one that includes singing, dancing, or jokes: I enjoyed the show immensely.enjoyThe show starts at 7:30 pm.startThey’ve come to town to see a Broadway show.Perry was the star of the show.be → floor show, roadshow2tv/radioTELEVISION/RADIO [countable] a programme on television or on the radio: The senator appeared on the CBS show ‘Face the Nation’.appeara new television quiz show → chat show, game show, talk show3collection of things to see [countable]COMPETITION an occasion when a lot of similar things are brought together in one place so that people can come and look at them: the Paris Boat Showa fashion show for charityKelly has a show of her latest work opening shortly.havelateopen4on showSHOW/LET SB SEE STH being shown to the public: Paintings by Matisse are on show at the New York Gallery.paintingbeThe designer clothes will go on show in Chicago next month.clotheLocal antiques will be put on show in a new building especially built for the collection.antiquebuildbuild5a show of somethingSHOW A FEELING OR ATTITUDE an occasion when someone deliberately shows a particular feeling, attitude, or quality: I felt I should make a show of dignity.feelshallThe award will be seen as a show of support.seeshow of strength/forcea strong and determined show of force by the policedetermine6pretended act [singular, uncountable]PRETEND when you pretend to do or feel something SYN pretenceshow ofa show of gratitudeSusan put on a show of regret all day.The waiter made a show of wiping the table.makewipe7for show with the purpose of looking attractive or impressive rather than being useful: He does actually play his guitar – it’s not just for show.do8colourful scene [singular] an impressive scene, especially one that is very colourful SYN displayshow ofa glorious show of colour in the rose gardenriseMaple trees put on their best show in the autumn.treewell9competition [countable] a competition between similar things or animals to choose the best: The dog show was being held in the Agricultural Hall.bebehold10event/situation [singular] informalSITUATION something which is being done or organized: We need to find someone to run the show (=be in charge).11put up a good/poor etc show informalSUCCESSFULFAIL to perform, play etc well or badly: Our team put up a pretty good show, but we lost in the end.lose12let’s get this show on the road spokenSTART DOING STH used to tell people it is time to start working or start a journey13(jolly) good show British English old-fashioned spokenAPPROVE used to express your approval of something → steal the show at steal1(4)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 2ADJECTIVES/NOUN + showlive (=broadcast on TV or radio as it is happening) Tonight’s show is live from Wembley Stadium.bea TV/television/radio show What’s your favourite TV show?a quiz show (=in which people try to answer questions correctly) It’s the BBC’s most popular quiz show.a game show (=in which people play games or answer questions to win prizes) It’s been a popular game show for years.beyeara chat show British English, a talk show American English (=in which famous or interesting people talk to someone about themselves) She was on the chat show to publicize her new novel.bea family show (=one that is suitable for families and children to watch) It’s a real family show, with something for everyone.a news show especially AmE: the morning news showverbsappear on/take part in a show (=to be a guest on a show) They were trying to persuade Daniel Radcliffe to appear on the show.betryhost a show (also present a show British English) (=to be the person who introduces the different parts of a show, or who talks to guests) He presents his own talk show on ITV.presentwatch a show People of all ages watch the show.agephrasesthe star of the show Very quickly, Williams became the star of the show.become
noun
Word familySense 1, 3-6:Date: 1200-1300
Language: Old Norse
Origin: ras ‘going quickly, running’Sense 2:
Date: 1500-1600
Language: French
Origin: Old Italian razza 1sport [countable] a competition in which people or animals compete to run, drive etc fastest and finish firstin a race
He will be the youngest runner in the race.youngOver 80 cars will take part in the race.carrace betweenthe annual boat race between Oxford and Cambridge Universitiesuniversity2people a)[uncountable and countable] one of the main groups that humans can be divided into according to the colour of their skin and other physical features → ethnic group: The school welcomes children of all races.welcomechildracea person of mixed racemixThe law forbids discrimination on the grounds of race or religion.forbidground → human race b)[singular] informal a group of people who are similar in some wayrace ofThe 1960s produced a new race of young novelists.producenovelistAre schools breeding (=producing) a race of children incapable of making decisions for themselves?beschoolbreedchildmakedecision3get/do something first [singular]COMPETE WITH/TRY TO BEAT a situation in which one group of people tries to obtain or achieve something before another group doesthe race to do somethingMore and more drug companies are joining the race to beat cancer.companybejoinThe race is on to develop more environmentally friendly forms of energy.beform → arms race, rat race4do something quickly [singular] a situation in which you have to do something very quickly because you have very little time availablea race to do somethingIt is now a race to find the killer.berace against time/against the clockThe pilot then began a desperate race against time to land the plane before it ran out of fuel.beginrun5prize/power [singular] a situation in which people are competing with each other to win a prize or obtain a position of powerrace forMr Bird has now officially joined the race for the White House.havejoinHe is no longer in the race for academic awards.belongawardrace to do somethingthe race to host the next Olympic Gamesgame6horse race the races an occasion when horse races are heldat the racesWe spent a day at the races.spendrace → play the race card at play1(14)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 1verbscompete in a race (also take part in a race) He is competing in his first race this year.becompete | Runners from all over the world will take part in the race.runnerhave a race Let’s have a race!hold a race The race will be held on February 25th.holdwin/lose a race He did not win another race that season.docome first/last etc in a race (also finish first/last etc in a race) She came third in the race.comelead the race (=be ahead of everyone else) He led the race from start to finish.leadfinish the race Congratulations to Matthew, who finished the race in three hours 17 minutes.congratulationfinishhourminuterun a race I thought I ran a good race.thinkrunenter somebody/something in a race The horse is entered in a race at Worcester the day after tomorrow.beenterADJECTIVES/NOUN + racetough/hard He said he expected the race to be tough.sayexpectthe big race (=an important race) There are only three days to go until the big race.bedaya 3000 metres/10 km etc race He finished first in the 100 metres race.finishmetrea horse/boat/bike etc race It’s legal to gamble on horse races.racea road race (=when people run, cycle etc on ordinary roads) She regularly competes in 10 kilometre road races.competeraceCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 5verbsenter/join the race There was speculation that another candidate might enter the race.bedrop out of/withdraw from the race He dropped out of the presidential race three weeks ago.dropweekstay in the race Forbes has the money to stay in the mayoral race as long as he likes.havelikewin a race It looks as though he will win the race to be the Democratic presidential candidate.lookADJECTIVES/NOUN + race close/tight Most people were predicting a close race.bepredicta three-horse/three-way race (=when three people have a chance of winning) In a three-way race, Clinton received 47 percent, Dole 35 percent, Perot 10 percent.receivea two-horse/two-way race It soon became clear that it would be a two-horse race.becomewilla one-horse race This is turning into a one-horse race.beturna presidential/Senate/mayoral race He put $12 million of his own money into a Senate race.phrasesbe still in the race (=still have a chance of winning) Swindon Town is still in the race, despite losing to Manchester City on Saturday.beloseTHESAURUSMeaning 2race one of the main groups of people in the world, who have the same colour of skin and other physical features: Everybody should be treated equally regardless of their race or sex.shalltreat | race relations (=the relationship between people of different races)relationnation a country and its people, or a group of people with the same history and language: Japan has become one of the richest nations in the world.haverichnation | Our dream is for a united Arab nation.beunitepeople the people who belong to a particular country, race, or area. The plural of this meaning of people is peoples: the American people | the native peoples of the islandspeopleislandtribe a group of people in a country who are the same race, with the same traditional way of life and the same leader: a tribe in Papua New Guinea | Bedouin tribestribeethnic group a group of people of the same race, nation, or tribe: Within Namibia there are more than a dozen different ethnic groups.begroup | the needs of minority ethnic groupsneedgroup
raceverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Word sets 1 2 3Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesraceracesracedracingracerace2 verb
Verb form1sport a)[intransitive and transitive]COMPETE WITH/TRY TO BEAT to compete against someone or something in a racerace againstShe’ll be racing against some of the world’s top athletes.raceathleterace inStevens will not be racing in the final due to a knee injury.racerace somebody up/down something etcI’ll race you to the end of the road. b)[transitive] to use an animal or a vehicle to compete in a race: He will be racing a Ferrari in this year’s Formula One championships.racechampionship2move quickly [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition]MOVE STH OR SB to move very quickly or take someone or something to a place very quickly: He raced into the village on his bike.raceI had to race home for my bag.haverace somebody to something etcShe was raced to hospital.beracerace to do somethingHe raced to meet her.race3do something quickly [intransitive] to try to do something very quickly because you want to be the first to do it, or because there is very little time availablerace to do somethingInvestors are racing to buy shares in the new hi-tech companies.investorberacesharecompanyrace against time/the clockThe astronauts are racing against time to repair the spaceship.astronautberace4heart/mind [intransitive]WORRIED if your heart or mind races, it works harder and faster than usual, for example because you are afraid or excited: My heart was racing and my knees shook uncontrollably.beracekneeshakeMy mind was racing, trying to think where I had seen him before.beracetryhavesee5engine [intransitive] if an engine races, it runs too fast
noun
Word familyDate: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: reule, from Latin regula; → REGULAR1 1about what is allowed [countable]RULE/REGULATION an official instruction that says how things must be done or what is allowed, especially in a game, organization, or jobrule of
the rules of the gameruleunder the rules/according to the rulesUnder the rules, the company must publish its annual accounts.ruleaccount2about what you should do [countable] what you should do in a particular situation, or a statement about this: There are no hard and fast rules (=clear and definite rules) about what to wear to classes.beruleclassrule ofThere are two basic rules of survival.beruleThe rule is: if you feel any pain you should stop exercising immediately.beshallexercise3normal/usual [singular] something that is normal or usually trueas a (general) ruleAs a general rule most students finish their coursework by the end of May.studentEarly marriage used to be the rule in that part of the world.useA series of payments used to be the exception rather than the rule.paymentuseUnfortunately there is an exception to every rule.be4government [uncountable]GOVERENMENT the government of a country or area by a particular group of people or using a particular systemunder ... rulepeople living under communist rulelivethe end of colonial rulea period of military ruledirect rule from Westminsterthe restoration of majority rule (=government by the party that most people have voted for) to Northern Ireland5in grammar/science etc [countable] a statement about what is usually allowed in a particular system, such as the grammar of a language, or a sciencerule ofthe rules of English punctuationrule6the rule of law a situation in which the laws of a country are obeyed: We are here to uphold the rule of law.be7the rules of natural justice what people believe to be right and fair: The governor failed to observe the rules of natural justice.failrule8rule of thumbGUESS a rough figure or method of calculation, based on practical experience: As a general rule of thumb, children this age should not spend more than one hour on homework.childshall9make it a rule (to do something)USUALLY to try to make sure that you always do something: I make it a rule never to mix business with pleasure.10for measuring [countable] old-fashioned a ruler → golden rule, ground rules, home rule, slide rule, → work to rule at work1(32)COLLOCATIONSverbsbreak a rule (also violate a rule formal) (=not obey it) He had clearly broken the official rules.havebreakrule | Any one who violates this rule will be severely punished.violatepunishobey/follow a rule She wasn’t going to obey their silly rules.gorulecomply with/abide by/observe a rule formal (=obey it) All members must comply with the rules of the organization.memberrule | There is little that one country can do if another fails to abide by the rules.befailrule | We expect you to observe the general rules of conduct as set out below.rulestick to/go by the rules informal (=obey them) We all have to stick to the rules.rulemake the rules I’m only an assistant manager – I don’t make the rules.rulethe rule says ... The rule says that you must be standing inside the line.saystandthe rule stipulates that ... formal (=it says that something must be done) The rules stipulate that clubs must field the strongest team available.ruleclubstrongthe rule prohibits/forbids something The rule forbids women from becoming members of the club.forbidwomanbecomememberthe rule requires (that) ... formal (=it says that people must do something) School rules required all girls to tie back their hair.rulerequiregirlthe rule applies to somebody/something (=it concerns them) Everyone thinks that the rule doesn’t apply to them.thinkplay by the rules (=do what is expected and agreed) The system works well enough — as long as everyone plays by the rules.workplayrulebend/stretch the rules (=allow someone to do something that is not normally allowed) They bend the rules to suit themselves.rulerelax the rules (=make them less strict) Britain relaxed its immigration rules.relaxruletighten (up) the rules (=make them stricter) The EU has tightened the rules on the quality of drinking water.havetightenruledrinkenforce a rule (=make sure that it is obeyed) The planning office does not always enforce its own rules.plandoruleflout a rule (=break it, without trying to hide what you are doing) The party continues to flout its own rules.continuerulebe bound by rules (=have to obey them) Solicitors are bound by strict rules that regulate their professional conduct.solicitorbebindruleADJECTIVES/NOUN + rulestrict They have very strict rules about gambling.rulegamblesimple The rules of the game are quite simple.rulebepetty (=unreasonable rules about unimportant things) There are hundreds of petty rules.behundredrulea school/prison/club etc rule He had broken one of the school rules.havebreakrulean unwritten rule (=a rule of behaviour that everyone in a group understands) There’s an unwritten rule that you never call an actor before 10 a.m.health and safety rules You should follow any health and safety rules which apply to your workplace.shallrulephrasesbe against the rules (=not be allowed) It was against the rules to talk in class.berulethe rules concerning/governing/relating to something formal (=the rules about something) the rules governing food labelingrulegovernlabela change in the rules I didn’t realise that there had been a change in the rules.haveberulea breach of the rules formal (=something that is against the rules) a serious breach of the rulesrulerules and regulations The government keeps introducing more and more rules and regulations.keepintroduceruleregulationrules are rules spoken (=a rule must be obeyed) Rules are rules and you have to abide by them.ruleberuleTHESAURUSrule an instruction that says what people are allowed to do or not allowed to do, for example in a game, school, or company: the rules of baseballrule | He disobeyed the school rules.disobeyrulelaw an official rule that everyone in a country, city, or state must obey: It is against the law to carry a concealed weapon.beconceal | The law requires motorcyclists to wear helmets.requirehelmetregulation an official rule or order, which is part of a set of rules made by a government or organization: the regulations for applying for a passportregulationapply | building regulationsbuildregulation | environmental regulations on air pollutionregulationrestriction an official rule that limits what people can do: new restrictions on immigrationrestriction | The government is planning to impose regulations on the amount of alcohol you can bring into the country.beplanregulationguidelines rules or instructions about the best way to do something: the Department of Health’s guidelines for a healthy dietguideline | guidelines for classroom teachersguidelineteachercode a set of rules that people or organizations agree to obey but are not forced to obey: The school has a dress code for its students.havestudent | the company’s code of conductstatute formal a law that has been officially approved by a parliament, council etc, and written down: The statute banned corporal punishment.banordinance American English a law, made by a city or town, that forbids or restricts an activity: A local ordinance limited speed in the parks to ten miles an hour.limitparkmil
ruleverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesrulerulesruledrulingrulerule2 W2 verb
Word familyVerb form1government [intransitive and transitive]GOVERENMENT to have the official power to control a country and the people who live there → govern: Queen Victoria ruled England for 64 years.ruleyearAfrican tribal societies were traditionally ruled by a council of elders.societyberuleelderrule overAlexander the Great ruled over a huge empire.ruleHe announced that henceforth he would rule by decree (=make all the important decisions himself).announcewill2control/influence [transitive]CONTROL if a feeling or desire rules someone, it has a powerful and controlling influence on their actions: the passion for power and success which rules her liferule3court/law [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive] to make an official decision about something, especially a legal problem → decreerule thatThe judge ruled that she should have custody of the children.ruleshallchildrule onThe Supreme Court has yet to rule on the case.haverule in favour of/against somebody/somethingThe tribunal ruled in her favour.rulebe ruled illegal/unlawful etcThis part of the bill was ruled unconstitutional.berule →, → let your heart rule your head at heart(2)THESAURUScontrol to have power over a country, place, company etc, and decide what happens there: The Democrats controlled the US Congress.democratcontrol | Government forces now control the city.forcerun to make the important everyday decisions concerning a company, organization, country etc, so that it can continue to operate: He runs a software company in New York.run | The parents want to run the school themselves.parent | The government is unfit to run the country.be | The charity runs a medical clinic in one of the poorest parts of the city.runpoorpartbe in charge of somebody/something to have control over something, or responsibility for a group of people: She is in charge of training new employees.betrainemployee | I left him in charge of the children while I was out.leavechildbemanage to be in charge of a company, especially one that someone else owns: In 1963, she opened a furniture store, and her son has managed it since 1985.openhavemanagebe in power if a group or leader is in power, they have political control of a country: Abe resigned after less than a year in power.resignlittle | It was the first time a democratically elected government had been in power.beelecthaveberule if a leader or political group rules a country, they have political control of that country: President Assad ruled the country for almost 30 years.ruleyear | The same party has ruled Japan for many years.haveruleyearsupervise to be in charge of a group of workers or students and make sure that they do their work properly: Professor Braude supervised the research team.supervise | He’s supervising the building work.supervisebuildrule something/somebody ↔ out phrasal verb1IMPOSSIBLEto decide that something is not possible or suitable: The police have ruled out suicide.ruleShe has refused to rule out the possibility of singing again.haverefusesing2IMPOSSIBLEto make it impossible for something to happen: The mountainous terrain rules out most forms of agriculture.ruleform3to state that someone will not be able to take part in a sports eventrule something/somebody ↔ out ofHe has been ruled out of the match with a knee injury.haveberule
noun [countable]Word familyDate: 1100-1200Language: Old French
Origin: persone, from Latin persona ‘actor's mask, character in a play, person’, probably from Etruscan phersu ‘mask’ 1 (plural people /ˈpiːpəl/)PERSON/PEOPLE a human being, especially considered as someone with their own particular character:
He was a very nice person, always pleasant and friendly.beThe only person who really said anything helpful was Jack.saybekind/type/sort of personDavid was not the sort of person who found it easy to talk about his feelings.befindfeelingI like her as a person, but not as a boss.I still know quite a lot of people in the village.a group of young peoplecity/cat/night etc person (=someone who likes a particular kind of thing)I’m not a morning person.2in personPERSONALLY/YOURSELF if you do something in person, you go somewhere and do it yourself, instead of doing something by letter, asking someone else to do it etc: You have to sign for it in person.3businessperson/salesperson etcPERSON/PEOPLE someone who works in business, who sells things etc → chairperson, spokesperson4 (plural persons) formal or lawPERSON/PEOPLE someone who is not known or not named: The police are appealing for any person who was in the area at this time to contact them.beappealbemurder by person or persons unknownpersonAll 115 persons on board were killed.personbekill5on/about your person formalHIDE/NOT SHOW if you have something on or about your person, you have it in your pockets or attached to you: Customs officers found a gun concealed about his person.customofficerfindconceal6in the person of somebody formalREPRESENT used before the name of someone who you have just mentioned in a more general way: I was met by the police in the person of Sergeant Black.bemeet → first person, missing person, person-to-person, second person, third personGrammarThe plural of person is usually people: Sixty-four people (NOT persons) died in the fire.persondiePersons is also used, but only in formal notices, documents, and situations: All persons born in the United States are citizens of the United States.personunitestatebecitizenunitestatePeople meaning 'more than one person' is already plural and cannot form a plural with 's': A lot of British people (NOT peoples) are employed by foreign firms.peoplebeemployfirmPeople meaning 'race' or 'nation' is countable and you can add 's' to form a plural in the normal way: African peoplespeople
adjective [usually before noun]Word familyDate: 1300-1400Language: French
Origin: Late Latin localis, from Latin locus; → LOCUS 1LIVE SOMEWHERErelating to the particular area you live in, or the area you are talking about:
local hospitallocal residentsresident2technical affecting or limited to one part of your body: a local infection
localnounCollocations from other entriesActivator 1Word sets 1 2 3 4Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleslocallocalslocallocal2 noun [countable]Word family1[usually plural]LIVE SOMEWHERE someone who lives in the place where you are or the place that you are talking about: We asked one of the locals to recommend a restaurant.asklocal2British English a pub near where you live, especially one where you often drink: I usually have a pint or two at my local on Friday nights.night3American English a bus, train etc that stops at all regular stopping places → express4American English a branch of a trade union
lo-caladjectiveWord sets 1Corpus exampleslo-callo-callo-cal /ˌləʊ ˈkæl◂ $ ˌloʊ-/
adjective lo-cal food or drink does not contain many calories
adjective (comparative redder, superlative reddest)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: read 1colour having the colour of blood:
We painted the door bright red.painta red balloon → blood-red, → cherry red at cherry(3), → scarlet2hair hair that is red has an orange-brown colour3face if you go red, your face becomes a bright pink colour, especially because you are embarrassed or angrygo/turn redEvery time you mention his name, she goes bright red.go4wine red wine is a red or purple colour → white5like a red rag to a bull British English (also like waving a red flag in front of a bull American English)ANGRYUPSET very likely to make someone angry or upset: Just mentioning his ex-wife’s name was like a red rag to a bull.mentionbe6roll out the red carpet/give somebody the red carpet treatmentBETTER to give special treatment to an important visitor7not one red cent American English informalMONEY used to emphasize that you mean no money at all: I wouldn’t give him one red cent for that car.8politics informal communist or extremely left-wing political views – used to show disapproval—rednessrednessesredness noun [uncountable] → paint the town red at paint2(5)
rednounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1Word sets 1 2 3Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplesredredsredred2 noun1[uncountable and countable] the colour of blood: I like the way the artist uses red in this painting.usepaintthe reds and yellows of the treesredyellowtreeThe corrections were marked in red (=in red ink).correctionbemark2[uncountable and countable] red wine → white: a nice bottle of red3be in the red informalOWE to owe more money than you have OPP be in the black → overdrawn: This is the airline’s fourth straight year in the red.be4[countable] informal someone who has communist or very left-wing political opinions – used especially in the past to show disapproval → see red at see1(35)
RedadjectiveRedRedRed
adjective1derogatory (especially in newspapers) supporting left-wing political ideas; Socialist or Communist: ‘Red Ken wins seat in Parliament.’ (=newspaper report)win2of Communist countries; especially formerly the communist countries of Eastern Europe3better Red than dead a phrase used during the Cold War by some people opposed to nuclear weapons, meaning that it would be better to be controlled by a Communist government than to be killed in a nuclear war
verb (past tense and past participle put, present participle putting) [transitive]
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: putian Verb form1move to place [always + adverb/preposition]PUT to move something to a particular place or position, especially using your hands SYN place:
He put the coffee on the table.Where did you put the programmes?doprogramme → see Thesaurus box on p.14142change sb’s situation/feelings [always + adverb/preposition]CHANGE/MAKE STH DIFFERENT to change someone’s situation or the way they feel: Don’t put yourself into a situation you can’t handle.put somebody in a good/bad etc mood (=make them feel happy/annoyed etc)The long delay had put us all in a bad mood.haveI don’t want to put you in danger.Pit closures have put thousands of miners out of a job (=made them lose their job).closureminerput somebody in control/command/charge etc (=give someone authority over a group, activity, or organization)His boss resigned and Murphy was put in charge.resignbePolitics puts me to sleep.putA knee injury put him out of action for three months.month3write/print somethingWRITE to write or print something or to make a mark with a pen or pencilput something in/on/under etc somethingPut your name at the top of each answer sheet.put something to somethingHe put his signature to the contract (=he signed it to show he agreed with it).4express [always + adverb/preposition]EXPRESS to say or write something using words in a particular wayput something well/cleverly/simply etcThe question was well put.beSo it was an accident, an ‘act of God’ if you want to put it like that.beWhen women joined the organization, it ‘took on a new look', as news reports put it.womanjointakereportIt is hard to put into words (=express) how I feel now.bewordHe’s not very musical, to put it mildly (=he’s not musical at all).We get on each other’s nerves, to put it bluntly (=to say exactly what I mean).nerveIt’s fairly risky. Or to put it another way (=say it in different words), don’t try this at home.The subject matter makes the painting a little, how shall I put it (=how can I say it politely?), undesirable for public display.makepaint5put a stop/an end to somethingSTOP STH THAT IS HAPPENING to stop an activity that is harmful or unacceptable: We must put an end to their threats.threat6put something into action/effect/practiceSTART DOING STH to start using a plan, idea, knowledge etc: James was keen to put some of the things he had learned into practice.bethinghavelearn7ask/suggestSUGGEST to ask a question or make a suggestion, especially to get someone’s opinion or agreementput a proposition/proposal/case etc to somebodyHe put the proposal to his wife.put something before somebodyThe budget was put before the board of directors.bedirectorCan I put a question to you?I put it to you that this proposal has to be considered.haveconsider8put something rightIMPROVE to make a situation better, especially after someone has made a mistake or behaved badly: He has a chance to put things right by admitting a mistake was made.havethingadmitbemake9put somebody straight/right (also set somebody straight/right)EXPLAIN to tell someone the true facts when they have made a mistake that annoys you: A young man was in here asking for ‘Miss’ Whalby, but I put him right on that one.beask10put something straightTIDY to make something look clean and tidy: It took us all weekend to put the garden straight.take11make somebody/something do something to make someone or something work or do something, or to use it: a scheme to put unemployed people to work on government construction projectsprojectIf you have a spare room, put it to work for you – take in a lodger.Computer games are being put to use in the classroom.gamebebeWe put 15 rain jackets to the test (=we tested them).jacket12have importance/quality [always + adverb/preposition]ORDER/SEQUENCE to consider something as having a particular level of importance or qualityput somebody as/among/in etc somethingA recent poll put Dr Martens among the world’s top thirty designer labels.martenlabelput somebody/something before somebody/somethingSome companies put profit before safety.companyput somebody/something first/second etcThe job’s important to him, but he puts his family first.put13send somebody somewhere [always + adverb/preposition]PUT to arrange for someone to go to a place, or to make them go thereput somebody in (something)The company is putting in new management.beputPneumonia put him in the hospital for a week.Put the boys to bed around eight o'clock.boy14put somebody on a train/plane etcPUT to take someone to a plane, train etc to start a journey: I put her on the plane for London.15put paid to something British EnglishDESTROY to spoil and end your hopes or plans completely: A car accident put paid to his chances of taking part in the race.paychancetake16I wouldn’t put it past somebody (to do something) spoken used to say that you think someone could easily do something wrong or illegal: I wouldn’t put it past him to use force.17put somebody to trouble/inconvenience especially British English to make extra work or cause problems for someone18put it there spokenHELLOAGREE used to tell someone to put their hand in yours, either as a greeting or after making an agreement with them: $500? OK, it’s a deal. Put it there!19throw to throw a shot (=a heavy metal ball) in a sports competition → put your finger on something at finger1(4), → put your foot down at foot1(13), → put your foot in it at foot1(15), → put the record straight at record1(10), → put something to (good) use at use2(4), → put your back into it at back2(19)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 4adverbswell Sorry, I’m not putting it very well.putsimply Put simply, our aim is to create art.besuccinctly (=using only a few words) A Russian economist put it most succinctly: ‘People do not care about carbon.’mildly (=in a way that is not extreme) His theory is controversial, to put it mildly.bebluntly/crudely/plainly (=in a direct way that may offend people) I would put it more bluntly. I think you are wallowing in self-pity.willbewallowdelicately (=in a way that will not offend people) He had been drunk, or as Hilton delicately put it, ‘talkative’.havebedrinkcleverly I didn't agree with her, but she put her argument so cleverly that I was almost persuaded.bepersuadephrasesput something another way The dress was too small for me, or, to put it another way, I was too big for it.bebeput something this/that way Let me put it this way - she's not as young as she was.beput something like that/this ‘He's been completely irresponsible.’ ‘I wouldn’t put it quite like that.’beput something into words (=say what you are feeling or thinking) She couldn’t put her feelings into words.feelingwordhow shall I/we put it? (=used before saying something in an indirect or polite way) Mr Lewis is now – how shall we put it? – hardly the influence he once was.bebeCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 7nounsput a question (to somebody) I will be putting that very question to her.putput a proposition/proposal to somebody I’ve a proposition to put to you.put a point to somebody You should put that point to the Chancellor.shallput a case (to somebody) He wanted to put his case to the full committee.wantphrasesput it to somebody that I put it to him that what we needed was some independent advice.needbeTHESAURUSput to move something to a particular place: I’ve put the wine in the fridge. | Where have you put my grey shirt?place to put something somewhere carefully: ‘It’s beautiful,’ he said, placing it back on the shelf.sayplacelay to put someone or something down carefully on a flat surface: He laid all the money on the table.lay | She laid the baby on his bed.layposition to carefully put something in a suitable position: Position the microphone to suit your height. | Troops were positioned around the city.troopbepositionslip to put something somewhere with a quick movement: He slipped his arm around her waist.slip | Carrie quickly slipped the money into her bag.slipshove to put something into a space or container quickly or carelessly: Shove anything you don’t want in that sack. | I’ve ironed those shirts so don’t just shove them in a drawer.ironshirtstick (also bung British English) informal to put something somewhere quickly or carelessly: I stuck the address in my pocket and I can’t find it now.stick | Could you bung those clothes in the washing machine?canclothewashdump to put something down somewhere in a careless and untidy way: Don’t just dump all your bags in the kitchen.bag | People shouldn’t dump rubbish at the side of the street.pop informal to quickly put something somewhere, usually for a short time: Pop it in the microwave for a minute.thrust literary to put something somewhere suddenly or forcefully: ‘Hide it,’ he said, thrusting the watch into her hand.saythrustto put something into a liquiddip to put something into a liquid for a very short time and take it out again: She dipped her hand in the water to see how hot it was.dipbe | Prawns are delicious dipped in a spicy sauce.prawnbedipplunge to put something quickly, firmly, and deeply into a liquid: Plunge the pasta into a pan of boiling water.boil | I had to plunge my arm in up to the elbow to reach the keys.havekeydunk to put something such as a piece of bread or cake into a hot drink or soup before eating it: I love biscuits dunked in coffee.biscuitdunkimmerse to put something deep into a liquid so that it is completely covered: If the plant’s leaves look dry, immerse the roots in water for a while.leaverootput about phrasal verb1put something about British English informalSAY to give other people news or information, especially when it is unpleasant or untrue: After he was fired, he put it about that he was fed up with working for such a large company.befirebefeedwork2put (something) about technical if a ship puts about or if you put it about, it changes direction3put yourself about British English informalSEX/HAVE SEX WITH to have sexual relationships with a lot of different peopleput something ↔ across phrasal verb1EXPLAINto explain your ideas, beliefs etc in a way that people can understand: He was trying to put across a serious point.betry2put yourself acrossEXPRESS British English to explain your ideas and opinions clearly so that people understand them and realize what sort of person you are: Sue’s never been very good at putting herself across at interviews.beputinterview3to sing, play music, or act in a film or play in a clear effective way: She can really put a song across.put something ↔ aside phrasal verb1FORGETto try to stop thinking about a problem, argument, or disagreement, because you want to achieve something: You must put aside your pride and apologise to him.2SAVE MONEYto save money regularly, usually for a particular purpose: She put at least £30 a week aside for food.little3PUTto put down something you are reading or working with, in order to start doing something else: He glanced at the note, put it aside and went on with the meeting.glancegomeet4KEEP/STOREto keep a period of time free in order to be able to do something: If you’re planning a trip to the museum, be sure to put aside at least an hour and a half.planlittleput something at something phrasal verb GUESSto calculate or guess an amount, number, age etc, without being very exact: Her fortune was put at £5.5 million.beput somebody/something away phrasal verb1put something ↔ awayPUT to put something in the place where it is usually kept: He put his toys away every night.toy2put something ↔ awaySAVE MONEY to save money: We’re putting some money away for expenses.putexpense3put somebody away informalPUT to put someone in a prison or in a mental hospital: If you are found guilty, the judge is going to put you away for life.befindbego4put something ↔ away informalEAT to eat or drink a lot: It’s amazing the amount that child can put away.amaze5put something ↔ away informal to score a goal, especially after other failed attempts: He seized the opportunity to put the ball away.seize6put something ↔ away American English informal to defeat your opponent in a sports competition: Two plays later, Smith scored to put the game away.playlatescoreput something back phrasal verb1put somebody/something ↔ back to put people or things in the place or situation they were in before: She put the saucepan back on the stove.staveOur win today put us back into third place in the league.2put something ↔ backPOSTPONE/DO LATER to arrange for an event to start at a later time or date SYN postponeput something ↔ back toThe meeting has been put back to next Thursday.meethavebe3put something ↔ backDELAY to delay a process or activity by a number of weeks, months etc: This fire could put back the opening date by several weeks.canopenweek4to make someone or something have something that they used to have before: The win put a smile back on his face.5put a clock/watch back British English to make a clock or watch show an earlier time SYN set back American English → put the clock back at clock1(3)put something behind you phrasal verb FORGETto try to forget about an unpleasant event or experience and think about the future: She had dealt with the guilt years ago and put it behind her.havedealyearput something ↔ by phrasal verb SAVE MONEYto save money regularly in order to use it later: We’re trying to put a little by each month for a new car.tryput down phrasal verb1place put something/somebody ↔ down to put something or someone that you are holding or carrying onto a surface: Put those heavy bags down for a minute.bag2criticize put somebody ↔ downCRITICIZE to criticize someone and make them feel silly or stupid SYN belittle: I hate the way Dave puts me down the whole time.putput yourself downStop putting yourself down.put3write put something ↔ downWRITE to write something, especially a name or number, on a piece of paper or on a list SYN write down: Put down your name and address.4put down a revolution/revolt/rebellion etcSTOP STH THAT IS HAPPENING to stop a revolution etc by using force: The uprising was put down by the police and the army.be5pay put something ↔ downPAY FOR to pay part of the total cost of something, so that you can pay the rest laterput something ↔ down onThey put down a deposit on the goods until Christmas.good6baby put somebody down to put a baby in its bed: We try to put Amy down at six every evening.even7put the phone down to put the receiver back onto the telephone when you have finished speaking to someone SYN hang upput the phone down onShe put the phone down on me (=suddenly ended the conversation).8kill put something ↔ downKILL to kill an animal without causing it pain, usually because it is old or sick SYN put something to sleep: We had to have the dog put down.have9I couldn’t put it down spokenINTERESTING used to say that you found a book, game etc extremely interesting: Once I’d started reading it I just couldn’t put it down.startread10aircraft put (something) down if an aircraft puts down or if a pilot puts it down, it lands, especially because of an emergency: The engine failed and the plane put down in the sea.fail11put down a motion/an amendmentSUGGEST to suggest a subject, plan, change in the law etc for a parliament or committee to consider12leave passenger put somebody down British English to stop a vehicle so that passengers can get off at a particular place: He asked the taxi to put him down at the end of the road.askput somebody down as something phrasal verb GUESSto guess what someone is like or what they do, without having much information about them: I didn’t think he was unfriendly. I put him down as shy.beput somebody down for something phrasal verb1WRITEto put someone’s name on a list so that they can take part in an activity, join an organization etc: They put themselves down for a training course.train2put somebody down for £5/£20 etc especially British EnglishWRITE to write someone’s name on a list with an amount of money that they have promised to giveput something down to something phrasal verb1EXPLAINto think that something is caused by something else: I was having difficulty reading, which I put down to the poor light.behaveread2put it down to experienceRESULT to try not to feel too upset about failure, especially when you learn something useful from it: Everyone gets rejected from time to time; put it down to experience.getrejectput forth something phrasal verb1to suggest an idea, explanation etc, especially one that other people later consider and discuss SYN submit: Arguments were put forth for changing some of the rules of the game.argumentbechangerule2put forth leaves/shoots/roots etc formal if a tree or bush puts forth leaves etc, it begins to grow themput somebody/something ↔ forward phrasal verb1SUGGESTto suggest a plan, proposal, idea etc for other people to consider or discuss SYN propose: They put forward a number of suggestions.numbsuggestion2SUGGESTto suggest formally that you or someone else should be considered for a particular job, membership of an organization etc: Her name was put forward for the lead role in the play.be3EARLYto arrange for an event to start at an earlier time or dateput somebody/something ↔ forward toThe men’s final has been put forward to 1:30.manhavebe4put a clock/watch forward British English to make a clock or watch show a later time SYN set forward American EnglishCOLLOCATIONSnounsput forward a proposal/suggestion She put forward a compromise proposal.put forward a plan/scheme Both parties have put forward plans for political reform.partyplanput forward an idea In 1829 he put forward the idea that the Earth is contracting.becontractput forward a theory/hypothesis Many theories have been put forward as to the building’s original purpose.theorybebuildput forward a view We should encourage individuals to put forward their views.shallindividualviewput forward an argument He rejected the arguments put forward by the company’s lawyers.rejectargumentlawyerput forward a reason/explanation A variety of reasons have been put forward to explain these changes.reasonbechangeput in phrasal verb1put something ↔ in to fix a piece of equipment somewhere and connect it so that it is ready to be used SYN instal: We decided to have a new bathroom put in.decide2put something ↔ inWORK HARD to spend time or use energy working or practising something: Dorothy had put in a lot of hard work during her six years as chairperson.haveyear3put in somethingINTERRUPT written to interrupt someone in order to say something: ‘How old are you?’ ‘Sixteen.’ ‘I’m sixteen too,’ put in Dixie.be4put something ↔ inASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STH to ask for something in an official way: She put in an insurance claim.We must put in an order by tonight.put in for somethingI put in for a pay increase.5put your faith/trust/confidence in somebody/something to trust someone or something or believe that they can do something: I’m putting my faith in the appeal judges.putjudge6put in something to do something in a particular way, especially a performance in a play, film, race etc: He put in a brilliant performance in the British Grand Prix.7put in an appearanceVISIT to go to a social event, meeting etc for a short time: There was an hour yet before she needed to put in an appearance at the restaurant.beneed8if a ship puts in, it enters a portput something into something phrasal verb1PUTto make money available to be used for a particular purpose: The government appears to be putting more money into education.appearput2WORK HARDto use a lot of energy etc when you are doing an activity: Candidates put a lot of time and effort into gaining qualifications.candidategainqualification3ADDto add a quality to something: These simple recipes put more fun into eating.recipeeatput somebody/something off phrasal verb1POSTPONE/DO LATERput something ↔ off to delay doing something or to arrange to do something at a later time or date, especially because there is a problem or you do not want to do it now SYN delay, procrastinate: The match has been put off until tomorrow because of bad weather.havebeput off doing somethingI put off going to the doctor but I wish I hadn’t.go2DISAPPOINTEDput somebody ↔ off British English to make you dislike something or not want to do something: Don’t let the restaurant’s decor put you off – the food is really good.beput somebody off (doing) somethingDon’t let your failures put you off trying harder.failuretryhard3DELAYput somebody off to make someone wait because you do not want to meet them, pay them etc until later SYN stall: When he calls, put him off as long as you can.call4DISTURBput somebody off (something) British English to make it difficult for someone to pay attention to what they are doing by talking, making a noise, moving etc: It puts me off when you watch me all the time.put5put somebody off (something) British English to let someone leave a vehicle at a particular place: I’ll put you off at the supermarket.put somebody/something on phrasal verb1clothes put something ↔ onPUT ON CLOTHES to put a piece of clothing on your body OPP take off: He took off his uniform and put on a sweater and trousers.taketrouserI’ll have to put my glasses on; I can’t read the sign from here.glass2on skin put something ↔ onPUT to put make-up, cream etc on your skin: I’ve got to put this cream on twice a day.get3affect/influence something put something on something to do something that affects or influences someone or something else: The government put a limit on imports of textiles.importtextilePat was putting pressure on him to leave his wife.beput4start equipment put something ↔ onSWITCH ON OR OFF to make a light or a piece of equipment start working by pressing or turning a button or switch SYN switch on, turn on: He got up and put on the light.getShall I put the kettle on?5music put something ↔ on to put a record, tape, or CD into a machine and start playing it: She put on some music while they ate.eat6pretend put something ↔ onPRETEND to pretend to have a particular feeling, opinion, way of speaking etc especially in order to get attention: Sheila’s not really that upset; she’s just putting it on.putLeaving the court, the families all tried to put on a brave face (=not show that they were sad or worried).leavefamilytry7put on weight/12 lbs/4 kg etcFAT to become fatter and heavier SYN gain: Rosie’s put on five kilos since she quit smoking.kilosmoke8event/concert/play etc put something ↔ onPERFORM to arrange for a concert, play etc to take place, or to perform in it: One summer the children put on a play.child9show what you can do put something ↔ on to show what you are able to do or what power you have: The team need to put on another world-class performance.10cook put something ↔ on to start cooking something: Shall I put the pasta on now?11provide something put something ↔ on British English to provide a service for people, especially a special one: BA is putting on extra flights to cover the Christmas rush.beputflight12you’re putting me on! especially American English spokenJOKE used to tell someone that you think they are joking: He wouldn’t do that – you’re putting me on.put13risk money put something on something to risk an amount of money on the result of a game, race etc SYN bet: We put £50 on Brazil to win the Cup.14add put something on somethingADD to add an amount of money or tax onto the cost of something: Can smokers really complain if more tax is put on cigarettes?smokerbecigarette15telephone put somebody ↔ on to give someone the telephone so that they can talk to someone who is telephoning: Can you put Janet on?put somebody onto somebody/something phrasal verb TELL British English informal to give someone information about something interesting or useful that they did not know about: Jo put us onto this fantastic French restaurant.put out phrasal verb1fire/cigarette etc put something ↔ outSTOP STH THAT IS HAPPENING to make a fire etc stop burning SYN extinguish: The rescue services are still trying to put out the fires.servicebetryfire2light put something ↔ outSWITCH ON OR OFF to make a light stop working by pressing or turning a button or switch SYN switch off3make available put something ↔ out to put things where people can find and use them: The girls helped her to put out the cups and plates.girlhelpcupplate4feel/be put outOFFEND to feel upset or offended: We were a little put out at not being invited to the wedding.bebeinvite5make extra work put somebody outPROBLEM to make extra work or cause problems for someone: Mary can’t come to dinner tonight. She hopes it won’t put you out.hopewin6put yourself outHELP to make an effort to do something that will help someone: They had put themselves out to entertain her during her visit.have7take outside put something ↔ outPUT to take something outside your house and leave it there: Remember to put the cat out before you go to bed.put the rubbish/garbage etc out (=put unwanted things outside your house to be taken away)put the washing out (=put clothes outside to dry)8put your tongue outRUDE/IMPOLITE to push your tongue out of your mouth, especially as a rude sign to someone9put your hand/foot/arm outSTICK OUT to move your hand etc forward and away from your body: He put out his hand toward her.10make unconscious put somebody out to make someone unconscious before a medical operation11put your back out to injure your back12produce something put something ↔ out to broadcast or produce something for people to read or listen to: They put out a half-hour programme on young refugees.refugee13put out feelersFIND OUT to try to discover information or opinions by listening to people or watching what is happening: He had already put out feelers with local employers but they hadn’t been interested.havefeeleremployerbeinterest14ship if a ship puts out, it starts to sail15have sex American English informalSEX/HAVE SEX WITH if a woman puts out, she has sex with a man16baseball put somebody out to prevent a baseball player from running around the bases, for example by catching the ball that they have hitput something ↔ over phrasal verb1EXPRESS British English to succeed in telling other people your ideas, opinions, feelings etc: The advert puts over the message clearly and simply: nuclear power is clean.putbe2put one/something over on somebody informal to deceive someone into believing something that is not true or that is useless: Nobody could put one over on him.canput through phrasal verb1put somebody/something ↔ through to connect someone to someone else on the telephoneput somebody/something ↔ through toCould you put me through to Eddie?can2put somebody through school/college/university to pay for someone to study at school, college etc: She worked as a waitress and put herself through school.work3put somebody through somethingFORCE SB TO DO STH to make someone do or experience something difficult or unpleasant: The soldiers were put through eight weeks of basic training.soldierbeweektrainThey really put me through it at the interview.4put something ↔ throughDEAL WITH to do what is necessary in order to get a plan or suggestion accepted or approved: Production will start up again when these changes have been put through.changebeput something ↔ together phrasal verb1COLLECTto prepare or produce something by collecting pieces of information, ideas etc: It took all morning to put the proposal together.take2to form people or things into a group: We are currently putting together a sales and marketing team.beputsalemarket3MAKEto make a machine, model etc by joining all the different parts SYN assemble: I can’t work out how to put this table together.4more ... than the rest/the others/everything else put togetherCOMPARE used to say that one amount is greater than the total of a set of amounts: Paul seemed to have more money than the rest of us put together.seemput something towards something phrasal verb to use some money in order to pay part of the cost of something: Alec put the money towards a trip to Australia.put somebody under phrasal verb if a doctor puts you under, they give you drugs to make you unconscious before surgeryput up phrasal verb1build put something ↔ up to build something such as a wall, fence, building etc SYN erect: They’re putting up several new office blocks in the centre of town.putblock2for people to see put something ↔ upPUBLICIZE/MAKE KNOWN to put a picture, notice etc on a wall so that people can see it: Can I put up some posters?posterThe shops have started to put up Christmas decorations.shopstartdecoration3attach something put something ↔ up to attach a shelf, cupboard etc to a wall: My dad put up five shelves.shelve4increase put something ↔ upINCREASE IN NUMBER OR AMOUNT British English to increase the cost or value of something SYN raise: Most big stores admit they daren’t put prices up for fear of losing their customers.storepricelosecustomer5raise put something ↔ up to raise something to a higher position: I put up my hand and asked to leave the room.askPhilip put his hood up because it was raining.berain6let somebody stay put somebody upSTAY WITH SB, IN A HOTEL ETC to let someone stay in your house and give them meals: I was hoping Kenny could put me up for a few days.behopecanday7stay somewhere British EnglishSTAY WITH SB, IN A HOTEL ETC to stay in a place for a short timeput up at/in/withWe can put up at a hotel for the night.8put up a fight/struggle/resistanceFIGHT FOR OR AGAINST STH to show great determination to oppose something or get out of a difficult situation: Gina put up a real fight to overcome the disease.The rebels have put up fierce resistance.rebel9put up somethingGIVE to give an amount of money for a particular purpose: The paper put up a reward for information on the murder.10make available put something up to make something or someone available for a particular purposeput something up forThey put their house up for sale.The baby was put up for adoption.be11put up a proposal/argument/case etcEXPLAIN to explain a suggestion or idea so that other people can think about it or discuss it: If you can put up a good enough case, the board will provide the finance.12elections put somebody ↔ upSUGGEST to suggest someone as a suitable person to be elected to a position: I was put up for the committee.be13put up or shut up spoken informal used to tell someone that they should either do what needs to be done or stop talking about itput somebody up to something phrasal verb PERSUADEto encourage someone to do something stupid or dangerous: ‘Did Shirley put you up to this?’ ‘No, it was my own idea.’dobeput up with somebody/something phrasal verb STAND/BEARto accept an unpleasant situation or person without complaining: She put up with his violent temper.RegisterIn written English, people usually prefer to use tolerate, which is more formal:They had to tolerate many hardships.havehardship
verb (past tense and past participle read /red/)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: rædan Verb form1words/books [intransitive and transitive]READ to look at written words and understand what they mean:
I can’t read your writing.writeShe picked up the letter and read it.pickRead the instructions carefully before you start.instructionchildren who are just learning to read and writechildbelearnHer books are quite widely read (=read by a lot of people).bookbeWhen I was young, I read every one of his books from cover to cover (=read all of something because you are very interested).bebook2find information [intransitive, transitive not in progressive]READ to find out information from books, newspapers etc: You can’t believe everything you read in the papers.paperread aboutDid you read about what happened to that guy in Florida?dohappenread ofI was shocked when I read of his death.beshockread (that)I read last week that the disease is on the increase.be3read and speak [intransitive and transitive]READ to say the words in a book, newspaper etc so that people can hear themread somebody somethingDaddy, will you read me a story?read (something) to somebodyOur mother reads to us every evening.readevenTeachers should read more poetry to children.teachershallchildHe glanced at the letter and began to read it aloud.glancebegin4music/maps etc [transitive]UNDERSTAND to look at signs or pictures and understand what they mean: He plays the violin very well but can’t actually read music.playAre you any good at map reading?beread5computer [transitive] technical if a computer can read a disk, it can take the information that is on the disk and put it into its memory6understand something in a particular way [transitive always + adverb/preposition]UNDERSTAND to understand a situation, remark etc in one of several possible ways SYN interpret: I wasn’t sure how to read his silence.read something as somethingShe shook her head, and I read this as a refusal.shakeThe poem can be read as a protest against war.read something well/accurately (=understand something correctly)He had accurately read the mood of the nation.have7have words on [transitive not in progressive]READ used to say what words are on a sign, in a letter etc SYN say: A sign on the outer door read: ‘No Entry’.8style of writing [intransitive] if something reads well, badly etc, it has been written well, badly etc: I think in general the report reads well.read9read something as/for somethingCORRECT to replace one word or number with another one, usually with the correct one: Please read £50 as £15.For ‘November’ (=instead of November) on line 6, read ‘September’.10measuring [transitive] a)to look at the number or amount shown on a measuring instrument: Someone should be coming to read the gas meter.shallcome b)if a measuring instrument reads a particular number, it shows that number: The thermometer read 46 degrees.degree11at university [intransitive and transitive] British English to study a subject at a university: I read history at Cambridge.read forHe wants to read for a law degree.wantRegisterIn everyday British English, people usually say that someone does a subject at university:I did history at Cambridge.doHe wants to do a law degree.want12take it as read (that) especially British English to feel certain that something is true although no one has told you it is true SYN assume: You can take it as read that we will support the project.13take something as read to accept that a report or statement is correct without reading it or discussing it: We’ll take the secretary’s report as read.14read between the linesMEANING to guess someone’s real feelings from something they say or write, when they do not tell you directly: Reading between the lines, I’d say Robert’s not very happy.readline15read sb’s mind/thoughtsUNDERSTAND to guess what someone else is thinking: ‘Want some coffee?’ ‘You read my mind.’16can read somebody like a bookKNOW SB if you can read someone like a book, you know them so well that you immediately know what they are thinking or feeling17read sb’s palm to look carefully at someone’s hand, in order to find out about their future18read sb’s lipsUNDERSTAND to understand what someone is saying by watching the way their lips move. People who cannot hear do this. → lip-read19read my lips spoken used to tell someone that you really mean what you are saying: Read my lips: I will not let you down.lip20do you read me? spokenASK A QUESTION used to ask someone whether they can hear you when you are speaking to them by radio21well-read/widely-readREAD someone who is well-read has read a lot of books and knows a lot about many subjects: She is intelligent and extremely well-read.be → reading, → read (somebody) the riot act at riot1(4)THESAURUSread to look at and understand the words in a book, magazine, letter etc for interest, enjoyment, or study: What book are you reading at the moment?beread | I usually read the newspaper on the way to work.flick/flip/leaf through something to turn the pages of a book, magazine etc quickly, looking for things that might interest you: While I was waiting, I flicked through a magazine.bewaitflick | She was flipping through the pages of an encyclopedia.beflippage | Cunningham was leafing through a copy of the Financial Times at his desk amidst a cloud of cigar-smoke.beleaftimebrowse through something to spend time looking through a book, magazine etc without any clear purpose, looking for things that might interest you: Would you like to browse through our holiday brochure?willskim/scan (through) something to read something quickly to get the main ideas or find a particular piece of information: I want you to skim through the article and write a short summary of it. | Tony scanned the menu for a vegetarian option.scanpore over something to read something very carefully for a long time: They spent weeks poring over guidebooks and planning their holiday.spendweekporeguidebookplandevour something /dɪˈvaʊə $ -ˈvaʊr/ to read something quickly and eagerly: Her young fans devour her books.fanbookdip into something to read short parts of something: It’s a book you can dip into rather than read from cover to cover.plough/wade through something to read something long and boring: He’s upstairs ploughing through financial reports.ploughreport | I can’t possibly wade through all this.surf the Net/Internet/Web to look quickly through information on the Internet, stopping to read what interests you: I was surfing the Net, trying to find my ideal job.besurftryread something ↔ back phrasal verb to read out loud something that you have just written downread something ↔ back toCan you read that last bit back to me?biteread for something phrasal verb to say some of the words that are said by a particular character in a play, as a test of your ability to actread something into something phrasal verb MEANINGto think that a situation, action etc has a meaning or importance that it does not really have: It was only a casual remark. I think you’re reading too much into it.bereadread something ↔ out phrasal verb READto read and say words that are written down, so that people can hear: Why don’t you read out the name of the winner?read something ↔ out toHe read the last few sentences out to me.sentenceread something ↔ through/over phrasal verb READto read something carefully from beginning to end in order to check details or find mistakes SYN check over/through: Read the contract over carefully before you sign it.Spend a couple of minutes just reading through your essay.minutereadread up on something (also read something ↔ upread something ↔ up British English) phrasal verb READto read a lot about something because you will need to know about it: You’ll enjoy traveling more if you read up on the history of the countries you’ll be visiting.travelcountryvisit
readnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesreadreadsreadread2 noun [singular] informalWord family1British EnglishREAD if you have a read, you spend time reading: I sat down to have a nice quiet read.sitread ofI had a quick read of the report before I left.haveleave2a good readREAD something that you enjoy reading: I thought his last book was a really good read.thinkbe
verb (past tense and past participle told) /təʊld $ toʊld/
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: tellan Verb form1communicate something [transitive]TELL if someone tells you something, they communicate information, a story, their feelings etc to youtell somebody (that)
I wish someone had told me the meeting was canceled.havetellmeetbecancelThe Chief of Police told reporters that two people were killed in the blast.tellreporterbekilltell somebody what/how/where/who etcJack had to go, but he didn’t tell me why.haveI think you’d better tell me exactly what’s been going on around here.wellbegotell somebody about somethingNo one had told them about the drug’s side effects.havetelleffectI’ll tell you all about it when I get back.tell somebody somethingTell me your phone number again.numbtell (somebody) a story/joke/secret/lieShe told us some funny stories about her sister.tellstorySheppard was telling the truth.betelltell somebody straight (=tell someone the truth, even though it might upset them)Tell me straight, Adam. Just answer yes or no. ► Do not say ‘tell that ...’. Say tell someone that ... or say that ...: She told me (NOT She told) that she was a vegetarian. | She said that she was a vegetarian. → see Thesaurus box on p.1816RegisterIn written English, people often prefer to say that another writer describes something, rather than using tell:His book describes how the human brain has developed.describehavedevelop2show something [transitive] to give information in ways other than talkingtell somebody how/what/where/who etcThe light tells you when the machine is ready.tellbeThe bear’s sense of smell tells it where prey is hiding.tellbehidtell somebody about somethingWhat do these fossils tell us about climate change?fossil3what somebody should do [transitive]TELL to say that someone must do somethingtell somebody (not) to do somethingThe teacher told the children to sit down quietly.tellchildI thought I told you not to touch anything!thinktelltell somebody (that)Bernice was told she had to work late this evening.betellhaveeventell somebody what/how etcStop trying to tell me what to do all the time.tryDo as you are told (=obey me) and don’t ask questions.betellquestion4know [intransitive, transitive not in progressive]SHOW/BE A SIGN OF to know something or be able to recognize something because of certain signs that show thiscan/can’t tellShe might have been lying. Benjy couldn’t tell.belietell (that)The moment Kramer walked in, I could tell that things were not going well.walkcanthingbegotell (something) a mile off (=know easily)You could tell a mile off that he was lying.canbelietell when/how/whether/if etcIt’s hard to tell how long the job will take.tell something by something/from somethingI could tell from his tone of voice that Ken was disappointed.canbedisappoint5recognize difference [transitive not in progressive]RECOGNIZE to be able to see how one person or thing is different from anothertell something from somethingHow can you tell a fake Vuitton handbag from the real thing?Can you tell the difference between sparkling wine and champagne?sparkle → tell apart6tell yourself somethingREMIND/MAKE SB REMEMBER to persuade yourself that something is true: I keep telling myself there is nothing I could have done to save him.tellbecando7warn [transitive usually in past tense]WARN to warn someone that something bad might happentell somebody (that)I told you it was a waste of time talking to him.tellbetalktell somebody (not) to do somethingMy mother told me not to trust Robert.tell8tell somebody about bad behaviour [intransitive] informalTELL/ORDER SB TO DO STH to tell someone in authority about something wrong that someone you know has done – used especially by children SYN tell on somebody: If you hit me, I’ll tell. → kiss-and-tell9tell tales British EnglishLIE DOWN to say something that is not true about someone else, in order to cause trouble for them – used especially about children: an unpopular boy, who was always telling tales on the other childrenbetelltalechild → telltale210all toldTOTAL altogether, when everyone or everything has been counted: There must have been eight cars in the accident, all told.becartell11affect [intransitive not in progressive]EFFECT/INFLUENCE to have an effect on someone, especially a harmful onetell on somebodyThese late nights are really beginning to tell on him.nightbebegin12tell the time British English, tell time American EnglishTIME/WHAT TIME IS IT to be able to know what time it is by looking at a clockSPOKEN PHRASES13I/I’ll tell you what (also tell you what) a)SUGGESTused when you are suggesting or offering something: I tell you what – let’s have a picnic in the park. b)American English used in order to emphasize what you are really saying: I tell you what, I’m not looking forward to standing up in court tomorrow.lookstand14to tell (you) the truthHONEST used to emphasize that you are being very honest: I don’t really want to go out, to tell the truth.15I can tell you/I’m telling youTRUE used to emphasize that what you are saying is true even though it may be difficult to believe: I’m telling you, Sheila, I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.tellsee16tell meASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STH used before asking a question: Tell me, do you think this dress goes with these shoes?goshoeSo tell me, how was it in Argentina?be17I told you soWARN used when you have warned someone about a possible danger that has now happened and they have ignored your warning: I suppose you’ve come to say ‘I told you so.’tell18I’ll tell you something/one thing/another thing (also let me tell you something/one thing/another thing)OPINION used to emphasize what you are saying: I’ll tell you one thing – you’ll never get me to vote for him.Let me tell you something – if I catch you kids smoking again, you’ll be grounded for a month at least.kidsmokegroundlittle19you can tell him from me used to ask someone to tell another person something, when you are annoyed or determined: Well, you can tell him from me that I’m going to make a complaint.go20I couldn’t tell youNOT KNOW used to tell someone that you do not know the answer to their question: ‘How much would a rail ticket cost?’ ‘ I couldn’t tell you; I always drive.’will21I can’t tell you a)SECRETused to say that you cannot tell someone something because it is a secret: ‘Where are you taking me?’ ‘I can’t tell you; it would spoil the surprise.’betakewill b)DESCRIBEused to say that you cannot express your feelings or describe something properlyI can’t tell you how/why/what etcI can’t tell you how worried I’ve been.worrybe22don’t tell meINTERRUPT used to interrupt someone because you know what they are going to say or because you want to guess – used especially when you are annoyed: ‘I’m sorry I’m late but ...’ ‘Don’t tell me – the car broke down again?’break23somebody tells me (that)TELL used to say what someone has told you: Mike tells me you’ve got a new job.tellget24you’re telling meAGREE used to emphasize that you already know and agree with something that someone has just said: ‘He’s such a pain to live with.’ ‘You’re telling me!’tell25tell me about itKNOW STH used to say that you already know how bad something is, especially because you have experienced it yourself: ‘I’ve been so tired lately.’ ‘Yeah, tell me about it!’betire26you never can tell/you can never tellTHINK SO/NOT BE SURE used to say that you cannot be certain about what will happen in the future: The boy might turn out to be a genius. You never can tell.27there’s no telling what/how etcNOT KNOW used to say that it is impossible to know what has happened or what will happen next: There’s no telling what she’ll try next.tell28SECRETthat would be telling used to say that you cannot tell someone something because it is a secret29tell somebody where to go/where to get off used to tell someone angrily that what they have said is insulting or unfair: ‘Andy started criticizing the way I was dressed.’ ‘I hope you told him where to get off!’startcriticizebedresstell30tell it like it is American English to say exactly what you think or what is true, without hiding anything that might upset or offend people: Don always tells it like it is.tellbe31I’m not telling (you)REFUSE used to say that you refuse to tell someone something: ‘Mum, what are you getting me for my birthday?’ ‘I’m not telling you – you’ll have to wait and see.’begettell32tell me another (one)BELIEVE used when you do not believe what someone has told youCOLLOCATIONSnounstell a story/tale He then told the story of how he was injured while riding his motorcycle.tellbeinjureridetell a joke They sat around telling terrible jokes.sittelljoketell somebody a secret I offered to tell her my secret if she didn’t tell anyone else.offertell a lie They told lies about us.telllietell the truth ‘I’m telling you the truth,’ she persisted.tellpersistTHESAURUStell to give someone information by speaking or writing to them: She wrote to tell me she was getting married.writebegetmarry | Can you tell us where the nearest garage is?nearbelet somebody know especially spoken to tell someone something when you know more about it: Let me know your new address as soon as you can. | Let us know what happens at the interview.happenpass a message on to somebody (also pass it on informal) to tell another person the information that has been told to you: She’s with a client at the moment, but I’ll pass the message on to her. | If I get any news, I’ll pass it on.brief to give someone all the necessary information about a situation, so that they can do their work: Police officers were briefed before going out to arrest the suspects.officerbebriefgosuspectrelate formal to tell someone about something that happened to you or to someone else: One girl related a story about a friend who had accidentally become pregnant.relatehaverecount formal to tell someone about a series of events: The guide recounted the history of the castle, from the 1300s onwards.recountbring something to sb’s attention to tell someone about something that they did not know about, but which they need to know about: I wanted to bring the matter to your attention.want | She was the first person to study the effects of pesticides, and to bring them to people’s attention.beeffectpesticidefill somebody in informal to tell someone about things that have happened recently, especially at work: Can you fill Robert in on the progress we’ve made while he’s been on holiday?makebeto officially tell someoneinform to officially tell someone about something: Do you think we ought to inform the police? | Doctors should inform patients about the possible side effects of any drugs they prescribe.doctorshallpatienteffectdrugannounce to tell people publicly and officially about something: The university chancellor announced his resignation on Friday.announce | It was announced that the company had made a profit of $6 billion.beannouncehavemakereport to officially tell someone about something that has happened: She was able to report that the project was nearly finished.bebefinishnotify formal to tell someone officially about something that has happened or that is planned to happen: Staff were notified several months in advance that they would be losing their jobs.benotifymonthwilllosejobtell against somebody phrasal verb British English formal ADVANTAGEto make someone less likely to succeed in achieving or winning something: I badly wanted the job, but knew that my age would probably tell against me.wantknowwilltell somebody/something apart phrasal verb RECOGNIZEif you can tell two people or things apart, you can see the difference between them, so that you do not confuse them SYN distinguish: It’s almost impossible to tell the twins apart.twintell of somebody/something phrasal verb literary DESCRIBEto describe an event or person: The poem tells of the deeds of a famous warrior.telldeedRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say that a poem, story etc is about something rather than tells of something:What's his latest poem about?latetell somebody ↔ off phrasal verb if someone in authority tells you off, they speak to you angrily about something wrong that you have donebe/get told offShelley was one of those kids who was always getting told off at school.bekidbegettelltell somebody off for doing somethingMy dad told me off for swearing.tellsweartell on somebody phrasal verb informal to tell someone in authority about something wrong that someone you know has done – used especially by children: Please don’t tell on me – my parents will kill me if they find out!parent
verb
Word familyDate: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: mouvoir, from Latin movere Verb form1change place [intransitive and transitive]MOVE/CHANGE POSITIONMOVE STH OR SB to change from one place or position to another, or to make something do this:
Please keep the doors closed while the train is moving.doorclosebemove‘Come on,’ Sue said. No one moved.saymoveCould you move your car, please? It’s blocking the road.canblockmove quickly/slowly/steadily etcThe plane moved slowly along the runway, then stopped.movestopmove away/out/to/towards etcHe moved closer to her.movecloseBecca moved down the steps and into the yard.movestepmove about/aroundI could hear someone moving around upstairs.canmoveThe bar was so crowded you could hardly move.becrowdcanAt Christmas, you couldn’t move for toys in this house (=there were a lot of toys).toyPaul couldn’t move a muscle (=could not move at all) he was so scared.bescare2new house/office [intransitive and transitive]LEAVE YOUR HOME/COUNTRY if a person or company moves, or if you move them, they go to live or work in a different place: We’ve moved seven or eight times in the last five years.movetimeyearmove to/into/fromWhen are you moving to Memphis?bemoveThey’ve moved into bigger offices in London.movebigofficemove somebody to/into/from etc somethingHe had to move his mother into a nursing home.havenurseThe company is moving its sales center downtown.bemovesalemove house/home British English (=go to live in a different house)My parents kept moving house because of my dad’s job.parentkeepmove3change opinion etc a)[intransitive] to change from one opinion or way of thinking to another SYN shift: Neither side is willing to move on the issue of territory.bewillmove towards/away fromThe two political parties have moved closer towards each other in recent months.partymoveclosemonthAt this stage, children move further away from the influence of their parents, and depend more on their friends.childfarparentfriend b)[transitive] to persuade someone to change their opinion: She won’t be moved – it doesn’t matter what you say to her.winmove4progress [intransitive]PROGRESS to make progress in a particular way or at a particular rate: Things moved quickly once the contract was signed.thingmovebesignThe negotiations seem to be moving in the right direction.negotiationmoveget/keep things movingThe plan should boost employment and get things moving in the economy.shallthingmove5take action [intransitive]DEAL WITH to start taking action, especially in order to achieve something or deal with a problemmove on/againstThe governor has yet to move on any of the recommendations in the report.haverecommendationmove fast/quickly/swiftlyYou’ll have to move fast if you want to get a place on the course.6change job/class etc [intransitive and transitive]CHANGE FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHER to change to a different job, class etc, or to make someone change to a different job, class etc SYN transfermove somebody to/into/from somethingSeveral students were moved from the beginners’ class into the intermediate one.studentbemovebeginnerHe spent five years at KLP, before moving to IMed as a manager.spendyearmove7emotion [transitive]SYMPATHIZE to make someone feel strong emotions, especially of sadness or sympathybe deeply/genuinely/profoundly movedRussell was deeply moved by what he heard.bemovehearHis speech moved the audience to tears.movetear → moving(1)8cause somebody to do something [transitive] to cause someone to do somethingmove somebody to do somethingSeeing her there had moved him to think about the time they had together.seehavemovehavebe/feel moved to do somethingI have never before felt moved to write, but I feel I must protest.feelmove9time/order [transitive]CHANGE FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHER to change the time or order of somethingmove something to/from somethingCould we move the meeting to Thursday?canmeet10change subject [intransitive]CHANGE FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHER to start talking or writing about a different subjectmove away from/off/to etcWe seem to be moving away from the main point of the discussion.move → move on(4)11get movingHURRY (also move it) spoken used to tell someone to hurry: Come on, get moving or you’ll be late for school.move12it’s time I was moving/we ought to get moving etc spokenGOLEAVE A PLACE used to say that you need to leave or go somewhere: I think it’s time we were moving.bemoveI ought to get moving – I have to be up early tomorrow.move13games [intransitive and transitive] to change the position of one of the objects used to play a game such as chess14at a meeting [intransitive and transitive] formal to officially make a proposal at a meetingmove thatThe chairman moves that the meeting be adjourned.movemeetadjournmove to do somethingI move to approve the minutes as read.minutemove an amendment British English (=suggest a change)They want to move an amendment to the bill.15go fast [intransitive] informalFAST/QUICK to travel very fast: This car can really move!16be bought [intransitive]SELL if things of a particular kind are moving, they are being bought, especially at a particular rate: The highest-priced homes are still moving slowly.highpricehomebemove17move with the timesCHANGE FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHER to change the way you think and behave, as society changes: If the resorts want to keep attracting tourists, they need to move with the times.resortattracttouristtime18move in ... circles/society/worldSOCIALIZE to spend a lot of time with a particular type of people and know them well: She spent time in England, where she moved in high society.spendmove → move the goalposts at goalpost(2), → move in for the kill at kill2(2), → move heaven and earth at heaven(9), → when the spirit moves you at spirit1(15)THESAURUSmove to go to a different place, or change the position of your body: Sarah moved away from the window.move | Every time I move I get a pain in my left shoulder.leavesway to move slowly from one side to the other: The branches swayed in the wind.branchsway | Donny swayed drunkenly as he walked back to his car.swaywalkrock to move repeatedly from one side to another, with small gentle movements: He rocked backward and forward in his chair.rock | The boat rocked from side to side with the waves.rockwavewobble to move unsteadily from side to side: The bike wobbled a bit, but she soon got it under control.wobblebitegetfidget to keep moving or playing with your fingers, hands, feet etc, because you are bored or nervous: Diana fidgeted nervously with her pencil.fidgetsquirm to make very small movements from side to side with your body, especially because you feel uncomfortable: By the end of the hour, most of the children were squirming in their seats.childbesquirmseatwriggle to make small movements from side to side, especially in order to get into or out of something: The dog wriggled under the fence and escaped into the street.wriggleescape | She managed to wriggle into the dress, but it was much too tight.managebetwitch if part of your body twitches, it makes small movements that you cannot control: A muscle on Yang’s face twitched.twitchstir written to make a movement – used especially when describing a situation in which no one moves, or someone wakes up: In the village a dog barked but no one stirredbarkstir | The sleeping child stirred and opened her eyes.sleepstiropeneyebudge to move – used when you are trying hard to make something move, often without success: The piano wouldn’t budge.to move to a different house, office etcmove to move to a different house, office etc: They’ve moved back to Santiago.move | My brother’s helping us move house.helprelocate to move to a different place – used about companies, organizations, and people who work for them: NATO’s main headquarters relocated to Brussels.relocate | Klein is relocating to London to head up the investment banking team.berelocatebanknot movingstill not moving – use this especially about people who are not moving, or about places where there is no wind: There was no wind and the trees were completely still.betreebe | Keep still while I tie your shoes.shoestationary not moving – use this about cars, trains, or objects: The truck swerved and hit a stationary vehicle.swerveimmobile not moving or not able to move, especially because of fear or tiredness: As the disease progressed, she became increasingly immobile.progressbecomemotionless completely still – used especially in literature: Kemp sat motionless as the verdict was read.sitbecalm not moving because there is no wind – use this about air and water: The lake was calm.bebe at a standstill if traffic is at a standstill it is not moving: Traffic was at a standstill on the motorway.bemove along phrasal verb1if a process or situation is moving along, or if you move it along, it continues and makes progress: Construction of the bridge is moving along.bemovemove something alongI hope we can move things along and get the negotiations going again.thingnegotiationgo2move somebody ↔along to officially order someone to leave a public place: A queue formed by the gates, and a policeman tried to move people along.formgatetrymove around phrasal verb to change where you live very frequently, especially so that you live in many different parts of a country: My dad was in the army, so we moved around a lot.bemovemove away phrasal verb LEAVE YOUR HOME/COUNTRYto go to live in a different area: My best friend moved away when I was ten.wellmovebemove down (something) phrasal verb to change to a lower group, rank, or level: Interest rates have moved down.ratemoveA drop in wages has meant that these families have moved down the economic scale.wagehavemeanfamilymovemove in phrasal verb1LEAVE YOUR HOME/COUNTRY (also move into something) to start living in a new home OPP move out: When are you moving in?bemoveMom and Dad had always planned to move into a smaller house when we grew up.haveplansmallgrow2WITHto start living with someone in the same homemove in withSteve’s going to move in with her.go3CONTROLto start being involved in and controlling a situation that someone else controlled previously: The big multinationals moved in and started pushing up prices.multinationalmovestartpushpricemove in onInvestors moved in on a group of car enthusiasts and took over the market.investormoveenthusiasttake4ATTACKCONTROLto go towards a place or group of people, in order to attack them or take control of themmove in onPolice moved in on the demonstrators in the square.movedemonstratormove off phrasal verb especially British English LEAVE A PLACEif a vehicle or group of people moves off, it starts to leave: Always check behind the car before you move off.move on phrasal verb1change job/classCHANGE FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHER to leave your present job, class, or activity and start doing another one: I enjoyed my job, but it was time to move on.enjoybemove on toWhen you finish, move on to the next exercise.move on to higher/better things (=get a better job or social position – used humorously)Jeremy’s leaving the company to move on to higher things.leavehighthing2change/develop a)PROGRESSDEVELOPto develop in your life, and change your relationships, interests, activities etc: I’ve moved on since high school, and now I don’t have much in common with some of my old friends.movefriendmove on fromShe has long since moved on from the roles of her youth.havemoverole b)ADVANCEDto change, progress, improve, or become more modern as time passes: By the time the software was ready, the market had moved on.behavemove3move somebody on British English to order someone to leave a particular place – used especially about police: The police arrived on the scene and began moving the protesters on.arrivebeginmoveprotester4change subjectTALK TO SB to start talking about a new subject in a discussion, book etc: Before we move on, does anyone have any questions?doquestion5continue journeyLEAVE A PLACE to leave the place where you have been staying and continue to another place: After three days we decided it was time to move on.daydecidebemove on toThe exhibition has now moved on to Edinburgh.havemove6timePASS/TIME PASSING if time, the year etc moves on, the time passes: As time moves on, I’d like the children to play more challenging music.movechildchallenge7time is moving on British English spokenLATE used to say that you must leave soon or do something soon, because it is getting late: Time’s moving on – we’d better get back to the car.movewellmove out phrasal verb1LEAVE YOUR HOME/COUNTRYto leave the house where you are living now in order to go and live somewhere else OPP move in: He moved out, and a year later they were divorced.movelatebedivorcemove out ofThey moved out of London when he was little.movebe2LEAVE A PLACEif a group of soldiers moves out, they leave a place3American English spoken to leave: Are you ready to move out?bemove over phrasal verb1MOVE/CHANGE POSITIONto change position so that there is more space for someone else: Move over a little, so I can get in.2CHANGE FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHERto start using a different system, doing a different type of work etcmove over toMost companies have moved over to computer-aided design systems.companymoveaidsystem3to change jobs, especially within the same organization or industrymove over fromThe company’s new publisher just moved over from Villard Books.movebook4move over Madonna/Walt Disney/CD-ROMs etc used when saying that something new is becoming more popular than something older – used humorously: Move over, Armani, there’s a new designer taking the fashion scene by storm.takemove up phrasal verb1CHANGE FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHERUPto get a better job in a company, or change to a more advanced group, higher rank, or higher level: To move up, you’ll need the right training.trainShare prices moved up this month.pricemovemove up toThe kids learn fast, and can’t wait to move up to the junior team.kidHe was moving up the ladder (=getting higher and higher positions), getting experience of command.bemovegetHe’s moved up in the world (=got a better job or social position) in the last few years, and his new flat shows it.moveyearshow2especially British EnglishMOVE/CHANGE POSITIONFORWARD to change position in order to make more space for other people or things or be near someone else: There’s room for one more if everyone moves up a bit.movebite
movenounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesmovemovesmovemove2 S2 W1 noun [countable]
Word family1decision/actionDO STH/TAKE ACTION something that you decide to do in order to achieve something: She’s still thinking about her next move.thinkmove to do somethingthe Board’s recent moves to cut interest ratesmoverateMost of the council members are reluctant to make such a drastic move.memberbeThe authorities have made no move to resolve the conflict.authoritymakea good/wise/smart etc moveShe decided to learn as much about it as she could, which seemed like a wise move.decidecanseemTaking the position was a good career move (=a decision that will improve the type of jobs you can do).takebethere are moves afoot (to do something) British English (=there are plans, especially secret ones)It seems there could be moves afoot to close the centre.seemcanmove2movement [usually singular] when someone moves for a short time in a particular direction: Good gymnasts rehearse their moves mentally before a competition.gymnastmoveHe made no move to come any nearer.makenearMartin made a move towards the door.makewatch/follow sb’s every moveHis green eyes followed Cissy’s every move.eyefollowOne false move (=move in the wrong direction) and I’ll shoot.3progress/change a change, especially one which improves a situationmove towards/from/against/tothe country’s move towards democracya move away from traditional industries such as coal miningindustrymineMuch more research is being done, which is a move in the right direction.bebedobe4be on the move a)TRAVELto be travelling from one place to another: The rebel army is on the move.be b)BUSY/HAVE A LOT TO DOto be busy and active: Roy is constantly on the move.be c)CHANGE FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHERto be changing and developing a lot, especially in a way that improves things: Museums are on the move, adding exhibits that entertain and educate.museumbeaddexhibit5get a move on spokenHURRY used to tell someone to hurry6make the first moveFIRST to do something first, especially in order to end a quarrel or start a relationship: Men say they like it when women make the first move.manwoman7games when you change the position of one of the objects in a game such as chess: Several moves later, Ron took his king.movelatetakeIt’s your move, Janet (=it is your turn to move an object).8make a move British English informalLEAVE A PLACE to leave a place: It’s getting late – we ought to make a move.get9going to a new place [usually singular]LEAVE YOUR HOME/COUNTRY when you leave one house, office etc, and go to live or work in a different one: The move to a larger office building is long overdue.largebuildbe10put/make a move on somebody informal to try to start sexual activity or a sexual relationship with someoneCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1verbsmake a move We made the move mainly for financial reasons.makereasonmake no move The government made no move to hold the promised elections.makepromiseelectionwelcome the move Environmentalists welcomed the move to limit the length of fishing nets.environmentalistwelcomefishnetoppose a move Union members have opposed the move.memberopposesupport a move The move was supported by the government.besupporta move is aimed at doing something/is designed to do something The move is aimed at strengthening its business in the region.beaimstrengthenADJECTIVES/NOUN + move an important move I cannot decide on such an important move on my own.a bold/daring move (=taking a lot of courage) The writers made a bold move by kiling off the main character.writermakea good/smart/wise move (=sensible) I’m not sure it was a good move giving him the job.begivethe right move He hoped he had made the right move in telling his father.hopehavemaketellan unprecedented move (=never having happened before) Barcelona began the unprecedented move of shipping in drinking water.beginshipdrinksb’s next move (=the next thing someone does) What should happen next? What’s our next move?shalla bad move It was a bad move letting him come here in the first place.beleta false/wrong move (=made by mistake) One wrong move and the business might never recover.the first move She waited for Michael to make the first move.waita career move (=a decision that will improve the type of job you can do) It looked like a good career move, with the possibility of promotion later.looklatephrasesthere are moves afoot to do something British English (=there are plans, especially secret ones, to do something) There are moves afoot to change things.bemovethinga move in the right direction The decision seemed to be a move in the right direction.seemCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2verbsmake a move She made a move towards the door.makemake no move He made no move to stop her.makewatch/follow sb’s every move His eyes followed Cissy’s every move.eyefollowadjectivesa false/wrong move (=in the wrong direction) One false move, and she’d fall over the edge.a sudden move She made a sudden move towards me from the doorway.makeTHESAURUSaction noun [countable] something that someone does: He is responsible for his own actions.beaction | They refused to give a reason for their actions.refuseactionact noun [countable] a particular type of action: violent actsact | act of violence/kindness/defiance etc: I believe the killing was an act of desperation.killbeactivities noun [plural] things that people do, especially for enjoyment or to achieve an aim: leisure activitiesactivity | political activitiesactivity | Surveys may not give a true picture of people’s activities.surveyactivitybehaviour British English, behavior American English noun [uncountable] the things that someone does and the way they behave: Do you think that advertisements really influence people’s behaviour?advertisement | The man’s behaviour seemed rather odd.seemmove noun [countable] something that you do in order to achieve something: Her decision to sell the shares had been a smart move.sharehavebe | It’s a bold move to start a business in the current economic climate. | He needed time to figure out his next move.needstep noun [countable] one of a series of things that you do in order to deal with a problem or to succeed: The first step is to make sure we have got funding for the project.begetfund | We must take steps to make sure that this does not happen again.stepdo | This is an important step towards peace.bemeasure noun [countable] an official action that is intended to deal with a particular problem: There are increased security measures at airports.beincreasemeasureairport | The school was closed as a precautionary measure following a chemical leak.beclosefollowgesture noun [countable] something that you do to show how you feel about someone or something: Do you think it would be a nice gesture to send her some flowers?willflower | gesture of goodwill/solidarity/defiance: The company gave us £100 as a gesture of goodwill.givedeed noun [countable] especially literary an action, especially one that is very good or very bad: evil deedsdeed | heroic deedsdeed | This is my good deed for the day.beexploits noun [plural] formal exciting or brave actions: daring exploitsdareexploit | His exploits were legendary.exploitbefeat noun [countable] something someone does that people admire because you need a lot of skill, courage, or strength to do it: Completing a marathon is a remarkable feat for a six-year-old.completebe | The bridge is a great feat of engineering.beengineer
verbWord familyDate: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: remaindre, from Latin remanere, from manere ‘to stay’ Verb form1[intransitive always + adverb/preposition, linking verb]STAY/NOT LEAVECONTINUE/NOT STOP to continue to be in the same state or condition:
Please remain seated until all the lights are on.seatlightbeWe remained friends.remainfriendThe boy remained silent.remainremain asDespite the job losses, Parker remained as manager.lossremainremain unclear/unchanged/unanswered etcMany scientists remain unconvinced by the current evidence.scientistRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say something or someone stays in a particular state, condition, or place, rather than remains in it:We stayed friends.stayfriend2[intransitive] formalSTAY/NOT LEAVE to stay in the same place without moving away SYN stayremain at/in/with etcShe was too ill to remain at home.beThe refugees were allowed to remain in the UK.refugeebeallow3[intransitive]REMAIN/BE LEFT to continue to exist or be left after others have gone, been used, or been destroyed: Little of the original building remains.buildremainThe score is tied, with fifteen minutes remaining.betieminuteremainWhat remains of his original art collection is now in the city museum.remainbeRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say that something is left rather than remains.Not much of the old town is left.beleave4[intransitive]REMAIN/BE LEFT to be left after other things have been dealt withremain to be doneSeveral points remain to be settled.pointsettleThere remained a few jobs still to be finished.remainjobfinishThe fact remains that racism is still a considerable problem.remainbe5it remains to be seenUNCERTAIN used to say that it is still uncertain whether something will happen or is true: It remains to be seen whether the operation was successful.remainseebeTHESAURUSstay to not leave a place, or to be in a place for a particular period of time: Stay where you are and don’t move.be | John only stayed at the party for a couple of hours.stayhourremain formal to stay somewhere. In written English, people often prefer to use remain rather than stay, because it sounds more formal: Some 2,000 protesters remained outside the building and refused to leave.protesterremainbuildrefuse | The judge recommended that he remain in jail for the rest of his life.recommendlinger to stay in a place a little longer than you need to, because you are enjoying yourself, or because you hope to see someone or something: He lingered outside the lecture hall, hoping for a chance to talk to her.lingerhope | There are plenty of small cafés where you can linger over a cappuccino.beloiter to stay in a place not doing anything – used when you think someone is waiting for the chance to do something bad or illegal: The two men had been seen loitering in the area on the day that the car was stolen.manhavebeseeloiterbestealhang around informal to stay somewhere not doing anything: There are gangs of boys hanging around on street corners.begangboyhangcorner | I don’t mind hanging around for a few minutes.hangminute | The boss doesn’t like being kept hanging around.bekeephangstick around informal to stay in the same place or situation for a period of time, especially while you are waiting for something to happen or someone to arrive: I decided to stick around and see how it all turned out.decideturn | Make up your mind. I’m not going to stick around forever.go
noun
Word familyDate: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: Latin quaestio, from quaestus, past participle of quaerere ‘to ask’ 1asking for informationASK A QUESTION [countable] a sentence or phrase that is used to ask for information or to test someone’s knowledge OPP answer:
Can I ask you a question?I’m afraid I can’t answer that question.question about/onThey asked me quite a lot of difficult questions about my job.askquestionThe survey included questions on age and smoking habits.includequestionsmokehabitin answer to sb’s questionIn answer to your last question, ‘Yes’.2subject/problemSUBJECT [countable] a subject or problem that needs to be discussed or dealt with SYN issuequestion ofWe discussed the question of confidentiality.discussThis raises the question of government funding.raisefundan urgent need to address the question of crimeSeveral questions have still not been resolved.questionberesolveThe question is should I take the job in Japan, or should I stay here?beshallshallSome important questions remain unanswered (=still have not been dealt with or explained).question3doubtDON'T THINK SO/DOUBT IT [uncountable and countable] if there is some question about something, there is doubt about it, or people feel uncertain about it: The exact cause of death is still open to question (=not certain).becall/bring/throw something into question (=make people doubt something)This has called into question people’s right to retire at 60.havecallHe’s by far the best candidate, there’s no question about it (=it is completely certain).wellThere is no question that (=it is completely certain that) the government knew about the deal.beknowbeyond question (=completely certain or definite)Her efficiency and intelligence are beyond question.bequestions about/over somethingThere are questions about the system’s practicality.bequestion4without question a)CERTAINLY/DEFINITELYused to emphasize that what you are saying is true or correct: Marilyn was, without question, a very beautiful woman.be b)OBEYif you accept or obey something without question, you do it without expressing any doubt about whether it is correct or necessary: Clara accepted his decision without question.accept5there is no question of something happening/somebody doing somethingIMPOSSIBLE used to say that there is no possibility of something happening: There is no question of the project being postponed.bebepostpone6in questionSUBJECT a)the things, people etc in question are the ones that are being discussed: Where were you during the evening in question?beeven b)if something is in question, there is doubt about it: I’m afraid his honesty is now in question.be7be a question of somethingMAIN used to say what the most important fact, part, or feature of something is: Dance is a question of control and creative expression.beI would love to come, but it’s a question of time.will8it’s just/only/simply a question of doing something spokenEASY used to say that what needs doing is easy or not complicated: It’s just a question of putting in a couple of screws.putscrew9be out of the questionIMPOSSIBLE if something is out of the question, it is definitely not possible or not allowed: You can’t go in that old shirt – it’s out of the question.10(that’s a) good question! spokenNOT KNOW used to admit that you do not know the answer to a question: ‘How can we afford this?’ ‘Good question!’11pop the question informalMARRY to ask someone to marry you – used humorously → leading question at leading1(4), → rhetorical question at rhetorical(1), → beg the question at beg(6)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 1verbsask (somebody) a question Don’t be afraid to ask questions.questionhave a question (=want to ask a question) I just have one question: is the treatment effective?bepose a question formal (=ask a question) He poses the question, ‘What should we teach our children?’poseshallchildput a question to somebody (=ask a question in a formal situation) I recently put some of these questions to a psychologist.questionanswer a question You haven’t answered my question.answeravoid/evade/dodge a question (=not give a direct answer) He had skilfully evaded Margie’s questions.haveevadequestionset a question (=invent a question for a test) He used to set the questions for a TV quiz show.usequestionrephrase a question (=ask it in a different way) He didn’t answer, so I rephrased my question.rephrasebombard somebody with questions (=ask someone a lot of questions) They bombarded him with questions about the case.bombardquestionfield questions (=answer a lot of questions) He fielded questions from reporters about the announcement.fieldquestionreporterADJECTIVES/NOUN + questiondifficult/hard Some of the questions in the last section were very difficult.questionbeeasy These questions should be easy for you.questionshalla good question (=interesting or difficult to answer) That’s a good question.a stupid/silly question (=one whose answer is obvious) Did you win, or is that a stupid question?dobean awkward question (=one that someone does not want to answer) How can we keep the press from asking awkward questions?askquestiona tricky/tough question (=one that is difficult to answer) That’s a really tricky question.an embarrassing question The media began to ask embarrassing questions about MPs' expenses.mediumbeginembarrassquestionexpensea personal question (=a question relating to someone’s private life) Can I ask you a personal question?a simple question (=one that is easy to answer) All you have to do is answer the three simple questions below.bequestiona searching/probing question (=one designed to find things out) The immigration officer asked me some searching questions.asksearchquestiona direct question (=one that asks for information in a very direct way) She was startled by the direct question.bestartlean exam/a test question You have to answer twenty exam questions.questionan impertinent question (=one which you have no right to ask) She did not answer the maid’s impertinent question.doa rhetorical question (=a question you ask without expecting an answer, in order to make a point)a multiple choice question (=where you are given a set of possible answers)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 2verbsraise a question (=bring it to people’s attention) This study raises several important questions.raisequestionaddress a question (=start trying to deal with it) Two questions need to be addressed.questionaddressdiscuss a question They discussed the question of the possible use of the atomic bomb.discussconsider a question We must also consider the question of compensation.deal with a question This question will be dealt with in Chapter 4.dealtackle a question (=try to deal with a difficult question ) Who has the ability to tackle the tough questions facing the nation?havequestionfaceresolve a question (=deal with it in a satisfactory way) We will proceed just as soon as we can resolve the question of the fee.adjectivesan important/big question The book raises important questions about nationality and the role of a citizen.raisequestiona fundamental question Their experiences have highlighted fundamental questions of human rights.experiencehighlightquestionrightserious questions The incident has raised serious questions about police conduct.haveraisequestiona vexed/thorny question (=one that is hard to deal with) Finally, there’s the thorny question of money.a burning question (=an important one that needs dealing with) Little progress was made on the burning question of Africa’s debt.bemakeburna moral/ethical question (=one relating to principles of what is right and wrong) This area of medical research poses serious ethical questions that doctors alone cannot answer.posequestiondoctorunanswered/open (=not dealt with) At this point a key question remains unanswered.remainCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 3phrasesbe open to question (=not be certain or definitely true) Whether he will survive politically is open to question.bebe beyond question (=be definite) Her loyalty is beyond question.becall/bring/throw something into question (=make people doubt it) He brought into question all the principles on which the Soviet system was based.bringprinciplebebasecome into question (=start to be doubted) The special protection given to these animals has come into question in recent years.giveanimalhaveyearthere’s no question (=it is certain) There’s no question that they have done an outstanding job.doTHESAURUSquestion something that you ask someone, either when speaking or when writing: Would anyone like to ask any questions?willquestion | I’ve emailed the hotel with one or two questions.emailquestionquery /ˈkwɪəri $ ˈkwɪri/ especially British English a question that you ask when you are not sure you have understood something or that the information you have is correct: If you have any queries, please contact your travel agent.query | Our staff are always available to answer customers’ queries.becustomerqueryinquiry (also enquiry especially British English) /ɪnˈkwaɪəri $ ɪnˈkwaɪri, ˈɪŋkwəri/ a question you ask in order to get information or find out the details about something: We’ve advertised the house, and we’ve already received lots of enquiries.advertisereceivelotenquiry | The police have been making some inquiries in the area.bemakeinquiryrequest a polite or formal question asking for something that you want or need: The bank said ‘no’ to our request for more money.say | You must make your request in writing.write
questionverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2Word sets 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesquestionquestionsquestionedquestioningquestionquestion2 S2 W3 verb [transitive]Word familyVerb form1ASK A QUESTIONto ask someone questions in order to get information about something such as a crime → interrogate: Two men have been arrested and questioned.manbearrestquestionquestion somebody about somethingShe hates being questioned about her past.hatebequestionJoseph questioned the doctors closely (=asked them a lot of questions).questiondoctor2DON'T THINK SO/DOUBT ITto have or express doubts about whether something is true, good, necessary etcquestion what/how/when etcAre you questioning what I’m saying?bequestionsayNo one dared to question his decisions.daredecisionquestion whetherOne questions whether he’s telling the truth.questiontellTHESAURUSquestion to ask someone questions in order to get information about something such as a crime: The police questioned him for three hours before releasing him without charge.questionhourrelease | When questioned by reporters, he denied all knowledge about the affair.questionreporterdenyinterrogate to keep asking a lot of questions for a long time, sometimes using threats, in order to get information: He was interrogated by US agents about his alleged links to al-Qaeda.beinterrogateagentallegelinkinterview to ask someone questions for a newspaper, TV programme etc, or to ask someone questions to find out if they are suitable for a job, course etc: Did you hear him being interviewed on ‘the Today Programme’?dobeinterview | The woman who interviewed me offered me the job.interviewoffergrill informal to ask someone a lot of difficult questions about something, in a way that is tiring or annoying: She started grilling me about why I was so late coming home.startgrillbecomecross-examine to ask someone a series of questions in court about their previous statements, in order to find out whether they have been telling the truth: The defence lawyer cross-examined the witness in order to test his evidence.examinebe helping police with their inquiries British English to be questioned by the police about a crime – used especially in news reports when the police think that this person may be guilty of the crime: Last night, a 21-year-old woman was helping police with their inquiries.behelpinquiry
noun
1happening because of something [uncountable and countable]RESULTSO/CONSEQUENTLY something that happens or exists because of something that happened before → consequenceresult ofAccidents are the inevitable result of driving too fast.accidentbedriveHigh unemployment is a direct result of the recession.beend/final/net result (=the result at the end of a long process)The net result of all these changes is that schools should be able to deliver a better service to pupils.changebeschoolshallwellpupilGrowing plants from seed can produce disappointing results.growplantdisappointresultWith a little effort you should achieve the desired result.shalldesireas a result (of something)As a result of the pilots’ strike, all flights have had to be cancelled.pilotflighthavecancelwith the result thatSara wasn’t at school last week, with the result that she missed an important test.miss2sports/elections [countable]RESULT the final number of points, votes etc at the end of a competition, game, or election: The results will be announced at midnight.resultannouncethe football resultsresultresult ofA lot depends on the result of this match.depend3scientific tests [countable]RESULT the answers that are produced by a scientific study or test: Results suggest that diet is very important.resultberesult ofPolice are awaiting the results of a forensic examination.beawaitresultpositive/negative/inconclusive resultsThe experiments gave positive results in all cases.experimentgiveresultcase4examinations [countable] British EnglishRESULT/GRADE the mark you get in an examination SYN grade American English: When do we get our exam results?result5success [countable]SUCCEED IN DOING STH the achievement of something: She certainly knows how to get results.knowresultFor best results, always use fresh ingredients when you are cooking.wellresultingredientbecook6business results [plural] the accounts of a business that show how successful it has been over a period of time, usually a year: British Airways has announced disappointing results for the first half of the year.airwayhaveannouncedisappointresult7get a result British English informal to win a victory in a sports match: They were lucky to get a result on Saturday.beCOLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + resulta direct result The closure of the hospital is a direct result of Government reforms.bereforman indirect result Some job losses were the indirect result of cheap imports.lossbeimportthe end/final result (=the result at the end of a long process) The end result will be well worth the effort.the net result (=the final result) The net result of fewer officers on the street was rising crime.officerberisethe immediate result Keep trying even if your first enquiry produces no immediate result.tryproducethe inevitable result (=a result that is impossible to avoid) Weight loss is an inevitable result of the disease.bethe desired result These severe measures did not always produce the desired results.measuredodesireresultpositive results The charity has seen positive results from health care and farming projects.haveseeresultfarmprojectphraseswith disastrous results The parachute failed to open properly, with disastrous results.failresultverbsachieve/obtain a result You can achieve the same result by simply clicking on the menu.clickproduce a result A different approach might produce some interesting results.interestresulthave a result (=cause something to happen) The campaign did have some positive results.doresultTHESAURUSresult something that happens because of something else: The fire at the house was the result of a dropped cigarette.bedrop | Many people find that herbal remedies produce a good result.remedyconsequence something important that happens as the result of a decision or action: Global warming will have serious consequences for the environment.warmconsequence | Rising prices are the inevitable consequence of the grain shortage.risepriceberepercussions the bad effects that happen later as a result of an event, often a long time afterwards: The economic crisis in the US is likely to have serious repercussions for the rest of the world.berepercussion | The scandal could have major repercussions for his career.canrepercussionoutcome the final result of a meeting, election, war etc: The final outcome of the election remained in doubt for several days.remainday | So, what is the likely outcome for Spain?bethe upshot the final result of a situation, especially when this was unexpected: The upshot of all this was that the trial had to be delayed.behavedelaythe fruits of something literary the things that have been achieved as a result of someone’s efforts – used especially in the following phrases: He did not live to see the fruits of his labours.dofruitlabour | They can now enjoy the fruits of their success.fruit
resultverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Phrases from other entriesCorpus examplesresultresultsresultedresultingresultresult2 W2 verb [intransitive]Date: 1400-1500Language: Latin
Origin: resultare ‘to jump back, result’, from saltare ‘to jump’ Verb form RESULTif something results from something else, it is caused by itresult from
We are still dealing with problems resulting from errors made in the past.bedealproblemresulterrormakeHow would you cope with unemployment and the resulting loss of income?willresultresult in something phrasal verb CAUSEto make something happen SYN cause: an accident that resulted in the death of two passengersresultpassenger
resultinterjectionCollocations from other entriesPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesresultresultresult3 interjection informal Result! said when you have just done something successfully
noun [countable]Language: Old EnglishOrigin: ‘young of an animal, group of animals pulling something’ 1PLAY A GAME OR SPORTa group of people who play a game or sport together against another group:
Which team do you support?[also + plural verb British English]Our team are winning.bewinin a team British English, on a team American English: Bobby Charlton was in the team that won the World Cup.bewin2GROUP OF PEOPLEa group of people who have been chosen to work together to do a particular jobteam ofa team of expertsexpertmanagement/research/sales etc teama senior member of the design teamOur success lies in working together as a team.lieworkIt was a tremendous team effort.beYou need to choose a team leader.3two or more animals that are used to pull a vehicleCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1ADJECTIVES/NOUN + teama football/basketball etc team China’s football team failed to qualify for the World Cup.failthe school team I played for my school cricket team.playthe national team He coached the Italian national team.coachthe home team (=the team whose sports field a game is being played on) Hayward then increased the home team’s lead.increasethe visiting team (=the team who have travelled to their opponents’ sports field) The visiting team failed to score.visitfailthe opposing team A member of the opposing team grabbed hold of his shirt.opposegrabthe first team British English (=the team with the best players in a school, club etc) He has played several times for the first team.haveplaytimethe second team (=the team with players who are not as good as those in the first team) He stepped up from the second team when Roberts was injured.stepbeinjurethe winning/losing team Everyone on the winning team will get a medal.winverbsplay for a team He wants to play for a better team.wantwellsupport a team "Which team do you support?" "Chelsea."captain a team (=be the captain of a team) James captained his school team from the age of eleven.captainmake the team (=be chosen as a member of a team) He was never good enough to make the team.bedrop somebody from a team (=decide that someone should not play for a team) He has been dropped from the team because of injury.havebedropteam + NOUNthe team captain The cup was presented to the team captain.bepresenta team member/a member of a team He's the eldest team member.old | He was a popular member of the team.bethe team manager/coach Who do you think will be the next England team manager?a team game/sport (=one that is played by teams) In those days, girls didn’t play team sports.daygirlsportphrasesplay as a team One reason for the 49ers’ success is that they play as a team.beCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2ADJECTIVES/NOUN + teama management/research/sales etc team The design team has come up with a few ideas.haveideaa rescue team He was in the water for two hours before a rescue team arrived.behourarrivea good/strong team We have a very strong sales team.salea three-man/four-man etc team (=one with three, four etc people) About a month ago he hired a four-man team of personal trainers.hiretrainera 10-strong/14-strong etc team (=one with 10, 14 etc people) A six-strong team from the Transport Research Laboratory is at the crash scene.beteam + NOUNa team member/a member of a team Team members meet on a regular basis.membera team leader The team leader will co-ordinate the work.a team effort (=when members of a team achieve something together) It was a great team effort and all the crew did a magnificent job.bedoa team meeting Hold team meetings to discuss problems.meetingproblemverbslead a team She was the doctor who led the surgical team.beleadphraseswork as a team You have to learn to work as a team.make a good team (=work well together as a team) You and I make a good team.THESAURUSof animalsherd a group of cows, deer, or elephants: A herd of cows was blocking the road.cowbeblockteam a group of people who work together: She is being cared for by a team of doctors.bebecaredoctorflock a group of sheep or birds: a flock of seagullsseagull | The farmer has over 100 sheep in his flock.havepack a group of dogs or wolves: Some dogs are bred to work in packs.dogbebreedpacklitter a group of kittens or puppies born at one time to a particular mother: He was one of a litter of seven puppies.bepuppyschool/shoal a group of fish or dolphins: Piranha fish live in shoals in the wild.shoal
teamverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1Phrases from other entriesteamteamsteamedteamingteamteam2 AC verb [transitive]Verb form to put two things or people together, because they will look good or work well togetherteam something with somethingblack trousers teamed with a bright shirttrouserteamteam up phrasal verb JOIN AN ORGANIZATIONto join with someone in order to work on somethingteam up withYou can team up with one other class member if you want.
verb (past tense and past participle said /sed/, third person singular says /sez/)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: secgan Verb form1express something in words [intransitive only in negatives, transitive]SAY to express an idea, feeling, thought etc using words:
‘I’m so tired,’ she said.tiresay‘Don’t cry,’ he said softly.sayDon’t believe anything he says.saysay (that)A spokesman said that the company had improved its safety standards.sayhaveimprovestandardI always said I would buy a motorbike when I had enough money.saywillhavesay how/why/who etcDid she say what happened?dohappenI would like to say how much we appreciate your hard work.will‘Why did she leave?’ ‘I don’t know – she didn’t say.’dosay something to somebodyWhat did you say to her?doa terrible/silly/strange etc thing to sayWhat a silly thing to say!say hello/goodbye/thank you etc (=say something to greet someone, thank someone etc)She left without saying goodbye.leavesaysay you’re sorry (=apologize)I’ve said I’m sorry – what more do you want?saysay yes/no (to something) (=agree or refuse)Can I go, Mum? Oh, please say yes!say nothing/anything/something (about something)He looked as if he was going to say something.lookbegoI wished I had said nothing about Jordi.wishhavesayhave anything/nothing/something to sayDoes anyone else have anything to say?doAlthough he didn’t say so, it was clear that he was in pain.bebeWhat makes you say that (=why do you think that)?makesay to do something (=tell someone to do something)Nina said to meet her at 4.30.sayI’d like to say a few words (=make a short speech).word‘So what are your plans now?’ ‘I’d rather not say.’beplan → see Thesaurus box on p. 1553GrammarYou cannot 'say someone something' or 'say someone to do something'. Use tell: She told me (NOT said me) something shocking.tellsayshockHe told me (NOT said me) to sit down.tellsayYou can say something about something but you cannot 'say about something'. Use talk: He did not talk about (NOT say about) his feelings.dofeelingRegisterIn written English, people often avoid using say when referring to opinions or ideas expressed by another writer. Instead, they prefer to use a more formal verb such as argue, assert, claim, or maintain. 2give information [transitive not in passive]SAY/STATE to give information in the form of written words, numbers, or pictures – used about signs, clocks, letters, messages etc: The sign said ‘Back in 10 minutes’.sayminuteThe clock said twenty past three.saysay (that)He received a letter saying that the appointment had been cancelled.receivesayhavebecancelsay to do something (=give information about what you should do)The label says to take one tablet before meals.saymealsay who/what/how etcThe card doesn’t even say who sent the flowers.sendflowerIt says here they have live music.say3mean [transitive usually in progressive] used to talk about what someone means: What do you think the writer is trying to say in this passage?betrySo what you’re saying is, there’s none left.saybeleavebe saying (that)Are you saying I’m fat?besayI’m not saying it’s a bad idea.sayAll I’m saying is that it might be better to wait a while.saybewell4think that something is true [transitive] EXPRESSused to talk about something that people think is truethey say/people say/ it is said (that)They say that she has been all over the world.havebeIt is said that he was a spy during the war.besaybesomebody is said to be something/do somethingHe’s said to be the richest man in the world.sayrichWell, you know what they say – blood’s thicker than water.thickThe rest, as they say, is history.be5show/be a sign of something [transitive] a)SHOW/BE A SIGN OFto show clearly that something is true about someone or something’s character: The kind of car you drive says what kind of person you are.saybeThe fact that she never apologized says a lot about (=shows very clearly) what kind of person she is.apologizesaybeIt said a lot for the manager (=it showed that he is good) that the team remained confident despite losing.sayremainloseThese results don’t say much for the quality of teaching (=they show that it is not very good).resultteach b)to show what someone is really feeling or thinking, especially without using words: The look on her face said ‘I love you.’saysomething says everything/says it allHis expression said it all.say6speak the words of something [transitive]PRAY to speak the words that are written in a play, poem, or prayer: Can you say that line again, this time with more feeling?feelI’ll say a prayer for you.7pronounce [transitive]SAY to pronounce a word or sound: How do you say your last name?8suggest/suppose something [transitive usually in imperative]SUGGEST used when suggesting or supposing that something might happen or be true... say ...If we put out, say, twenty chairs, would that be enough?chairwilllet’s say (that)/just say (that)Let’s say your plan fails, then what?failJust say you won the lottery – what would you do?winwill9say to yourselfTHINK STH/HAVE A THOUGHT to try to persuade yourself that something is true or not true: I kept saying to myself that this wasn’t really happening.keepsayhappenSPOKEN PHRASES10I must say (also I have to say)EMPHASIZE used to emphasize what you are saying: The cake does look good, I must say.doI have to say I was impressed.beimpress11I can’t say (that)EXPRESS used to say that you do not think or feel something: I can’t say I envy her being married to him!bemarry12I would say used for giving your opinion even though other people may not agree: I’d say he was jealous.be13I couldn’t say used when you do not know the answer to something: I couldn’t say who will win.14if I may say so (also if I might say so) formal used to be polite when saying something that may embarrass or offend the person you are talking to: That’s just the point, Mr Glover, if I may say so.15having said thatEXPRESS used to say that something is true in spite of what you have just said: The diet can make you slim without exercise. Having said that, however, exercise is important too.havesaybe16wouldn’t you say? used to ask someone whether they agree with the statement you have just made: It seems very unlikely, wouldn’t you say?seem17what do you say?ASK A QUESTION used to ask someone if they agree with a suggestion: We could go into partnership – what do you say?canWhat do you say we all go to a movie?What would you say to a meal out?will18say no moreUNDERSTAND used to say that you understand what someone means, although they have not said it directly: ‘I saw him leaving her house at 6.30 this morning.’ ‘Say no more!’seeleave19you can say that again!AGREE used to say that you completely agree with someone: ‘It’s cold in here.’ ‘You can say that again!’20you said it! a)AGREEused when someone says something that you agree with, although you would not have actually said it yourself because it is not polite: ‘I was always stubborn as a kid.’ ‘You said it!’besay b)especially American EnglishAGREE used to say that you agree with someone: ‘Let’s go home.’ ‘You said it! I’m tired.’saytire21who says?DISAGREE used to say that you do not agree with a statement, opinion etc: Who says museum work doesn’t pay?say22who can say? (also who’s to say?)NOT KNOW used to say that nobody can know something: Who can say what will happen between now and then?Many women believe that skin cream makes their skin look younger, and who’s to say that they’re wrong?womanmakeyoung23you don’t say!SURPRISED used to show you are surprised by what someone has told you – also often used when you are not at all surprised by what someone has told you24say whenASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STH used to ask someone to tell you when to stop pouring them a drink or serving them food because they have got enough25say cheese used to tell people to smile when you are taking their photograph26(just) say the wordTELL used to tell someone that they have only to ask and you will do what they want: Anywhere you want to go, just say the word.27I’ll say this/that (much) for somebodyEXPRESS used when you want to mention something good about someone, especially when you have been criticizing them: I will say this for Tom – at least he’s consistent.littleYou’ve got determination – I’ll say that for you.get28say what you like especially British EnglishEXPRESS used when giving an opinion that you are sure is correct, even if the person you are talking to might disagree with you: Say what you like about him, he’s a very good writer.29anything/whatever you sayAGREE used to tell someone that you agree to do what they want, accept their opinion etc, especially because you do not want an argument30can’t say fairer than that British EnglishBEST used to say that you have made the best offer that you can: If I win, I’ll buy you a drink. Can’t say fairer than that.fair31I wouldn’t say no (to something)WANT used to say that you would like something: I wouldn’t say no to a coffee.32I’ll say! used to say yes to a question, in a strong way: ‘Was there a big argument?’ ‘I’ll say!’be33let’s just say used when you do not want to give a lot of details about something: Let’s just say she wasn’t very pleased about it.please34shall I/we say used when you are not quite sure how to describe someone or something: He is, shall we say, slightly unusual.be35what have you got to say for yourself?ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STH used to ask someone for an explanation when they have done something wrong36say what? informal especially American English used when you did not hear what someone said or when you cannot believe that something is true37I say British English old-fashioned a)ATTENTIONused to get someone’s attention: I say, don’t I know you? b)LITTLE/NOT VERYused before giving your reaction to something: ‘My husband’s broken his leg.’ ‘I say! I’m sorry to hear that.’break38say something to sb’s face informalTELL to criticize someone or say something unpleasant directly to them instead of saying it to someone else: I knew they wanted me to leave, even though they wouldn’t say it to my face.knowwant39that’s not saying muchSTRANGE used to say that it is not surprising that someone or something is better than another person or thing because the other person or thing is so bad: This version is better than the original, but that’s not saying much.bewellsay40to say the leastEXPRESS used to say that you could have described something, criticized someone etc a lot more severely than you have: Jane could have been more considerate, to say the least.canbelittle41that is to sayEXPLAIN used before giving more details or being more exact about something: They, that’s to say Matt and John, were arguing about what to do.beargue42that is not to sayTRUE used to make sure the person you are talking to does not think something that is not true: I’m quite happy in my job but that’s not to say I’m going to do it for the rest of my life.go43not to say especially British EnglishEXPRESS used when adding a stronger description of something: The information is inadequate, not to say misleading.bemislead44a lot/something/not much etc to be said for (doing) somethingSHOW/BE A SIGN OF used to say that there are a lot of or not many advantages to something: There’s a lot to be said for taking a few days off now and then.saytakedayIt was a town with very little to be said for it.besay45to say nothing of somethingMENTION used to mention another thing involved in what you have just been talking about: It wasn’t much for three years’ work, to say nothing of the money it had cost.yearhave46have something to say about somethingANGRY to be angry about something: Her father would have something to say about it.will47have a lot to say for yourselfTALK TO SB to talk a lot48not have much to say for yourself to not talk very much49what somebody says goesCONTROL used to emphasize who is in control in a situation: My wife wants to go to Italy this year, and what she says goes!wantsaygo50say your piece to give your opinion about something, especially something you do not like → wouldn’t say boo to a goose at boo2(3), → easier said than done at easy2(4), → enough said at enough2(6), → it goes without saying at go without(2), → needless to say at needless(1), → no sooner said than done at soon(9), → not say/breathe a word at word1(9), → well said at well1(13), → when all’s said and done at all1(17)COLLOCATIONSthings that you saysay hello/goodbye I came to say goodbye.comesay thank you I just wanted to say thank you for being there.wantbesay sorry/say that you're sorry It was probably too late to say sorry.besay yes/no Some parents are unable to say no to their children.parentbechildsay something/anything/nothing I was about to say something to him when he looked up and smiled.belooksmilesay some words She stopped abruptly, suddenly afraid to say the words aloud.stopwordadverbssay so If you don’t know the answer, don’t be afraid to say so.phrasesa terrible/stupid/odd etc thing to say I know it’s a terrible thing to say, but I wish he’d just go away.have something/anything/nothing to say He usually has something to say about just about everything.haveTHESAURUSto say somethingsay to tell someone something, using words: ‘I really ought to go,’ she said.say | Lauren said she’d probably be late.saystate to say something, especially in a definite or formal way – used in official contexts: The witness stated that he had never seen the woman before.statehavesee | Please state your name and address.announce to publicly tell people about something: The chairman announced his resignation.announce | The results will be announced tomorrow.resultannounce | We will announce the winners next Sunday.winner | They were announcing the train times over the loudspeaker system.beannouncetimedeclare to say something very firmly: ‘My personal life is none of your business,’ she declared.bedeclaremention to talk about someone or something, especially without giving many details: Did Tom mention anything about what happened at school?dohappen | Your name was mentioned!bementionexpress to let someone know your feelings by putting them into words: Young children often find it difficult to express their emotions.childemotioncomment to say what your opinion is about someone or something: The prime minister was asked to comment on the crisis.beasknote/remark formal to say that you have noticed that something is true – used especially in formal writing: We have already noted that most old people live alone.note | Someone once remarked that the problem with computers is that they only give you answers.remarkcomputerbeansweradd to say something more, after what has already been said: He added that he thought it could be done fairly cheaply.addthinkcandopoint out to mention something that seems particularly important or relevant: Dr Graham points out that most children show some signs of abnormal behaviour.pointchildsign | It’s worth pointing out that few people actually die of this disease.pointair to talk about your opinions, worries, or the things you disagree about: air your views/grievances/differences: The programme will give listeners the chance to air their views about immigration.listenerview | Workers were able to air their grievances.workerbegrievancevoice to talk publicly about your feelings or about whether you approve or disapprove of something formal: voice concern/support/doubt/fears etc: The president has already voiced his support for the proposal.havevoice | She voiced concern for the safety of the hostages.voicehostagedifferent ways of saying somethingwhisper to say something very quietly, using your breath rather than your full voice: ‘Don’t wake the baby,’ Jenny whispered.whispermumble to say something quietly without pronouncing the words clearly: He mumbled his thanks.mumblethankmutter to say something quietly, especially when you are annoyed but do not want someone to hear you complaining: ‘This is ridiculous,’ he muttered under his breath.bemutter | She muttered something about having to go home early.mutterhavemurmur to say something in a soft slow gentle voice: She stroked his hair and murmured, ‘Don’t worry. You’ll be all right.’strokemurmurgrowl to say something in a low angry voice: ‘As I was saying,’ Lewis growled, ‘it needs to be finished today.’besaygrowlneedfinishsnarl to say something in a nasty angry way: ‘Get out of my way!’ he snarled.snarlexclaim to say something suddenly and loudly: ‘How beautiful!’ she exclaimed.exclaimblurt out to suddenly say something without thinking, especially something embarrassing or secret: It was partly nervousness that had made him blurt out the question.behavemakestammer/stutter to speak with a lot of pauses and repeated sounds, because you have a speech problem, or because you are nervous or excited: ‘I’ll, I’ll only be a m-moment,’ he stammered.stammer
saynounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplessaysayssaysay2 noun [singular, uncountable]1RIGHT/HAVE THE RIGHT TOthe right to take part in deciding somethinghave some/no/little say in somethingThe workers had no say in how the factory was run.workerhavebeThe chairman has the final say (=has the right to make the final decision about something).have2have your sayPOWER to have the opportunity to give your opinion about something: You’ll get a chance to have your say.have your say in/onParents can have their say in the decision-making process.parentmake
sayinterjectionCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplessaysaysay3 interjection American English informal ATTENTIONused to express surprise, or to get someone’s attention so that you can tell them something: Say, haven’t I seen you before somewhere?see
noun
Word familyDate: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: poeir, from poeir ‘to be able’, from Latin potere; → POTENT 1control [uncountable]POWER the ability or right to control people or events → powerful, powerlesspower over
People should have more power over the decisions that affect their lives.shalldecisionlivepower-mad/power-crazy/power-hungry (=wanting too much power)power-hungry politicianspolitician2government [uncountable]POWER the position of having political control of a country or governmentin powerThe voters have once again shown their support for the party in power.votershowcome/rise to power (=start having political control)De Gaulle came to power in 1958.comeThey seized power in a military coup.seize3 influence [uncountable]EFFECT/INFLUENCE the ability to influence people or give them strong feelings → powerful, powerlesspower ofthe power of his writingwritethe immense power of televisionthe pulling power (=ability to attract people or attention) of major celebritiespullcelebritystudent/black/consumer etc power (=the political or social influence a particular group has)4right/authority [uncountable and countable]POWER the right or authority to do something: The police have been given special powers to help them in the fight against terrorism.begivepowerpower to do somethingThe committee has the power to order an enquiry.havepower of arrest/veto etcThe chairman has the power of veto on all decisions.havedecision5ability [uncountable and countable]CAN a natural or special ability to do something: After the accident she lost the power of speech (=ability to speak).losepowers of observation/concentration/persuasiona writer’s powers of observationpoweryour mental powerspowera stone with magical powerspower6energy [uncountable] energy that can be used to make a machine work or to make electricitynuclear/wind/solar etc powerMany people are opposed to the use of nuclear power.beopposethe search for renewable sources of powersourceunder powerThe ship was able to leave port under its own power (=without help from another machine, ship etc).be7earning/purchasing/bargaining etc powerCAN the ability to earn money, buy things etc: Property in the city is beyond the purchasing power of most people.bepurchaseyour bargaining power in pay negotiationsbargainnegotiation8strength [uncountable]STRONG PERSON the physical strength or effect of something → powerful: the power of a cheetah’s long legslegThe power of the explosion smashed windows across the street.smashwindow9electricity [uncountable] electricity that is used in houses, factories etc: Make sure the power is switched off first.beswitchpower cut/failure/outage (=a short time when the electricity supply is not working)Parts of the country have had power cuts because of the storms.parthavecutstormThe power came back on.come10air/sea power the number of planes or ships that a country has available to use in a war11strong country [countable]COUNTRY/NATION a country that is strong and important and can influence events, or that has a lot of military strength → powerful, powerless: Egypt is still a major power in the Middle East.beworld power (=a country that can influence events in different parts of the world)12be in/within sb’s power (to do something)CAN if it is in someone’s power to do something, they have the authority or ability to do it: I wish it was within my power to change the decision.bedo everything/all in your powerThe ambassador promised to do everything in his power to get the hostages released.promisehostagerelease13be beyond sb’s power (to do something)CAN'T if it is beyond someone’s power to do something, they do not have the authority or ability to do it: It’s beyond the power of the court to make such a decision.14be in sb’s power literaryCONTROL to be in a situation in which someone has complete control over you15do somebody a power of good British English informalHEALTHY to make someone feel more healthy, happy, and hopeful about the future: It looks as if your holiday has done you a power of good.lookhavedo16mathematics [countable] if a number is increased to the power of three, four, five etc, it is multiplied by itself three, four, five etc times17the powers that bePOWER the unknown people who have important positions of authority and power, and whose decisions affect your life: The powers that be don’t want the media to get hold of the story.powermedium18lens [uncountable] technical the ability of a lens, for example in a pair of glasses or a microscope, to make things look bigger19the powers of good/evil/darkness unknown or magical forces that people believe can influence events in a good or evil way20a power in the land old-fashionedIMPORTANT someone who has a lot of power and influence in a country21the power behind the thronePOWER someone who secretly controls and influences decisions made by the leader or government of a country, but who does not have an official government position22power trip informalPOWER if you are on a power trip, you are enjoying your power or authority in a way that other people think is unpleasant → staying power, balance of power, high-poweredCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1verbshave power People who have power never seem to use it to help others.get/gain power Women were trying to gain power in a male-dominated world.womanbetrydominateuse your power (also exercise (your) power formal) The party will use all its power and influence to raise the issue in the Senate. | Questions have been asked about the way the police exercised their power.questionbeaskexercisewield power formal (=use power - used when someone has a lot of power) The Church still wields enormous power in the country.wieldadjectivesgreat/huge/enormous The central banks have huge power.banklimited The king's power was limited.belimitpolitical/economic/military power countries with little economic powercountryabsolute power (=total power, with no limits) Parents had absolute power over children in those days.parenthavechilddayunbridled power (=without any controls) Certain wealthy men exercised unbridled power.manexercisereal power The real power lay with the President’s advisers.lieadviserphrasesa power struggle (=a situation in which groups or leaders try to get control) The country is locked in a power struggle between forces favouring and opposing change.belockforcefavouropposethe balance of power There has been a shift in the balance of power between the two countries.havebecountrya position of power (=a job or role that gives someone power) Many of them were using their positions of power for personal advantage.beusepositionan abuse of power (=a wrong or unfair use of power) This cover-up is a scandalous abuse of power.beCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2verbsbe in power The law was passed when the Democrats were in power.bepassdemocratbecome to power (=start being in control) Tony Blair came to power in 1997.cometake power (=start being in control, usually without an election) Many people fled after the military took power last September.fleetakeseize power (=take power by force) His son seized power in a military coup.seizeassume power formal (=take power) He assumed power after the assassination of the former president.assumewin power (=win an election) The Prime Minister is facing his toughest challenge since winning power.befacetoughwinrise to power The Roman emperor Vespasian rose to power through command of an army.risereturn/be returned to power (=start being in control again, usually after an election) The party was returned to power with a reduced majority.bereturnreducehold power (=be in power) Economic disaster befell the country during the decade when he held power.befallholdrestore somebody to power (=put someone in control of a country again) In 2004, the army restored him to power.restoresweep to power (=win an election easily) Reagan swept to power by promising reforms.sweeppromisereformcling to power (=not lose it, or try not to lose it) Mao Tse-tung, the leader of the 1949 Communist revolution, clung to power for 27 years.clingyearphrasessb’s rise to power The programme examines Saddam Hussein’s rise to power.examinesb’s return to power Churchill’s return to power had an immediate effect upon Anglo-American relations.haverelationCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 5adjectivesmental powers Is it possible to enhance your mental powers?bepowercreative powers A music teacher should have a real interest in developing children’s creative powers.shalldevelopchildpowerhealing powers The water was supposed to have healing powers.besupposehealpowermagical/special/miraculous powers Diamonds were once thought to have magical powers.diamondbethinkpowerphrasesthe power of speech I was so surprised that I momentarily lost the power of speech.besurpriselosethe power of flight Some birds have lost the power of flight over millions of years.birdloseyearpowers of observation Experience improves our powers of observation, since it teaches us what to look for.improvepowerteachpowers of concentration As you get older, your powers of concentration may decrease.oldpowerpowers of persuasion She used all her powers of persuasion to convince Tilly that the move was a good idea.usepowerbebe at the height of your powers (=be at a time in your life when your abilities are strongest) Fonteyn was still at the height of her powers as a dancer.bepowerverbslose a power He was a brilliant speaker, who never lost the power to influence people.belosesb’s powers are failing/waning (=becoming less good) Mark felt that his creative powers were waning.feelpowerbewaneCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 6ADJECTIVES/NOUN + powernuclear power The accident raised doubts about the safety of nuclear power.raisedoubtsolar power (=energy produced by sunlight) They use solar power for all their heating.heatwind power (=energy produced by the wind) Is wind power the answer to the energy crisis?bewave power (=energy produced by waves in the sea) Wave power can be used to generate electricity.usehydroelectric power (=energy produced by flowing water) The factory is run on hydroelectric power.besteam power (=energy produced from steam) Early engines were driven by steam power.enginebedrivephrasesa source of power One problem is their reliance on coal as the main source of power.beCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 11ADJECTIVES/NOUN + powera great power Britain wanted to maintain her status as a great power.wanta major power (=very important one) There will be representatives from all the world's major powers at the conference.representativepowera world power (=one with influence all over the world) The United States had replaced Great Britain as the dominant world power.unitestatehavereplacea military/naval power (=with a very strong army or navy) Russia had become a naval power equal to Spain.havea foreign power He was charged with spying for a foreign power.bechargespyTHESAURUScountry an area of land controlled by its own government, president, king etc: Thailand is a beautiful country.be | Which country would you most like to visit?willnation a country, considered especially in relation to its people and its political and economic structure: The events shocked the whole nation.eventshock | The US is the most powerful nation in the world.be | Leaders of the world’s major industrialized nations attended the meeting.leaderindustrializenationattendmeetstate a country considered as a political organization with its own government: They believe that Scotland should be an independent sovereign state.shall | Most European states joined the Council of Europe.statejoinpower a country that is very strong and important: a meeting of the great powersmeetpower | Britain is still a world power.besuperpower one of the most powerful countries in the world: During the Cuban Missile Crisis there was a real danger of conflict between the two world superpowers.besuperpowerland literary a country – used in stories: He told them about his journeys to foreign lands.telljourneyland | a traveller from a far-off land
powerverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplespowerpowerspoweredpoweringpowerpower2 verbWord familyVerb form1[transitive usually passive] to supply power to a vehicle or machine: It’s powered by a Ferrari V12 engine.power2[intransitive always + adverb/preposition]MOVE/CHANGE POSITION to move with a lot of force and speed: His strong body powered through the water.power → high-poweredpower something ↔ up phrasal verb to make a machine start working: Never move a computer while it is powered up.bepower
poweradjectiveCollocations from other entriesWord sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplespowerpowerpower3 adjective [only before noun]Word family1driven by an electric motor: power toolstoolpower shower2power breakfast/lunch etc informalIMPORTANT a meal at which people meet to discuss business3power suit informal clothes which you wear at work to make you look important or confident
prefix1ENOUGH#less of an action or quality than is correct, needed, or desired: underdevelopmentundercooked cabbage2UNDER/BELOWgoing under something: an underpass (=a road or path that goes under another road)3UNDER/BELOWinside or beneath other things: undergarmentsundergarment4LOW POSITION OR RANKless important or lower in rank: a head gardener and three under-gardenersgardener
verb [transitive]Word familyDate: 1400-1500Language: Latin
Origin: providere ‘to see ahead, provide’, from videre ‘to see’ Verb form1PROVIDEto give something to someone or make it available to them, because they need it or want it → provision:
Tea and biscuits will be provided.biscuitprovideprovide something for somebodyThe hotel provides a shoe-cleaning service for guests.providecleanguestprovide somebody with somethingThe project is designed to provide young people with work.bedesign ► Do not say ‘provide someone something’. Say provide someone with something.2REASONto produce something useful as a result: We are hoping the enquiry will provide an explanation for the accident.behopeprovide somebody with somethingThe search provided the police with several vital clues.provideclue3provide that formal if a law or rule provides that something must happen, it states that it must happenprovide against something phrasal verb formal PLANto make plans in order to deal with a bad situation that might happen: Health insurance will provide against loss of income if you become ill.provide for somebody/something phrasal verb1GIVEPAY FORto give someone the things they need to live, such as money, food etc: Without work, how can I provide for my children?child2formal if a law, rule, or plan provides for something, it states that something will be done and makes it possible for it to be done: The new constitution provides for a 650-seat legislature.provide3formalPLAN to make plans in order to deal with something that might happen in the future: Commanders failed to provide for an attack by sea.commanderfail
noun
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: rum 1in a building [countable] a part of the inside of a building that has its own walls, floor, and ceiling:
I looked around the room.lookShe nodded toward a man who was standing across the room (=on the other side of the room).nodbestandSomeone was laughing in the next room (=the one beside the one you are in).belaughsb’s room (=someone’s bedroom)Beth, it’s time to clean up your room.bathroom/dining room/meeting room etcthe doctor’s waiting roomwaitone-room(ed)/two-room(ed) etca three-room apartmentsingle/double room (=a room in a hotel for one person or for two)I’d like to book a double room for two nights.nightHere’s your key – room 348. → front room, living room, sitting room2space [uncountable]SPACE/ROOM space somewhere for a particular thing, person, or activityroom inI hope there’s going to be enough room in the fridge.goroom forMy suitcase was so full I didn’t have room for anything else.beroom to do somethingThe museum doesn’t have enough room to show everything in their collection.plenty of room/enough roomThere’s plenty of room in the boot for your luggage.I’m trying to make room for a vegetable garden in the backyard.tryStep back, leave room for people to get past.The old wardrobe took up too much room.takeleg-room/head-room (=space for your legs or head in a vehicle) → elbow-room at elbow1(5)3opportunity/possibility [uncountable]CHANCE/OPPORTUNITY the chance to do something, or the possibility that something exists or can happenroom forThere’s little room for innovation.room for doubt/debate/argument etcThe evidence was clear, and there was little room for doubt.beberoom for manoeuvre British English room for maneuver American English (=the possibility of changing what you do or decide)Teachers feel they have little room for manoeuvre when the curriculum is so demanding.teacherbedemandroom to do somethingChildren need to have room to develop their natural creativity.childMake room in your day for exercise.4there’s room for improvementIMPROVE used to say that something is not perfect and needs to be improved: The report shows that there is room for improvement.showbe5there’s not enough room to swing a cat used humorously to say that an area or room is not very big6apartment rooms [plural] old-fashioned especially British EnglishHOME two or more rooms that you rent in a building, or stay in at a college7people [singular] all the people in a room: The whole room started singing ‘Happy Birthday’.startsing
roomverbCollocations from other entriesActivator 1Phrases from other entriesCorpus examplesroomroomsroomedroomingroomroom2 verb [intransitive] American EnglishVerb form LIVE SOMEWHEREto rent and live in a room somewhereroom with somebody phrasal verb LIVE WITH SBto share a room or house with someone, especially at college: I roomed with Al at UCSD.room
nounWord familyDate: 1400-1500Language: Latin
Origin: productum, from the past participle of producere; → PRODUCE1 1[uncountable and countable]MAKE something that is grown or made in a factory in large quantities, usually in order to be soldagricultural/dairy/software etc products
consumer products such as VCRsproductThe London factory assembles the finished product.assemblefinishHe works in marketing and product development.workmarket2the product of something a)if someone is the product of a particular background or experience, their character is typical of that background or the result of that experience: Paula was the product of a sheltered middle-class home.beshelter b)if something is the product of a particular situation, process etc, it is the result of that situation or process: The report was the product of four years’ hard work.beyear3[countable] technical the number you get by multiplying two or more numbers in mathematics4[countable] something that is produced through a natural or chemical process: Hemoglobin is a product of red blood cells.becellCOLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + producta commercial product They help firms turn good ideas into commercial products.firmideaproducta consumer product (=one that is bought by the public) Demand for consumer products has increased.producthaveincreasehousehold products Do you know what chemicals are in household products such as washing powder and paint?chemicalbeproductwashbeauty/hair products She doesn’t buy beauty products that have been tested on animals.productbetestanimaldairy/milk products Some people are allergic to dairy products.beproductmeat products meat products like sausages, pies and burgersproductsausagepieburgerthe finished product The quality of the finished product is all-important.finishbeproduct + NOUNproduct development The money will be used to fund product development.usea product range/line (=the range of things that a company makes and sells) We want to broaden the company’s product line.THESAURUSproduct noun [countable] something that is made or produced in large quantities, usually in order to be sold: consumer products such as mobile phonesproductphone | dairy productsproductgoods noun [plural] things that are produced in order to be sold, especially for use in the home: They sell furniture and other household goods.good | electrical goodsgood | white goods (=large electrical goods used in the home such as washing machines and refrigerators)goodcommodity noun [countable] formal a type of product or raw material that can be bought and sold – used especially about basic food products, metals, and fuels: The decline in prices for agricultural commodities made the economic situation worse.pricecommoditymakeill | All metal was a valuable commodity and was rarely wasted.bebewastmerchandise noun [uncountable] formal things that are being sold, especially in shops: Customers are not allowed to handle the merchandise.customerbeallow | Sales of books, videos, and other merchandise have increased.salebookvideoincreasewares noun [plural] written things that are offered for sale, especially in a market or on the street: In the market, the traders began selling their wares.traderbeginsellware | Merchants brought their wares from all over the world.merchantbringwareexport noun [countable often plural] a product that is sent to a foreign country in order to be sold: US exports rose to $11.935 billion.exportrise | At the moment, oil is their biggest export.bebigimport noun [countable often plural] goods that are brought from one country into another to be sold there: The UK clothing industry cannot compete with foreign imports on price.clotheimport
adjective (comparative shorter, superlative shortest)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: scort 1timeSHORT TIME happening or continuing for only a little time or for less time than usual OPP long:
a short meetingmeetMorris gave a short laugh.givea short course on business EnglishWinter is coming and the days are getting shorter.becomedaybegetshortI’ve only been in Brisbane a short time.beFor a short while (=a short time), the city functioned as the region’s capital.functionI learned a lot during my short period as a junior reporter.learnGermany achieved spectacular economic success in a relatively short period of time.achieveThey met and married within a short space of time.meetmarryI promise to keep the meeting short and sweet (=short in a way that is good, especially not talking for a long time).meetFor a few short weeks (=they seemed to pass very quickly), the sun shone and the fields turned gold.weekshinefieldturn2length/distanceSHORT/NOT LONG measuring a small amount in length or distance OPP long: a short skirtAnita had her hair cut short.haveThey went by the shortest route, across the fields.goshortfieldCarol’s office was only a short distance away, and she decided that she would walk there.bedecidewilla short walk/flight/driveIt’s a short drive to the airport.The hotel is only a short walk from the beach.be3not tallSHORT PERSON someone who is short is not as tall as most people OPP tall: a short plump womanChris was short and stocky, with broad shoulders.beshoulderHe’s a bit shorter than me.biteshort4book/letterSHORT/NOT LONG a book, letter etc that is short does not have many words or pages OPP long: a short novelI wrote a short note to explain.write → short story5not enough a)if you are short of something, you do not have enough of itbe short (of something)Can you lend me a couple of dollars? I’m a little short.dollarbe short of money/cash/fundsOur libraries are short of funds.librarybefundbe 5p/$10 etc shortHave you all paid me? I’m about £9 short.payI’m a bit short British English spoken (=I haven’t got much money at the moment)somebody is not short of something British English (=they have a lot of it)Your little girl’s not short of confidence, is she?beThey’re not short of a few bob (=they are rich). b)if something is short, there is not enough of it: Money was short in those days.bedayIt’s going to be difficult – time is short.gobeGasoline was in short supply (=not enough of it was available) after the war.be6be short on something to have less of something than you should have: He’s a nice guy, but a little short on brains.brainThe president’s speech was long on colorful phrases but short on solutions.bephrasesolution7less thanLESS a little less than a numbershort ofHer time was only two seconds short of the world record.besecondjust/a little short of somethingShe was just short of six feet tall.befoot8short noticeSUDDENLY if something is short notice, you are told about it only a short time before it happens: I can’t make it Friday. It’s very short notice.at short notice British English on short notice American English: The party was arranged at short notice.bearrange9in the short term/runSOON during the period of time that is not very far into the future → short-term: These measures may save money in the short term, but we’ll end up spending more later.measurespendlate10have a short memory if someone has a short memory, they soon forget something that has happened: Voters have very short memories.votermemory11be short for somethingSHORT/NOT LONG to be a shorter way of saying a name: Her name is Alex, short for Alexandra.be12be short of breath to be unable to breathe easily, especially because you are unhealthy: He couldn’t walk far without getting short of breath.get13be short with somebodyRUDE/IMPOLITE to speak to someone using very few words, in a way that seems rude or unfriendly: Sorry I was short with you on the phone this morning.be14have a short temper/fuseBAD-TEMPERED to get angry very easily: Mr Yanto, who had a very short fuse, told her to get out.havetell15get/be given short shriftSYMPATHIZE# if you or your idea, suggestion etc is given short shrift, you are told immediately that you are wrong and are not given any attention or sympathy: McLaren got short shrift from all the record companies when he first presented his new band to them in 1976.getcompanypresent16be nothing/little short of somethingVERY used to emphasize that something is very good, very surprising etc: Her recovery seemed nothing short of a miracle.seemThe results are little short of astonishing.resultbeastonish17draw/get the short strawJOB/TASK to be given something difficult or unpleasant to do, especially when other people have been given something better: Giles drew the short straw, and has to give us a talk this morning.drawhave18make short work of (doing) somethingFINISH DOING STH to finish something quickly and easily, especially food or a job: The kids made short work of the sandwiches.kidmakesandwichComputers can make short work of complex calculations.computercalculation19have/get somebody by the short and curlies (also have/get somebody by the short hairs) British English informal not polite to put someone in a situation in which they are forced to do or accept what you want: I signed the contract – they’ve got me by the short and curlies.signget20be one ... short of a ... spoken used humorously to say that someone is a little crazy or stupid: Lady, are you a few aces short of a deck?beaceHe’s one sandwich short of a picnic.21short time British English when workers work for fewer hours than usual, because the company cannot afford to pay them their full wage: Most of the workers were put on short time.workerbe22in short order formalSHORT TIME in a short time and without delay23give somebody short measure British English old-fashionedSELL to give someone less than the correct amount of something, especially in a shop24sound technical a short vowel is pronounced quickly without being emphasized, for example the sound of a in ‘cat’, e in ‘bet’, and i in ‘bit’ OPP long—shortnessshortnessesshortness noun [uncountable]: He was suffering from shortness of breath.besufferShirley was very conscious of her shortness and always wore high heels.bewearheel → life’s too short at life(27)THESAURUStimeshort not long: I lived in Tokyo for a short time.live | Smokers have a shorter life expectancy than non-smokers.smokershortsmokerbrief especially written lasting only for a short time. Brief is more formal than short, and is used especially in written English: The President will make a brief visit to Seattle today. | He coached Hingis for a brief period in the 1990s.coachquick [only before noun] taking a short time to do something: I had a quick look at the map.have | He had a quick shower and then went out.havegoshort-lived lasting only for a short time – used especially when someone wishes that a good situation had been able to last for longer: short-lived successlive | The ceasefire was short-lived.belive | a short-lived romancelive | short-lived optimism about the economylivefleeting lasting only for an extremely short time – used especially when someone wishes that something had been able to last for longer: a fleeting visit | a fleeting smile | She caught a fleeting glimpse of him.catch | a fleeting moment of happiness | a fleeting thoughtthinkmomentary lasting for a very short time – used especially about feelings or pauses: There was a momentary pause in the conversation.be | The momentary panic ended when he found his two-year-old son waiting happily outside the store.endfindwaitpassing [only before noun] lasting only for a short time – used especially when people are only interested in something or mention something for a short time: passing fashionspassfashion | He made only a passing reference to war.makepass | It’s just a passing phase (=it will end soon).passephemeral formal lasting only for a short time, and ending quickly like everything else in this world: Beauty is ephemeral.be | the ephemeral nature of our existence | His wealth proved to be ephemeral.provepersonshort someone who is short is not as tall as most people: He was a short fat man.benot very tall quite short. This phrase sounds more gentle than saying that someone is short: She wasn’t very tall – maybe about 1.60 m.small short and with a small body: My mother was a small woman.be | The girl was quite small for her age (=smaller than other girls of the same age).bepetite used about a woman who is attractively short and thin: She was a petite woman with blonde hair.bestocky used about a boy or man who is short, heavy, and strong: Harry was stocky and middle-aged.beagedumpy short and fat: a dumpy girl with red hairdiminutive formal literary very short or small – used especially in descriptions in novels: a diminutive figure dressed in blackdressstubby stubby fingers or toes are short and thick: the baby’s stubby little fingersfinger
shortadverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplesshortshortshort2 adverbWord family1fall short of somethingFAIL to be less than what you need, expected, or hoped for, or to fail to reach a satisfactory standard: The Republicans increased their share of the vote, but still fell short of a majority.republicanincreasefallShares in the company dropped 26p yesterday, as profits fell short of City expectations.sharedropprofitfallexpectationfall short of a goal/target/idealThe economy fell short of the Treasury’s target of 2% growth.fallfall far/a long way/well short of somethingFacilities in these schools fall far short of the standards required.facilityschoolstandardrequireOne or two songs on the album are interesting, but most fall short of the mark (=are not good enough).songbeinterest2be running short (of/on something)ENOUGH# if you are running short of something, or if something is running short, it is being used up and there will soon not be enough left: We’re running short of coffee again.runOur supplies of petrol were running short.supplyberunCome on, time’s running short!run3stop short of doing something to almost do something but then decide not to do it: They accused the president of incompetence, but stopped short of calling for his resignation.accusestopcall4stop shortSTOP DOING STHQUIET to suddenly stop speaking or stop what you are doing, because something has surprised you or you have just thought of something: Seeing her tears, he stopped short.seetearstop5be cut shortSTOP STH THAT IS HAPPENING if something is cut short, it is stopped before you expect or before it is finished: His career was tragically cut short when, at the age of 42, he died of a heart attack.bedie6cut somebody shortINTERRUPT to interrupt and stop someone when they are speaking: I was halfway through my explanation when Walter cut me short.be7pull/bring somebody up shortSTOP DOING STHSTOP MOVING to surprise or shock someone so that they stop what they are doing or saying to think for a moment: The question brought her up short, but, after a moment’s hesitation, she answered it.bringanswer83 metres/5 miles etc short of something without reaching a place you are trying to get to, because you are still a particular distance from it: The plane touched down 200 metres short of the runway.touchmetre9two weeks/a month etc short of something two weeks, a month etc before something: He died two days short of his fifty-sixth birthday.dieday10short of (doing) somethingIF without actually doing something: Short of locking her in her room, he couldn’t really stop her from seeing Jack.locksee11come up short to fail to win or achieve something: We’ve been to the state tournament four times, but we’ve come up short every time.betime12go short (of something)ENOUGH# British English to have less of something than you need: She made sure that her children never went short.makechildgo13be taken short/be caught short British English informal to have a sudden strong need to go to the toilet when you are not near one
shortnounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Word sets 1 2 3Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesshortshortsshortshort3 nounWord family1shorts [plural] a)short trousers ending at or above the knees: a pair of shortsshorttourists in shorts and T-shirtstouristshortshirt → Bermuda shorts, cycling shorts b)especially American English men’s underwear with short legs: Craig was standing in the kitchen in his shorts.bestandshort → boxer shorts, jockey shorts2in shortSUMMARIZE used when you want to give the main point of something: Carter hoped for greater trust between the two nations, more trade, more cultural exchanges – in short, a genuine peace.hopegreatnationexchange3for short used as a shorter way of saying a name: His name’s Maximilian, but we just call him Max for short.4[countable] informal a short film shown in the cinema5[countable] British English informal a strong alcoholic drink that is not beer or wine, drunk in a small glass SYN shot American English: Do you fancy a short?6[countable] informal a short circuit: a short in the system → the long and the short of it at long1(10)THESAURUSfilm especially British English, movie especially American English a series of images that tell a story and are shown in a cinema or on television: What’s your favourite movie? | It won the award for best foreign film.winwell | a made-for-TV moviemakemotion picture formal (also picture) a film – used especially by people who make films or by critics: a major Hollywood motion picture | Tell us about your latest picture.lateblockbuster informal a very successful film: Steven Spielberg’s latest Hollywood blockbusterlateflick informal a film – a very informal use: an action flickdocumentary a film that gives detailed information and facts about a particular subject: a documentary on the rain forestfeature film a film made to be shown in cinemas: The book was later made into a full-length feature film starring Sean Penn.belatemakestarcomedy a film intended to make people laugh: Monroe appeared in a number of comedies.appearnumbcomedyromantic comedy (also romcom British English informal) a film about two people who are in love, which is intended to make the people who watch it feel happy: ‘Notting Hill’ is a romantic comedy starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant.bestarthriller an exciting film, especially about murder or serious crimes: ‘The Birds’ is a classic Hitchcock thriller.birdbefilm noir a film that shows strong feelings of fear or evil and whose characters are often immoral, or these films in general: ‘The Big Sleep’ is a classic Hollywood film noir.beaction film/movie a film that has lots of fighting, explosions etc: Stallone’s latest action movielatehorror film/movie a frightening film about ghosts, murders etc: She loves watching old horror movies.lovewatchmoviewestern a film with cowboys in it: John Wayne is famous for making westerns.bemakewesternscience fiction film/movie (also sci-fi film/movie informal) a film about imaginary events in the future or in outer space: ‘2001’ is probably the most famous sci-fi movie ever made.bemakegangster film/movie a film about violent criminalssilent film/movie an old film without any sound: The 1920s were the golden age of silent movies.bemoviean independent film/movie a film made by a small film companyanimated film/movie/cartoon a film with characters that are drawn or made using a computer: One of his first animated films was ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’.animatefilmbedwarfanime /ˈænɪmeɪ, -mə/ a type of Japanese animated film, which often has a science fiction story: Miyazaki’s anime film ‘Spirited Away’ became an international success.spiritbecome | an anime characterCGI the use of computers to create characters and images in a film: The film uses CGI.use | Disney’s latest CGI movielateshort a short film, usually shown before a longer movie in the cinema: an animated shortanimatetrailer a series of short scenes from a film or programme, shown in order to advertise it in a cinema, on television etc: We had to sit through all the trailers.havetrailer
shortverbCollocations from other entriesWord sets 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesshortshortsshortedshortingshortshort4 (also short outshort outsshort outedshort outingshort out) verb [intransitive and transitive]Word familyVerb form to short-circuit, or make something do this: The toaster shorted and caused a fire.shortcause
verb
Word familyVerb form1romantic attraction [transitive not in progressive]LOVE to have a strong feeling of affection for someone, combined with sexual attraction: I love you, Tracy.He was the only man she had ever loved.behavelove2care about [transitive not in progressive]LOVE to care very much about someone, especially a member of your family or a close friend: I love my grandad so much.I’ve always loved children.lovechildmuch-loved/well-lovedIn 1941, her much-loved sister was killed in an accident.lovebekillMany people feel guilty after the death of a loved one.love3like/enjoy [transitive]ENJOY/LIKE DOING STH to like something very much or enjoy doing something very much: I love carrots.carrotJeff loves his work.loveI love the way she sings that song.singAmy had always loved New York.havelovelove doing somethingI love going out to restaurants.gorestaurantlove to do somethingWe all love to talk about ourselves.I’d love to (do something) spoken (=used to say that you would really like to do something)‘Would you like to come swimming with us?’ ‘I’d love to.’willswimI’d have loved to have stayed till the end.lovestayI’d love to know just why they did that.do4loyalty [transitive not in progressive]LIKE SB OR STH to have a strong feeling of loyalty to your country, an institution etc: Dad’s always loved the navy.love5I love it! spokenENJOY/LIKE DOING STH used when you are amused by something, especially by someone else’s mistake or bad luck: ‘And then her boyfriend walked in and saw her kissing Ray.’ ‘I love it!’walkseekiss6sb’s going to love something spoken a)ENJOY/LIKE DOING STHused to say that someone will enjoy something: Listen guys, you’re going to love this.guygo b)DON'T LIKEused to say that someone will not be pleased about something: I’m going to love telling him we’ve changed our minds again.gotellchangemind → loverTHESAURUSlove to like someone very much and care a lot about them – used about people in your family or someone who you are sexually attracted to: I love my wife and children very much.child | Have you ever said ‘I love you’ and not really meant it?saymeanadore to love and admire someone very much: When she was a child she adored her father.beadorebe in love (with somebody) to feel that you love someone and want to have a romantic relationship with them: We were both young and very much in love.be | Karen was in love with a man who was much older than her.bebeoldbe infatuated with somebody to love someone a lot and keep thinking about them, in a way that seems silly because you do not know them very well: He became infatuated with a woman he met at a conference.becomemeethave a crush on somebody to love and be sexually attracted to someone you are not having a relationship with, usually someone older: Jane had a crush on the German teacher.havebe crazy about somebody informal to love someone very much – used for emphasis: She’s crazy about you.be devoted to somebody to love someone very much and give them a lot of attention: He was devoted to his wife and his children.bedevotechilddote on somebody written to love someone very much, especially a much younger family member, and behave very kindly to them: He dotes on his grandchildren.dotegrandchild
lovenounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesloveloveslovelove2 S1 W1 noun
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: lufu 1for family/friends [uncountable]LOVE a strong feeling of caring about someone, especially a member of your family or a close friend OPP hate, hatred:
What these kids need is love and support.kidbelove fora mother’s love for her child2romantic [uncountable]LOVE a strong feeling of liking someone a lot combined with sexual attractionlove forTheir love for each other grew deeper every day.growdeepTara is madly in love with you.be3person you love [countable]LOVE someone that you feel a strong romantic and sexual attraction to: He was her first love.bethe love of your life (=the person that you feel or felt the most love for)4pleasure/enjoyment a)[singular, uncountable]ENJOY/LIKE DOING STH a strong feeling of pleasure and enjoyment that something gives youlove of/formy love of natureHe had a great love of music.haveI fell in love with Amsterdam the very first time I visited the city.fallvisit b)[countable]ENJOY/LIKE DOING STH something that gives you a lot of pleasure and enjoyment: Sailing was her great love.sailbe5make love (to/with somebody) a)SEX/HAVE SEX WITHto have sex with someone that you love b)old useLOVE to say loving things to someone, to kiss them etc6send/give your love (to somebody), send/give somebody your loveLOVE to ask someone to give your loving greetings to someone else when they see them, write to them etc: Aunt Mary sends her love.send7love (from somebody)/lots of love/all my love written used at the end of a letter to a friend, a member of your family, or someone you love: See you soon. Lots of love, Clare.lot8(my) love British English spoken informal a)LOVEa word used when you are talking to someone you love SYN darling: ‘Hello, love,’ said her father.say b)WOMANa friendly way of talking to someone who you do not know, especially to a woman or child. Many women consider this to be impolite or offensive: What’s your name, love?9be a love and .../... there’s a love British English spokenASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STH used when you are asking someone, especially children and members of your family, to do something: Give these to your sisters, there’s a love.sister10there is no love lost between somebody and somebodyDON'T LIKE if there is no love lost between two people, they dislike each other11tennis [uncountable] an expression meaning ‘no points’, used in the game of tennis12not for love or/nor money informalIMPOSSIBLE if you cannot get something or do something for love or money, it is impossible to obtain or to do: I can’t get hold of that book for love nor money.13love triangle a situation in which someone is having a sexual relationship with the partner of a close friend – used especially in newspapers14for the love of God (also for the love of Mike/Pete) old-fashioned spokenANGRY used to show that you are extremely angry, disappointed etc → a labour of love at labour1(4)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 2verbsbe in love Are you in love with her?befall in love (=start being in love) I fell in love with her the minute I saw her.fallseefind love (=meet someone to love) I never thought I would find love.thinkwillreturn sb’s love (=love someone who loves you) Estella does not return Pip’s love.dophraseslove at first sight (=when you love someone as soon as you meet them) For Marion and Ron it was love at first sight.bevery much in love They were obviously very much in love.bemadly/deeply in love (=very much in love) I married Dan because I was madly in love.marrybehead over heels in love (=very much in love) The two of them fell head over heels in love.fallheellove is blind (=used to say that people do not notice the faults of the person they love) Love is blind, I guess. How else could he stand to be with her?becanadjectivestrue love (=real love) She felt that she had finally found true love.feelhavefindreal love You could see real love in their eyes.caneyeromantic love Romantic love was not always the reason for marriage.besexual love Venus was the Roman goddess of sexual love.beunrequited love (=love for someone who does not love you) She had a secret, unrequited love for Harrison.haveundying love (=love that does not stop) She and I swore undying love.swearpassionate love He wrote about his passionate love for her.writelove + NOUNa love song/story a tragic love storya love letter She found a love letter from another woman in his wallet.findTHESAURUSlove noun [uncountable] a feeling of liking someone very much and caring a lot about them – used about people in your family, or someone you feel sexually attracted to: All children need love, attention, and encouragement.child | We don’t need words to express our love for each other.wordaffection noun [uncountable] a gentle feeling of love which makes you want to be kind to someone and show them that you love them – used especially about friends and members of your family: My mother never showed us us any affection.show | Alison and I had been at school together, and I felt great affection for her.havebefeeldevotion noun [uncountable] very strong love for someone in which you want to give them a lot of attention and look after them – used especially about strong feelings of love for your wife, husband, children etc: His recovery is largely due to the devotion of his wife and familybepassion noun [uncountable] a strong and exciting feeling of love for someone you are extremely sexually attracted to: He loved her still, with just the same passion as he always had.lovehave | There was no passion in their relationship.beinfatuation noun [uncountable and countable] a strong feeling of love for someone, in which you cannot stop thinking about them, and which seems silly because you do not know them very well: She hoped that his ridiculous infatuation would soon wear off.hopewill | His infatuation with Diane seemed to be growing.seemgrow | a childhood infatuationromance noun [uncountable] the feeling of loving someone and the nice things you do to show this – used about someone you are sexually attracted to: The romance had gone out of their relationship.havego | In the UK, one in ten people have found romance over the Internet.findcrush noun [countable] a very strong feeling of love and sexual attraction for someone such as a teacher or a famous person, especially when there is no chance of you having a relationship with that person because you are much younger than them : She had a teenage crush on one of her teachers.haveteacher | I had a big crush on Tom Cruise when I was growing up.havebegrow | a schoolgirl crush
predeterminer, adverbDate: 1300-1400Origin: quit, quite ‘free of’ (13-19 centuries), from Old French quite; → QUIT 1QUITE/FAIRLY especially American English very, but not extremely → pretty:
The food in the cafeteria is usually quite good.beHis hair is quite thin on top now.beAmy’s at college, and she’s doing quite well.doquite a somethingHe’s quite a good soccer player.GrammarPut quite before ‘a’ and an adjective and noun, not after ‘a’: It took quite a long time (NOT a quite long time).take2especially British English fairly, or to a small extent, but not very → pretty: The film was quite good, but the book was much better.bebewellI got a letter from Sylvia quite recently.getquite like/enjoyI quite like Chinese food.3quite a lot/bit/fewLOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT a fairly large number or amount: He’s got quite a lot of friends.getfriendQuite a few towns are now banning cars from their shopping centres.townbebancarshopcentre4[+ adjective/adverb] British EnglishVERY completely: I’m sorry. That’s quite impossible.What she’s suggesting is quite ridiculous!suggestbeI think you’ve had quite enough to drink already!haveThat’s quite a different matter.5not quiteLITTLE/NOT VERY not completely: They weren’t quite ready so we waited in the car.waitI’m not quite sure where she lives.liveDinner’s almost ready, but not quite.6not quite why/what/where etcEXACT not exactly why, what, where etc: The play wasn’t quite what we expected.expect7quite a something/quite some something British EnglishUNUSUAL used before a noun to emphasize that something is very good, large, interesting etc: That was quite a party you had.behaveThe engines make quite a noise.engineIt’s quite some distance away.8quite a/some time especially British English a fairly long time: We’ve been waiting for quite some time now.bewait9quite right British EnglishAGREE used to show that you agree strongly with someone: ‘I refuse to do any more work.’ ‘Quite right. They can’t expect you to work for nothing.’10that’s quite all right British EnglishYES used to reply to someone that you are not angry about something they have done: ‘I’m sorry we’re so late.’ ‘That’s quite all right.’11AGREEquite/quite so British English formal used to show that you agree with what someone is saying SYN exactly: ‘They really should have thought of this before.’ ‘Yes, quite.’shallthink12quite something especially British EnglishGOOD/EXCELLENT used to say that someone or something is very impressive: It’s quite something to walk out on stage in front of 20,000 people.THESAURUSrather/quite especially British English more than a little, but less than very. British people often use these words before adjectives in conversation. In many cases they do not intend to change the meaning – it is just something that people say: She seemed rather unhappy.seem | It's rather a difficult question. | It’s getting quite late.get | Malaria is rather common in this area.befairly rather. Fairly is used in both British and American English: The test was fairly easy.be | It’s a fairly long way to the next town.pretty spoken rather. Pretty is more informal than the other words and is used in spoken English: Her French is pretty good.be | We’re in a pretty strong position.reasonably to a satisfactory level or degree: He plays reasonably well.play | Let's just say that I am reasonably confident we'll win.bemoderately formal more than a little, but not very: Her family was moderately wealthy.be | The food was moderately good, but not as good as the food in the other restaurants.berestaurant | Use a moderately high heat. | a moderately difficult climbsomewhat formal fairly or to a small degree. Somewhat is used especially when talking about the size or degree of something. It is often used in comparatives: The celebrations were somewhat larger than last year’s.celebrationbelarge | He looked somewhat irritated.lookirritate | a somewhat surprising decisionsurprise
verb (past tense and past participle sent /sent/)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: sendan Verb form1by post etc [transitive]SEND to arrange for something to go or be taken to another place, especially by post:
Lyn sent some pictures of the wedding.sendpicturesend somebody somethingWe sent Mom flowers for Mother’s Day.sendflowerWe sent her a letter of apology.sendsend something to somebody/somethingI’ll send a copy to you.send something back/up/over etcHe ordered coffee to be sent up.ordersendsend something by post/sea/air etcMonday is the last day to send cards by post to arrive by Christmas.becard2radio/computer etc [transitive] to make a message, electronic signal etc go somewhere, using radio equipment, computers etcsend somebody somethingI sent her an email yesterday.sendRadio signals were sent into deep space.signalbesend3person to place a)[transitive]SEND to ask or tell someone to go somewhere, especially so that they can do something for you there: The United Nations is sending troops.unitenationbesendtroopsend somebody to somethingA police officer was sent to Ryan’s home.besendsend somebody back/away/over/home etcMany of the refugees were sent back to Vietnam.refugeebesendWhen Frank came, I told him I was ill and sent him away.cometellbesendThey sent me down to talk to Mr. Strachan.sendMr Ellison is here. Shall I send him in (=tell him to enter the room)?besend somebody to do somethingThe U.S. offered to send ships to help in the rescue operation.offership b)[transitive always + adverb/preposition]SEND to arrange for someone to go to a place such as a school, prison, or hospital and spend some time theresend somebody to somethingI can’t afford to send my kid to private school.He was sent to prison for five years.besendyearsend somebody away/offI was sent away to school at the age of six.besendsend somebody on somethingNew employees are sent on a training course.employeebesendtrain4send (somebody) a message/signal if something that someone does or says sends a particular message, it has that meaning: Advertising sends the message that you have to be thin to be successful.advertisesend5send your love/regards/best wishes etcSEND spoken to ask someone to give your greetings, good wishes etc to someone else: Mother sends her love.send6cause to move [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to make something move from one place to anothersend something through/to/over etc somethingThe blaze sent smoke over much of the city.send7send somebody/something flying/sprawling/reeling etcTHROW to make someone or something move quickly through the air or across something: The explosion sent glass flying everywhere.sendfly8affect [transitive always + adverb/preposition]EFFECT/INFLUENCE to make someone or something start to be in a particular state: His lectures always send me to sleep.lecturesend somebody/something into somethingThe tail broke apart, sending the plane into a dive.breaksend9send word formalTELL to tell someone something by sending them a letter or messagesend word (to somebody) that/of somethingThey sent word to the king of their arrival.send10send shivers/chills up (and down) your spine to make you feel very frightened or excited: The eerie howl of the siren sent chills up her spine.sendchill11send somebody packing informalLEAVE A PLACE to tell someone who is not wanted that they must leave at once: After his four years as governor, the voters sent him packing.yearvotersendpacksend away for something phrasal verb ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STHto send a letter to a company or organization asking them to send something to you: Send away for a free recipe booklet.send down phrasal verb1send something ↔ downREDUCE to make something lose value: The company’s bad figures sent its share price down.figuresend2send somebody down British English informal to send someone to prisonsend somebody down forHe was sent down for possession of cocaine.besend3be sent down British English old-fashioned to be told to leave a university because of bad behavioursend for somebody/something phrasal verb1ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STHTELL/ORDER SB TO DO STHto ask or order that something be brought or sent to you, especially by writing a letter or by telephone: Send for your free sample today!2ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STH old-fashioned to ask or tell someone to come to you by sending them a message: Charlie said he’d find a place to live and then send for me.sayGet back into bed. I’ll send for the doctor.I’ve sent for help.sendsend something/somebody ↔ in phrasal verb1SENDto send something, usually by post, to a place where it can be dealt with: I sent in a few job applications last week.sendapplication2SENDto send soldiers, police etc somewhere to deal with a difficult or dangerous situation: British troops were sent in as part of the peace-keeping force.troopbesendkeepsend off phrasal verb1send something ↔ offSEND to send something somewhere by post: I sent off the letter this morning.send2send off for somethingASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STH to send a letter to a company or organization asking them to post something to you: I sent off for a copy of the photograph.send3send somebody ↔ off British English to order a sports player to leave the field because they have broken the rules: One of Dundee’s players was sent off for punching another player.playerbesendpunchsend something ↔ on phrasal verb1especially British EnglishSEND to send someone’s letters or possessions to their new address from their old address SYN forward: My flatmate said she’d send on all my post.say2SENDto send something that has been received to another place so that it can be dealt withsend something ↔ on toThe data is then sent on to the Census Bureau.datumbesendsend out phrasal verb1send something/somebody ↔ outSEND to make a person or a group of people or things go from one place to various other places: Information was sent out to interested students.besendintereststudentSearch parties were sent out to look for survivors.partybesendsurvivor2send something ↔ outSEND to broadcast or produce a signal, light, sound etc: The ship is sending out an SOS signal.besend3send out for somethingASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STH to ask a restaurant or food shop to deliver food to you at home or at work: We sent out for sandwiches.sendsandwichsend something/somebody ↔ up phrasal verb1VALUEto make something increase in value: The oil shortage is bound to send prices up.bebindprice2British English informalMAKE FUN OF to make someone or something seem silly by copying them in a funny way: The film hilariously sends up Hollywood disaster movies.sendmovie
modal verb (negative short form mightn’t)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: meahte, mihte 1MAYBEpossibility a)if something might happen or might be true, there is a possibility that it may happen or may be true, but you are not at all certain:
I might be a few minutes late.minuteShe might not want to come with us.He might have missed the train.missThis might well be her last public performance (=it is fairly likely).One of the guards might easily panic and shoot someone (=it is likely).guard b)used as the past tense of ‘may’ when reporting that someone talked or thought about the possibility of something: He might be able to help you.I thought they might have gone home.thinkgoShe was worried that we might get hurt.beworry c)used to say that something was a possibility in the past but did not actually happen: It was terrifying. We might have been killed.beterrifybekill2ADVISEsuggesting used to suggest politely what someone should do: If you need more information, you might try the Internet.I thought we might go to the new Chinese restaurant on the High Street.thinkIt might be a good idea to put those plants in the shade.plantWe’re going to a concert. You might like to come with us.go3asking permission a)spoken especially British English used to politely ask for permission to do something: Might I borrow your pen?I wonder if I might speak to your son. b)used when reporting that someone asked for permission to do something: He asked if he might come in and look around.ask4CANsomebody should have done something used when you are annoyed because someone has not done something that you think they should do: You might at least say thank you.littleThey might have cleaned up before they left.cleanleave5past purpose used after ‘so that’ or ‘in order that’ to say that someone did something in order to make something else happen or be possible: I asked for names and addresses so that I might pass on details to the police.asknameaddressdetail6might I say/ask/add etc spoken especially British English used to politely give more information, ask a question, interrupt etc: Might I ask how old you are?beMight I just say how lovely it is to see everyone here today.be7I might say/add spoken used to emphasize what you are saying: I was, I might say, not surprised.besurprise8I might have known/guessed etc spokenEXPECT used to say that you are not surprised at a situation: I might have known it was you!knowbeI might have guessed I’d get no sympathy from my family.guess9might (just) as well a)SUGGESTused to suggest that someone should do something, because there is no good reason to do anything else: I suppose we might as well go home. b)used to say that the effect of an action or situation is the same as if it was another one: They might as well have a badge on them saying ‘Steal me’.sayHe might as well have been a million miles away.bemil10BUTalthough used to say that even though something is perhaps true, something different or opposite is also true: He might be nearly seventeen but he’s still very immature.Surprising as it might seem, some tourists actually enjoy the British weather.surprisetouristAlthough she might understand his beliefs, she could not accept them.beliefcanTry as I might (=although I tried hard), I couldn’t work out the answer.11ASK A QUESTIONformal question used to ask a question in a formal and rather unfriendly way: And who might you be, young man?12might well used to say that there is a good reason for a reaction, question, or feeling: ‘What do they hope to achieve?’ ‘You might well ask.’a system of which we in Britain might well be enviousThis caused a few gasps, as well it might.causegasp
mightnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesmightmightsmightmight2 noun [uncountable]Language: Old EnglishOrigin: miht 1POWERgreat strength and power:
two individuals who took on the might of the English legal systemindividualtakeHe swung the axe again with all his might.swing2might is right British English, might makes right American EnglishPOWER used to say that powerful people and countries are able to do whatever they want, especially when you disapprove of this
adjective [only before noun]Language: Old EnglishOrigin: mægen-, from mægen ‘strength’ 1MAINlarger or more important than all other things, ideas etc of the same kind:
The main reason for living in Spain is the weather.livebeWhat do you consider to be the main problem?Our main concern is that the children are safe.bechildbea summary of the main points of the agreementpointthe main aim of the meetingmeetI’ll meet you outside the main entrance.the main bedroom2the main thing spokenIMPORTANT used to say what is the most important thing in a situation: As long as you’re not hurt, that’s the main thing.The main thing is not to panic.be → an eye for/on/to the main chance at eye1(22)THESAURUSmain larger or more important than all the others: the main entrance of the buildingbuild | the main reason for his decisionchief/principal most important. Chief and principal are more formal than main, and are often used in written English: Coffee is the country’s principal export.be | What is the company’s chief objective?bemajor very important or serious: Smoking is a major cause of heart disease.smokebe | Street crime is becoming a major problem.bebecomekey most important, or the one that everything or everyone else depends on: Education is likely to be a key issue in the election campaign.be | Hooper was a key member of the team.be | Diet is key.benumber one especially spoken most important or best - this phrase sounds a little informal and it is used especially in spoken English: Reliability is the number one priority.benumb | the number one cause of deathnumb | He is still in the number one position.benumbprimary most important - used especially about the most important aim, role, cause, or concern. Primary is more formal than main: The primary aim of the project was to help students develop their communication skills.bestudentskill | Security is our primary concern.be | The primary function of the university was considered to be the teaching of ‘the great cultural disciplines’.beconsiderteachdisciplineprime very important or most important - used especially about the most important reason, cause, or aim, or about the most likely target or suspect. Prime is more formal than main: Their prime objective is to increase profits for their shareholders.beprofitshareholder | Tourists are prime targets for theft and robbery.touristbetargetcore most important - used especially about the things that people should pay most attention to: the core skills of reading and writingskillreadwrite | He wants the company to focus on its core business - advertising.wantadvertise | The party’s core values are individual freedom and reducing the amount of government bureaucracy.valuebereducecentral most important and having more influence than anything else: The U.S. played a central role in the peace negotiations.playnegotiation | a central theme of the book | The central question is, why are people still so attached to their cars?bebeattachcarpredominant most common, typical, or important: Yellow was the predominant colour everywhere.be | High arched windows are a predominant feature in English churches.archwindowbechurch | New York still has a predominant role in the contemporary art world.have
mainnounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesmainmainsmainmain2 noun1[countable] a large pipe or wire carrying the public supply of water, electricity, or gas: The report found that many of Yorkshire’s water mains needed replacing.findmainneedreplacea burst gas main2British English a)the mains the place on a wall where you can connect something to a supply of electricity: You can run the torch off batteries or plug it into the mains.batterymainat the mainsMake sure that the television is turned off at the mains.beturnmain b)mains gas/water/electricity gas, water, or electricity supplied to a building through a pipe or wire: The heater will run off mains gas or bottled gas.mainbottle3in the mainMOST mostly: Their job in the main consisted of cleaning and maintaining the building.consistcleanmaintainbuild
verb
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: wyrcan Verb form1do a job for money [intransitive]WORK/DO WORK to do a job that you are paid for:
Where do you work?Many young people in the area have never worked.workThe injury means he’ll probably never work again.meanwork forHe works for a law firm.workwork at/inI work at the university.work asShe works as a consultant for a design company.workwork in industry/education/publishing etcThe studies were undertaken by people working in education.studybeundertakeworkwork part-time/full-timeI work part-time in a library.2do your job [intransitive and transitive]WORK/DO WORK to do the activities and duties that are part of your job: Sally isn’t working tomorrow.workStaff will have to get used to a new way of working.useworkwork withOne of the women I work with is getting married this weekend.womanbegetmarrywork under somebody (=have someone who is in charge of you)Each site has a fully trained team who work under a site manager.havetrainwork days/nights/weekends etcI get paid more if I work nights.paynightWe’re sometimes expected to work twelve-hour days.expectdayAre you working late (=working after the time you usually finish) again tonight?beworkForty police officers are working round the clock (=working day and night without stopping) to find Murray’s killer.officerbeworkNowadays, many people are able to work from home.be3help [intransitive]WORK/DO WORK if you work with someone or a group of people, your job involves trying to help themwork with/amongShe’s just retired after 38 years working with children.retireyearworkchildHe has worked among some of the world’s poorest people.haveworkpoor4do an activity [intransitive]WORK/DO WORK to spend time and effort doing something: I’ve been working in the garden all afternoon.beworkI’m going to have to work really hard to pass these exams.goexamWe’re working together to develop a new system.work5try to achieve something [intransitive]TRY TO DO OR GET STH to try continuously to achieve a particular thingwork towardsThey are working towards a solution to their problems.beworkproblemwork forWe will work for the release of the hostages.hostagework to do somethingThe police are working to provide more help for victims of crime.beworkvictimThe company is working hard to improve its image.beworkHe worked tirelessly (=worked very hard in a determined way) for the charity throughout his life.work6machine/equipment a)[intransitive]WORKING/NOT BROKEN if a machine or piece of equipment works, it does what it is supposed to do: You should check that the smoke alarm is working properly.shallbeworkThe delete key doesn’t work.get something to workI can’t get the heater to work. b)[transitive]SWITCH ON OR OFF to make a machine or piece of equipment do what it is supposed to do: My parents can’t even work the video.parent7be effective/successful [intransitive]SUCCEED IN DOING STH to be effective or successful: Making a marriage work can take a lot of effort.makeI’ve never found a diet that works.findworkThe recipe works just as well if you use margarine instead of butter.workThe cream works immediately to relieve sore skin.workwork forYou need to find which method works best for you.workwellwork againsta drug that works against some types of cancerworktype8have an effect [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]EFFECT/INFLUENCE if something such as a fact, situation, or system works in a particular way, it has a particular effect on someone or something: The arrangement works well for everyone involved.workinvolveThe French team are the heavier crew, which should work in their favour (=help them).beheavyshallSexism still works against (=harms or causes problems for) women in many professions.workwomanprofessionLoyalty works both ways (=involves two opposite or matching effects): we are loyal to our employees and, in turn, they are loyal to us.workwaybeemployeebe9art/style/literature [intransitive]EFFECTIVE if a painting, design, piece of writing etc works, it is successful because it has the effect on you that the painter, writer etc intended: I don’t think the scene with the horses really works, do you?horseworkwork forThe colour combination just doesn’t work for me.10shape/cut something [transitive] if you work a material such as metal, leather, or clay, you cut, sew, or shape it in order to make something11use a substance [intransitive] to use a particular material or substance in order to make something such as a picture, design, jewellery etcwork in/witha sculptor who works in steelworka jeweller who works with silverwork12work your way to/through etc something a)to move somewhere slowly and with difficulty: From here, we worked our way carefully across the rock base.work b)to achieve something gradually by working: He had worked his way up to head of department.havework13work your way through school/college/university etc to do a job while you are a student because you need the money to pay for your courses, books etc14move gradually [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition]MOVE STH OR SBMOVE/CHANGE POSITION to move into a particular state or position very gradually, either in a series of small movements or after a long time: Slowly he worked the screwdriver into the crack.workwork (its way) looseOne of the screws must have worked loose.screwwork15exercise [transitive]MOVE STH OR SB to use and exercise a muscle or part of your body: Swimming is a form of exercise that works every muscle in your body.swimbework16move [intransitive and transitive] formal if a part of your body works or you work it, it moves: She was trembling and her mouth was working.betremblebework17work in an area [transitive]TRAVEL if you work a particular area or type of place, you travel around the area for your job, or work in that type of place: Markowitz works the Tri-State area.work18work the door to take tickets from people as they enter a club, theatre etc: Binns worked the door at various Manhattan clubs.workclub19entertain a crowd [transitive] if an entertainer or politician works a crowd of people, they entertain them and get their interest or support: She really knew how to work a crowd.know20land/soil [transitive] if you work the land, soil etc, you do all the work necessary to grow crops on it: He was left to work the farm alone.beleave21mine [transitive] to remove a substance such as coal, gold, or oil from under the ground22work like magic/work like a charm (also work a treat British English)EFFECTIVE to be very effective: a polish that works a treat on windowsworkwindow23mind/brain [intransitive]THINK ABOUT if your mind or brain is working, you are thinking or trying to solve a problem24work on the principle/assumption/basis etc that to base ideas, plans etc on a particular fact that you think is true: We’re working on the assumption that the conference will take place in Canada, as planned.workplan25work yourself into a frenzy/panic/state etcCAUSE to make yourself become very nervous, angry etc: He seemed to be working himself into a rage.seemwork26work it/things spokenARRANGE A MEETING, EVENT ETC to make arrangements for something to happen, especially by behaving in a clever or skilful way: We should try and work it so that we can all go together.shall27work the system to understand how a system works so that you can get advantages for yourself, often in a slightly dishonest way: Lynn could show the rest of us how to work the system.can28work somebody hard (also work somebody into the ground informal)WORK HARD to make someone work very hard: The coach has been working us really hard this week.havebeworkPeople have complained that they are being worked into the ground.complainbebeworkgrindwork yourself into the groundI’ve worked myself into the ground setting up this interview.workgrindset29work your fingers to the bone (also work your socks off informal)WORK HARD to work very hard30work your butt/ass/arse off not polite to work very hard31calculate [transitive] American English formal to calculate the answer to a mathematical problem32work to rule British English to protest about a situation at work by doing your job slowly, with the excuse that you must obey all the rules exactly33It works for me spoken used to say that something is very suitable for you and does exactly what you wanted or expected: I meditate and do Yoga every day. It works for me and I think it could work for you too.workcan → work wonders at wonder2(4), → work miracles at miracle(4), → work your magic at magic1(5)work around somebody/something (also work round somebody/somethingwork round somebody/something British English) phrasal verb to arrange or organize something so that you avoid problems that may stop you from doing something: John won’t be here on the 15th so we’ll have to work round that.winwork around to something (also work round to somethingwork round to something British English) phrasal verb to gradually mention a subject in a conversation or piece of writing, especially because it is embarrassing: You’ll have to work round to the subject gradually.work at something phrasal verb to try hard to improve something or achieve something: Learning a language isn’t easy. You have to work at it.learnwork at doing somethingcouples who want to work at improving their relationshipcoupleimprovework somebody/something in phrasal verb1INCLUDEwork something ↔ in (also work something into something) to include something in a speech, piece of writing, activity etc: He managed to work in a few references to his new book.managereferenceHere are a few goodies you can work into your daily diet.begoody2ADDwork something ↔ in (also work something into something) to add one substance to another and mix them together in a very thorough way: Work the butter into the flour.3American English spoken to arrange to meet someone, even though you are very busy SYN fit somebody in British English: My schedule’s pretty full, but I think I can work you in.work something ↔ off phrasal verb1GET RID OFto get rid of something, especially a feeling such as anger, nervousness etc, by doing something that uses a lot of your energy: Walking is excellent for working off tension.walkbeworkI need to go and work off a few of these calories.calorie2to do a job for someone else because you owe them money or because they have helped you in the past: She hasn’t worked off her debts to me yet.workdebtwork on somebody/something phrasal verb1WORK/DO WORKto spend time working in order to produce or repair something: He has spent the last two years working on a book about childcare.havespendyearworkEvery weekend you see him working on his car.work2to try very hard to improve or achieve something: A trainer has been brought in to work on her fitness.havebebringwork on doing somethingWe need to work on ensuring that the children feel safe and confident.ensurechild3PERSUADEto try continuously to influence someone or persuade them to do something: You leave him to me. I’ll work on him.work out phrasal verb1plan work something ↔ outPLAN to think carefully about how you are going to do something and plan a good way of doing it: UN negotiators have worked out a set of compromise proposals.negotiatorworkproposalwork out what/where/how etcWe need to work out how we’re going to get there.goI had it all worked out (=had made very careful plans).havework2calculate work something ↔ outCOUNT/CALCULATE to calculate an answer, amount, price etc: See if you can work this bill out.work out how much/how many etcWe’ll have to work out how much food we’ll need for the party.3understand work something ↔ out especially British EnglishSOLVE/FIND THE ANSWER to think about something and manage to understand it: The plot is very complicated – it’ll take you a while to work it out.becomplicatework something out for yourselfI’m sure you can work it out for yourself.4costTOTAL if a cost or amount works out at a particular figure, it is found to be that much when you calculate itwork out at/to £10/$500 etcThe bill works out at £15 each.workwork out expensive/cheap etc (=be expensive or cheap)If we go by taxi, it’s going to work out very expensive.go5get betterSUCCEED IN DOING STH if a problem or complicated situation works out, it gradually gets better or gets solved: Things will work out, you’ll see.thingI hope it all works out for Gina and Andy.workwork itself outI’m sure everything will work itself out.6happenHAPPEN if a situation works out in a particular way, it happens in that way SYN turn outwork out well/badlyFinancially, things have worked out well for us.thingwork7exerciseEXERCISE to make your body fit and strong by doing exercises: He works out with weights twice a week.workweight → workout8I can’t work somebody out British English spokenUNDERSTAND used to say that you cannot understand what someone is really like or why they behave in the way they do: I couldn’t work her out at all.9be worked out if a mine is worked out, all the coal, gold etc has been removed from itwork somebody over phrasal verb informal HITto attack someone by hitting them several timeswork through phrasal verb1work through something to deal with problems or unpleasant feelings: After someone dies, it can take a long time to work through your grief.die2if the result or effect of something works through, it becomes noticeable: The positive effect on businesses may take up to three years to work through.businessyearwork up phrasal verb1BECOMEwork up enthusiasm/interest/courage etc to make yourself feel interested, brave etc: I’m trying to work up enough courage to go to the dentist.try2HUNGRY/WANT TO EATwork up an appetite/a thirst/a sweat to make yourself hungry or thirsty, or make yourself sweat, especially by doing physical exercise: You can work up a really big thirst playing tennis.play3ANGRYwork somebody up to make someone very angry, excited, or upset about somethingwork yourself upYou’re working yourself up again.workShe had worked herself up into a state.havework → worked up4work something ↔ upIMPROVE to develop and improve something such as a project or a piece of writing: Jack took notes which he would work up into a report later.takenotewilllatework up to something phrasal verb PREPAREto gradually prepare yourself to do something difficultwork up to doing somethingHe’d been working up to asking her for a date all week.beworkask
worknounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesworkworksworkwork2 S1 W1 noun
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: werc, weorc 1job [uncountable]JOB/WORK a job or activity that you do regularly, especially in order to earn money → employment:
There isn’t a lot of work at this time of the year.He’s been out of work (=without a job) for two years.beyearMore people are in work (=have a job) than ten years ago.beyearbefore/after work (=before a day of work or at the end of a day of work)Do you want to go for a drink after work?GrammarIn this meaning, work is an uncountable noun. Do not say 'a work'. Say work or a job: It may be difficult for older people to obtain paid work.oldpayI applied for a job (NOT a work) as a reporter.apply2place [uncountable]WORK FOR SB a place where you do your job, which is not your home: I had an accident on the way to work.haveHe left work at the usual time.leaveI went out with the girls from work last night.gogirlat workDad’s at work right now.3duties [uncountable]WORK THAT SB DOES the duties and activities that are part of your job: A large part of the work we do involves using computers.involveusecomputerHe starts work at 4 am.startbeHe’s started a business doing gardening and roofing work.startdogardenroof4result [uncountable]WORK THAT SB DOES something that you produce as a result of doing your job or doing an activity: Send a résumé and examples of your work.exampleThe building is the work of architect Rafael Moneo.buildbeThe teacher should make sure that each child has a piece of work displayed on the wall.shallhavedisplayThe standard of work has declined.havedecline5papers etc [uncountable] the papers and other materials you need for doing work: Can you move some of your work off the kitchen table?I often have to take work home with me.6book/painting/music [countable] something such as a painting, play, piece of music etc that is produced by a painter, writer, or musician: the Collected Works of ShakespearecollectworkIt is another accomplished work by the artist.beaccomplish → work of art7activity [uncountable]WORK THAT SB DOES when you use physical or mental effort in order to achieve somethingwork onWork will start next month on a new swimming pool in the centre of the city.swimLooking after children can be hard work.lookchildcarry out/do workYou should not allow unqualified people to carry out work on your house.shallset to work/get down to work (=start work)He set to work immediately.8study [uncountable]WORK THAT SB DOES study or research, especially for a particular purposecarry out/do workThe centre carries out work to monitor trends in housing management.carrytrendhouseHe did his postgraduate work in Sociology.do9at work a)WORK/DO WORKdoing your job or a particular activity: He spent most of his time watching the fishermen at work.spendwatchfisherman b)EFFECT/INFLUENCEhaving a particular influence or effect: Volcanoes display some of nature’s most powerful forces at work.volcanoforce10the (whole) works spokenALL/EVERYTHING used after mentioning several things, to emphasize that someone or something has everything you can think of: The hotel had everything – sauna, swimming pool, the works.haveswimwork11nice work/quick work spokenPRAISE used to praise someone for doing something well or quickly: That was quick work!be12something is in the works/pipeline informal used to say that something is being planned or developed: Upgrades to the existing software are in the works.upgradeexistbework13works a)[plural] activities involved in building or repairing things such as roads, bridges etcengineering works/irrigation works/roadworksthe official in charge of the engineering worksengineerwork → public works b)[countable] (plural works) a building or group of buildings in which goods are produced in large quantities or an industrial process happensironworks/gasworks/cement worksThe brick works closed last year.workclose14the works the moving parts of a machine SYN mechanism15operation [uncountable] an operation to make you look younger or more attractive SYN cosmetic surgery: All these celebrities have had work done.celebrityhavedo16have your work cut out (for you) informalDIFFICULT used to say that it will be very difficult to do something: The team will have their work cut out if they are to win the competition.be17make short/light work of something to do something very quickly and easily: A microwave oven can make light work of the cooking.cook18make heavy/hard work of something to do something with difficulty: They made hard work of what should have been an easy game.makeshallbe19be a work in progress to not be finished or perfect yet: The garden is still very much a work in progress.be20all work and no play (makes Jack a dull boy) used to say that you should not spend all your time working, but should spend some of your time relaxing21force [uncountable] technical force multiplied by distance → be all in a day’s work at day(21), → do sb’s dirty work at dirty1(8), → a nasty piece of work at nasty(7), → nice work if you can get it at nice(12)COLLOCATIONSMeanings 1 & 3verbsstart work He started work as a trainee accountant.startlook for work (also seek work formal) Young people come to town looking for work.lookfind work (=get a job) It was difficult for them to find work.bereturn to work/go back to work His doctor agreed he was fit enough to return to work.agreebeADJECTIVES/NOUN + workpart-time work In recent years part-time work has become more popular.yearhavefull-time work Are you available for full-time work?bepaid work She hasn’t done any paid work since she had children.dopayhavechildsecretarial/clerical/office work I have a background in secretarial work. | She had done clerical work before she married.havedomarrylegal work (=work done by lawyers) He will handle all the legal work.manual work (=work done with your hands) Most of them were employed in manual work.beemployvoluntary work British English, volunteer work American English (=a job you are not paid for) She also did voluntary work in a girls’ club.dogirlsb’s daily work (=the work someone does every day) When they finished their daily work they would be too tired for much except rest.finishwilltirephrasessb’s line of work (=type of work) I meet lots of interesting people in my line of work.lotinterestthe work environment It is important to have a pleasant work environment.bework practices She supported me enthusiastically in bringing in new work practices.supportbringpracticeCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 7verbscarry out work The work should be carried out without further delay.shallcarryfardo work He was doing some work on his father’s car.bedoset to/get to/get down to work (=start work) They set to work cutting down trees and brushwood.cuttreeundertake work About a three adults in ten undertake voluntary work.adultwork starts/begins Work had already started on the bridge when the error was spotted.havestartbespotwork continues Work is continuing on three major building projects.becontinuebuildprojectadjectiveshard It’s been very hard work, but I’ve loved every moment of it.belovebackbreaking (=very tiring) Clearing the garden was slow, backbreaking work.clearbearduous (=needing a lot of effort) This was physically arduous work.beheavy work (=hard physical work) The heavy work is done by the gardener.bedolight work (=work that is not physically hard) He had been ill, but she found him some light work to do.havebefind
verb [transitive]
Date: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: relessier, from Latin relaxare; → RELAX Verb form1let somebody goFREE/NOT IN PRISON to let someone go free, after having kept them somewhere → free, discharge:
Police arrested several men, who were later released.arrestmanbelatereleaseThe bears are eventually released into the wild.bearbereleaserelease somebody from somethingHe was released from the hospital yesterday.berelease2make public to let news or official information be known and printed SYN publish: The new trade figures have just been released.figureberelease3film/record to make a CD, video, film etc available for people to buy or see: A version of the game for Mac computers will be released in February.computerrelease4stop holding/dropHOLD to stop holding or drop something: Thousands of bombs were released over Dresden.bombbereleaserelease your grip/hold (on somebody/something)The sudden noise made him release his hold on her arm.make5feelingsEXPRESS to express or get rid of feelings such as anger or worry: Physical exercise is a good way of releasing stress.berelease6chemical to let a substance flow outrelease something into somethingOil was released into the sea.berelease7from a dutyWORK/DO WORK to allow someone not to do their duty or work: Because of rising costs, the company released 10% of their workforce.risecostreleaserelease somebody from somethingWilliams asked to be released from her contract.askrelease8machineryMOVE STH OR SB to allow part of a piece of machinery or equipment to move from the position in which it is fastened or held: Release the handbrake first.
releasenounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesreleasereleasesreleasere‧lease2 S3 W2 AC noun
1from prison [singular, uncountable]FREE/NOT IN PRISON when someone is officially allowed to go free, after being kept somewhere: Before release, the sea lions are fitted with electronic tracking devices.lionbefittrackdevicerelease fromSimon has obtained early release from prison.haveobtain2record/film a)[countable] a new CD, video, film etc that is available to buy or see: the band’s latest releaselate b)be on (general) release if a film is on release, you can go and see it in a cinema: The film is on general release.be3feelings [singular, uncountable] a)EXPRESSfreedom to show or express your feelings: Playing an instrument can be a form of emotional release.play b)RELAXEDa feeling that you are free from the worry or pain that you have been suffering: treatment that will bring a release from pain4chemicals [uncountable] when a chemical, gas etc is allowed to flow out of its usual containerrelease intothe release of toxic waste into the riversriver5official statement [uncountable and countable] an official statement, report etc that is made available to be printed or broadcast, or the act of making it available SYN publication: October 22nd is the date set for the report’s release.be → press release6machine [countable] a handle, button etc that can be pressed to allow part of a machine to move
noun
Word familyDate: 1300-1400Language: Latin
Origin: pressura, from premere; → PRESS2 1persuade [uncountable]FORCE SB TO DO STH an attempt to persuade someone by using influence, arguments, or threats:
They are putting pressure on people to vote yes.beputbe/come under pressure to do somethingThe minister was under pressure to resign.bebe/come under pressure from somebody (to do something)I was under pressure from my parents to become a teacher.beparentThe Labour government came under pressure from the trade unions.comeunionpressure forPressure for change has become urgent.havepressure onthe pressure on all of us to keep slimHe exerts pressure on his kids to get them to do as he wants.exertkidwantYou must never give in to pressure.2anxiety/overwork [uncountable and countable]BUSY/HAVE A LOT TO DO a way of working or living that causes you a lot of anxiety, especially because you feel you have too many things to dopressure ofI feel I’m not able to cope well with the pressures of life.pressurepressure onThe pressure on doctors is increasing steadily.doctorbeincreaseunder pressureI’m under constant pressure at work.The pressures of work can make you ill.pressurea high pressure jobathletes who show grace under pressure (=who behave well when they are anxious)athlete3causing change [uncountable and countable] events or conditions that cause changes and affect the way a situation develops, especially in economics or politics: inflationary pressurespressureAnalysts expect the pound to come under pressure.analystrelieve/reduce pressure (on somebody/something)Slowing the arms race relieved pressure on the Soviet economic system.slowarmrelieveThe 1990s brought increased economic pressure to bear on all business activities.bringincreaseactivity4weight [uncountable]PRESS the force or weight that is being put on to somethingpressure ofThe pressure of the water turns the wheel.turnthe pressure of his hand on my arm5gas/liquid [uncountable and countable] the force produced by the quantity of gas or liquid in a place or container: The gas containers burst at high pressure.container6weather [uncountable and countable] a condition of the air in the Earth’s atmosphere, which affects the weatherhigh/low pressureA ridge of high pressure is building up strongly over the Atlantic.bebuild → peer pressureCOLLOCATIONSverbsput pressure on somebody We’ve decided to set up a campaign to put pressure on the Government.decideexert pressure on somebody formal (=put pressure on them) They exerted pressure on their colleagues to vote for the change.exertcolleaguebring pressure to bear on somebody (=put pressure on them) These groups have brought pressure to bear on the government.groupbringput somebody under pressure (=put a lot of pressure on them) They were put under pressure to sign confessions.beconfessionbe under pressure Apple growers are under pressure from the public to use fewer chemicals.growerbechemicalcome under pressure The new Prime Minister has already come under pressure from the opposition to call an election.havebow to pressure (also give in to pressure) (=do what people want you to do) He eventually gave in to pressure and resigned.giveresignrespond to pressure (=do something as a result of pressure) The government responded to this pressure and modified the Bill.respondmodifyadjectivesstrong/intense pressure There was strong pressure for a statement from the President.beconsiderable pressure Shopkeepers are under considerable pressure to work on Sundays.shopkeeperbeincreasing/mounting pressure There was increasing pressure on the Chancellor to cut petrol tax.beincreasepublic/popular pressure (=pressure from the public) He faces mounting public pressure to resign.facemountpolitical pressure We did not make this recommendation because of political pressure.dodiplomatic pressure (=pressure from other countries' governments) The announcement of a ceasefire came after intense diplomatic pressure from the US.come
pressureverbCollocations from other entriesThesaurus 1Phrases from other entriesCorpus examplespressurepressurespressuredpressuringpressurepressure2 verb [transitive]Word familyVerb form FORCE SB TO DO STH especially American English to try to make someone do something by making them feel it is their duty to do it SYN pressurize British Englishpressure somebody into doing somethingYou want to enjoy food, not to be pressured into eating the right things.pressureeatthingpressure somebody to do somethingDon’t feel we are pressuring you to give what you can’t afford.bepressureTHESAURUSforce to make someone do something they do not want to do. Used when people or situations make you do something: They were beaten and forced to confess to crimes they had not committed.bebeatforcecrimehavecommit | The drought forced millions of farmers to sell their cattle.forcefarmermake to force someone to do something by using pressure, threats, or violence. Make somebody do something is more common than force somebody to do something in everyday English: Her parents disapproved of Alex and they made her stop seeing him.parentdisapprovemakesee | Two men with guns made the staff hand over the money.mangunmakepressure (also pressurize British English) to try to force someone to do something by making them feel that they should do it: Some employers pressure their staff into working very long hours.employerworkhour | She felt they were trying to pressurize her into getting married.feelbetrygetmarryblackmail to force someone to give you money or do what you want by threatening to tell embarrassing secrets about them: She tried to blackmail him with photographs of them together at the hotel.tryphotographcompel [usually passive] formal to force someone to do something using official power or authority. Also used when someone has to do something because of their situation: The town was surrounded and compelled to surrender.besurroundcompel | I felt compelled to offer them some kind of explanation.feelcompel | You are compelled by law to carry an ID card.becompelcoerce /kəʊˈɜːs $ ˈkoʊɜːrs/ formal to force someone to do something by threatening them: Local people were coerced into joining the rebel army.becoercejoinbe obliged to do something formal if someone is obliged to do something, they must do it because it is the law or the rule, or because of the situation they are in: You are not obliged to say anything which may harm your defence in court.beoblige | They were obliged to sell the land.beoblige
noun [countable]
Word familyDate: 1600-1700Language: French
Origin: ‘drawing of a building at ground level’; partly from Latin planum ‘level ground’, partly from French planter ‘to plant’ 1intentionPLAN something you have decided to do:
His plan is to get a degree in economics and then work abroad for a year.beDo you have any plans for the weekend?planThere’s been a change of plan – we’re not going to Ibiza after all.begothe best plan British English (=the best course of action)Your best plan would be to take a taxi.wellwill2method/arrangementPLAN a set of actions for achieving something in the future, especially a set of actions that has been considered carefully and in detailplan forThe chairman outlined the company’s plans for achieving a 10% growth in sales.outlineplanachievesaleplan to do somethingThere are plans to turn the site of the factory into a park.beplan3mapDESIGN a drawing similar to a map, showing roads, towns, and buildingsplan ofa street plan of London4drawing a)technical a drawing of a building, room, or machine as it would be seen from above, showing the shape, size, and position of the walls, windows, and doors → elevation(4), section1(7), ground plan(1) b)DESIGNa drawing that shows exactly how something will be arranged: I have to organise a seating plan for the dinner.seat5plan A, Plan APLAN your first plan, which you will use if things happen the way you expect: We’re going to find a restaurant and buy a meal. That’s Plan A.go6plan B, Plan BPLAN your second plan, which you can use if things do not happen the way you expect: It’s time to put Plan B into action.COLLOCATIONSMeaning 1verbshave plans I have no plans to retire yet.planchange your plans We had to change our plans at the last minute.haveplanabandon/give up your plans The city authorities have abandoned their plans to host the Super Bowl.authorityabandonplancancel your plans The weather got worse, and we had to cancel our plans to have the party outdoors.getillhaveplanshelve a plan (=cancel your plan, although you may do it later) The plan had to be shelved because of lack of money.haveshelvephrasesa change of plan The day before my flight, my boss phoned and said there’d been a change of plan.phonesaybeadjectivessb’s immediate plans (=what they are going to do next) So what are your immediate plans after graduation?beplanthe best plan British English (=the best thing to do) I think the best plan is to take the train.wellbeCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2verbshave a plan Don’t worry – I have a plan.make plans (=prepare for something) Mary has been busy making plans for her wedding.havebemakeplancome up with a plan (=think of a plan) The chairman must come up with a plan to get the club back on its feet.footdevise/formulate/draw up a plan (=make a detailed plan, especially after considering something carefully) He devised a daring plan to steal two million dollars.devisedaredollar | The company has already drawn up plans to develop the site.havedrawplancarry out a plan (=do what has been planned) The bombers were arrested by the security forces before they could carry out their plans.bomberbearrestforcecanplankeep to/stick to a plan We’re sticking to our original plan.stickabandon/scrap a plan (=decide not to continue with it) The plan was scrapped because it was too expensive.bescrapbeannounce/unveil a plan (=officially tell people about it) The government unveiled its plans for a shake-up of the health system.unveilplanapprove a plan The plan was approved at a board meeting on 24 December.beapprovemeetreject a plan The plan was rejected on the grounds that it would cost too much money.berejectgroundwilloutline a plan (=describe it in a general way) They listened as he outlined his plan.listenoutlineimplement a plan formal (=to do what has been agreed as part of an official plan) To implement its plans, the company has entered into a partnership with another software developer.planhaveentershelve a plan (=not continue with it, although you might continue with it later) The plans will be shelved until an alternative access to the site can be found.planshelvefindADJECTIVES/NOUN + planambitious The plan was very ambitious, but it worked.beworkdetailed The generals drew up detailed plans for the invasion.generaldrawdetailplan cunning/clever/ingenious They devised a cunning plan to get back their money.devise | The gang devised a cunning plan to rob the bank.devisea five-year/ten-year etc plan Unesco has a 25-year plan to provide basic education to all.havea grand plan (=a plan that involves doing a lot of things in order to achieve something big) Marrying the countess was all part of his grand plan.marrybea master plan (=a detailed plan for dealing with a complicated situation) The governors came up with a master plan for saving the school.governorcomesavea business plan We’ve developed a business plan to take over the company.developa peace plan Both sides have agreed to implement the UN peace plan.sideagreea rescue plan (=a plan for saving a company, economy etc) Which rescue plan offers the company the best prospects of survival?offerwellprospectan action plan My accountant developed a detailed action plan with specific targets.developdetailtargetphrasesgo according to plan (=happen in the way that was arranged) If everything goes according to plan, we’ll finish in January.goaccorda plan of action Ministers are discussing a plan of action to deal with the crisis.ministerbediscussa plan of attack (=a plan to attack or achieve something) At this stage, you go back to the office and work on a plan of attack.a plan of campaign British English (=a plan to achieve something) What we need now is a plan of campaign.beCOMMON ERRORS ► Do not say 'do a plan'. Say make a plan.THESAURUSMeaning 2plan a set of actions for achieving something in the future, especially a set of actions that has been considered carefully and in detail: Leaders outlined a plan to end the fighting.leaderoutlinefightplot/conspiracy a secret plan to do something bad or illegal, made by a group of people: There was a plot to assassinate the President.be | a terrorist conspiracyscheme British English an official plan that is intended to help people: The government has introduced a new scheme to help young people find work.haveintroducestrategy a carefully designed plan which is intended to achieve a particular purpose over a long period of time: the company’s business strategy | The government’s economic strategy has been criticized by many experts.havebecriticizeexpert | We need to develop effective strategies for combating the sale of counterfeit goods.strategycombatgoodinitiative a new plan for dealing with a particular problem or for achieving a particular aim: a peace initiative | a major new initiative to tackle street crimepolicy a plan that members of a government, political party, company etc agree on, that states how they intend to deal with a particular subject or problem: the government’s immigration policy | It’s company policy to allow people to work from home.programme British English, program American English a series of activities that a government or organization organizes, which aims to achieve something important and will continue for a long time: a five-year programme which will create 2000 new jobsjob | federal programs for low-income housingprogramhouse
planverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesplanplansplannedplanningplanplan2 S1 W1 verb (past tense and past participle planned, present participle planning)Word familyVerb form1[intransitive and transitive]PLAN to think carefully about something you want to do, and decide how and when you will do it: He immediately began planning his escape.beginplanTalks are planned for next week.talkbeplanThe wedding was fine and everything went as planned (=happened the way it had been planned).begoplanplan to do somethingMaria didn’t plan to kill Fiona. It was an accident.beplan ahead/plan for the futureNow that you’re pregnant you’ll have to plan ahead.2[transitive]INTEND to intend to do somethingplan to do somethingHe said he planned to write his essay tonight.sayplanplan on doing somethingWhen do you plan on going to Geneva?goThe former president is planning a return to politics.beplan3[transitive]DESIGN to think about something you are going to make, and decide what it will be like SYN design: Planning a small garden is often difficult.planbeThe system needs to be planned carefully.needplanplan something ↔ out phrasal verb PLANto plan something carefully, considering all the possible problems: I’ll get the maps so we can plan out our route.map → planning
verb (past tense and past participle thought /θɔːt $ θɒːt/)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: thencan Verb form1opinion/belief [transitive]THINK/HAVE THE OPINION THAT to have a particular opinion or to believe that something is truethink (that)
I think that you’re being unfair.beI thought I heard something.thinkhearHe didn’t think anyone would believe him.willDo you think I should call him?shallFor some reason, I keep thinking it’s Friday today.thinkThe recession lasted longer than anyone thought it would.lastlongthinkwillAm I right in thinking that you have a brother?bethinkI can’t help thinking that he’s made a mistake.thinkmakeDo you honestly think I would do something so stupid?willwhat do you think of/about somebody/something? (=used to ask someone for their opinion)What do you think of your new school?think it necessary/possible/best etc (=believe it is necessary, possible etc)I thought it best to call first.thinkwellI thought it appropriate to invite her to speak at the meeting.thinkmeetWe must start thinking in terms of reducing costs.thinktermreducecostbe thought to be (doing) something (=be believed to be (doing) something)Fraud is thought to be costing software companies millions of dollars a year.bethinkcostcompanydollar2use your mind [intransitive and transitive]THINK ABOUT to use your mind to decide about something, form an opinion, imagine something etc: She thought very carefully before answering.thinkanswerWait a minute – I’m thinking.thinkthink about/ofShe lay awake thinking about the money.liethinkthink what/how/when etcI can’t think what else we could have done.candothink (long and) hard (=think for a long time)She thought very hard before deciding to leave her job.thinkdecideHolmes sat thinking deeply (=thinking in a serious and careful way).sitthinkI dread/shudder/hate to think (=I do not want to think about something because it will be unpleasant)I dread to think how much this call is going to cost.bego3have an idea [transitive]THINK STH/HAVE A THOUGHT to have words or ideas in your mind without telling them to anyone: ‘How strange!’ he thought.think‘I don’t care!’ she thought to herself.thinkIt was impossible to know what he was thinking.bebethinkthink what/how/when etcI was just thinking what a lovely time we had yesterday.bethinkhave4remember [transitive] to remember somethingthink where/what etcHe was trying to think where he’d seen her before.betryseeI couldn’t think where I’d left my keys.leavekey5consider somebody/something [intransitive and transitive] to consider that someone or something is a particular thing or has a particular qualitythink of somebody/something as somethingPeter had always thought of Kate as someone to be avoided.havethinkavoidI want you to think of this as your home.think of yourself as somethingI’ve always thought of myself as a sensible person.thinkthink somebody (to be) somethingMy parents never thought me capable of doing a degree.parentthinkdoWe have good reason to think kindly of (=consider in an approving way) a school that has provided all our children with an excellent education.haveprovidechild6think of/about doing somethingTHINK ABOUT to consider the possibility of doing something: I had never thought of becoming an actor.havethinkbecomeWe did think about moving to Tokyo.domoveDon’t even think about calling him (=used to tell someone strongly not to do something).call7think twiceCAREFUL to think very carefully before deciding to do something, because you know about the dangers or problems: A visible alarm makes burglars think twice.makeburglarthink twice aboutA previous divorce can make you think twice about getting married again.getmarrythink twice before doing something/before you do somethingI’d think twice before taking out such a large loan.take8think againTHINK ABOUT to think carefully about a plan, decision, idea etc, especially with the result that you change your mind or do something differently: If you think car crime can’t happen to you, think again.think again aboutUniversities may be forced to think again about the courses they provide.universityforcecourseSPOKEN PHRASES9I thinkPROBABLY used when you are saying that you believe something is true, although you are not sure: Mary is in the garden, I think.beI don’t think Ray will mind.‘Do you understand what I mean?’ ‘Yes, I think so.’‘Haven’t we met before?’ 'I don’t think so.’meetI thought he was honest, but I was wrong.thinkbebe10I think I’ll ...PROBABLY used to say what you will probably do: I think I’ll go to bed early tonight.11I thought (that)SUGGEST used when you are politely suggesting something to do: I thought we’d go swimming tomorrow.thinkswimI thought we could meet for lunch.thinkcan12PROBABLYI would think (also I would have thought, I should think/I should have thought British English) used when you are saying that you believe something is probably true: We’ll need about 10 bottles of wine, I should think.bottleshallI would have thought it would be better to wait a while.willthinkwillwell13you would have thought (that) (also you would think (that))EXPECT used to say that you expect something to be true, although it is not: You would have thought the school would do more to help a child like Craig.willthinkwill14do you think (that) ...? a)ASK A QUESTIONused when you are asking someone politely to do something for you: Do you think you could help me move these boxes?canbox b)ASK A QUESTIONused to ask someone’s opinion: Do you think I need to bring a jacket?15THINK/HAVE THE OPINION THATwho/what etc do you think? a)used to ask someone’s opinion: Who do you think will win? b)ANGRYused when asking someone angrily about something: Where do you think you’re going?go16I think not formal used to say that you strongly believe something is not true or that you disagree with someone: This could be a coincidence, but I think not.can17(just) thinkIMAGINE used to ask someone to imagine or consider something: Just think – we could be millionaires!canmillionaire(just) think ofIt would be lovely, but think of the expense!willjust think what/how etcJust think what could have happened.canhappen18(now I) come to think of itADD used to mention something you have just realized or remembered: ‘Were there any letters for me?’ ‘Yes there were, come to think of it.’beletterbe19I wasn’t thinking (also I didn’t think)SORRY/APOLOGIZE used as a way of saying you are sorry because you have upset someone: Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I wasn’t thinking.saythink20to think (that) ...!SURPRISED used to show that you are very surprised about something: To think we lived next door to him and never knew what he was doing!liveknowbedo21if you think ..., you’ve got another think coming!WRONG/INCORRECT used to tell someone that if they think someone is going to do something, they are wrong: If you think I’m going to wait for you, you’ve got another think coming!gogetcome22that’s what you/they etc think!DISAGREE used to say that you strongly disagree with someone23who would have thought?SURPRISED used to say that something is very surprising: Who would have thought she’d end up dancing for a living?willthinkdancelive24I thought as muchSURPRISED used to say that you are not surprised by something someone tells you: ‘Andy failed his driving test.’ ‘I thought as much when I saw his face.’faildrivethinksee25I should have thought ... British English used as a polite or joking way of showing that you disagree with what someone has said or think it is silly: ‘Why isn’t it working?’ ‘I should have thought it was obvious.’workshallthinkbe26think better of itCHANGE YOUR MIND to not do something that you had planned to do, because you realize that it is not a good idea: He started to say something, then thought better of it.startthinkwell27think nothing of doing somethingEASY to think that a particular activity is normal or easy, even though other people think it is unusual or difficult: He thinks nothing of staying up all night in casinos.thinkstaycasino28think nothing of something to think that something is not important and then realize later that it is important: I had a pain in my back but thought nothing of it at the time.havethink29not think to do something to not consider doing something, especially when you later wish you had done it: I didn’t think to question the treatment I was given.begiveI never thought to ask him for his address.think30think for yourselfINDEPENDENT PERSON to have ideas and thoughts of your own rather than believing what other people say: Parents have to teach their children to think for themselves.parentchild31think aloud (also think out loud)SAY/STATE to say what you are thinking, without talking to anyone in particular: Oh, sorry. I was thinking aloud.bethink32think straight [usually in negatives] to think clearly: I’m so nervous I can’t think straight.How can I think straight with you talking all the time?talk33not think much of somebody/somethingDON'T LIKE to not like someone or something very much: I didn’t think much of his new girlfriend.34think highly of somebody/something (also think a lot of somebody/something)ADMIRE to admire or respect someone or something: Your boss must think highly of you if she gives you so much responsibility.give35think the world of somebody informalLOVE to like or love someone very much: The children think the world of her.child36think badly of somebody (also think less of somebody) formalDISAPPROVE to disapprove of someone or what they have done: Please don’t think badly of me.think badly of somebody forDo you think less of me for agreeing to do it?littleagree37think the best/worst of somebodyAPPROVE to consider someone’s behaviour in a way that makes them seem as good as possible or as bad as possible: He’s determined to think the worst of me.determineill38think big informalPLAN to plan to do things that are difficult, but will be very impressive, make a lot of profit etc: The company is thinking big.bethink39think outside the box to think of new, different, or unusual ways of doing something, especially in business40think positive/positively to believe that you are going to be successful or that good things are going to happen: You have to think positive if you’re going to be successful in this game.go41think on your feetPREPARE to think of ideas and make decisions very quickly: In this job you need to be able to think on your feet.foot42think to do something literaryTRY TO DO OR GET STH to try to do something: They had thought to deceive me.havethink43anyone would think (that)UNTRUE used to say that someone behaves as if a particular thing were true, although it is not: Anyone would think he owns the place, the way he talks!willowntalk → can’t hear yourself think at hear(12)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 2adverbscarefully Think carefully about every spending decision you make.spendhard (=with a lot of mental effort) I bet, if you think really hard, you can think of something to do.deeply I should have thought more deeply before I agreed.shallthinkagreeseriously I thought seriously about my doctor’s advice.thinkclearly She was simply too tired to think clearly.betirephraseslong and hard (=hard, for a long time, before making a decision) I thought long and hard about taking the role.thinktakeI dread/hate/shudder to think (=I do not want to think about something bad) I dread to think what might have happened if we hadn’t found her.happenfindTHESAURUSto have a particular opinionthink: I think you’re right. | She didn’t think that the film was very good.bebelieve to have an opinion that you are sure is right, especially about an important subject such as politics or religion: The protestors believe that it is wrong to experiment on animals.beanimal | Do you really believe that the only solution to violence is more violence?befeel to have a particular opinion, especially one that is based on your feelings, not on facts: She feels that there is no alternative.feelbe | I just felt that it was the right thing to do.feelbetake the view that formal to have a particular opinion: The court took the view that the company had acted unreasonably.takehaveact | The college takes the view that smoking in the workplace is a fire risk.takesmokebeto think about somethingthink to use your mind to decide about something, form an opinion, imagine something etc: I’ve been thinking about what you said – maybe you’re right.bethinksay | I need some time to think.consider to think about something carefully before deciding what to do: Have you considered working for a year before going to college?considerworkgoweigh (also weigh up British English) to carefully think about a plan or choice by comparing all the advantages and disadvantages involved: You need to weigh up the pros and cons (=the advantages and disadvantages), and decide which investment is the best one for you.proconbewell | The committee are still weighing the alternatives.beweighalternativegive something some/a lot of thought to think carefully about something, before you make a final decision about it: Why don’t you give it some thought and then get back to me?think | He had obviously given the matter a lot of thought.havegivethinkmull something over to think about a problem, plan etc before making a decision: Can you give me a bit of time to mull it over?biteponder to spend time thinking carefully and seriously about something, especially a problem or something complicated: She is still pondering what to do.beponder | Officials are pondering ways to remove the oil from the beaches.officialbeponderwaybeachcontemplate to think about something you might do in the future: Did you ever contemplate resigning?doresignreflect formal to think carefully about something, especially something that happened in the past: It was a good time to reflect upon the changes that had happened in my life.bechangehavehappento keep thinking about somethingbrood to keep thinking for a long time about something that worries you or that makes you angry or upset: There’s no point brooding over things you can’t change.broodthingdwell on something to spend too much time thinking about something sad or unpleasant: I try to enjoy my life today and not dwell on the past.think back phrasal verb REMEMBERto think about things that happened in the past: Thinking back, it amazes me how we survived on so little sleep.thinkamazesurvivethink back to/over/onHe thought back to the day he’d first met Sophie.thinkmeetthink of somebody/something phrasal verb1IDEAto produce an idea, name, suggestion etc by thinking: They’re still trying to think of a name for the baby.tryCan you think of any other way to do it?2REMEMBERto remember something: I can’t think of the name of the hotel we stayed in.stay3KINDto behave in a way that shows that you want to treat other people well: It was very good of you to think of me.beHe’s always thinking of other people.think4think only of yourself to only do things that are good for you and not think about what other people want – used to show disapproval: She’s a spoiled child who thinks only of herself.spoilthink5be thinking of somebody used to say that you care about and feel sympathy for someone who is in a difficult situation: Take care! I’ll be thinking of you.thinkthink something ↔ out phrasal verb THINK ABOUTto think about all the parts of something carefully before deciding or planning exactly what to do: He went for a walk to think things out.gothingThe proposal needs to be carefully thought out.needthinkthink out what/how/whether etcShe had thought out what she was going to say.havethinkbegothink something ↔ over phrasal verb to consider something carefully before making a decision: I’ve been thinking over your suggestion.bethinkWhy don’t you think it over and give me a call in a couple of days?dayI want some more time to think things over.thingthink something ↔ through phrasal verb THINK ABOUTto think carefully about the possible results of something: The policy has not been thought through properly.havebethinkIt’s my fault. I didn’t think it through.I need time to think things through.thingthink through what/howPeople need time to think through what the changes will mean for them.changethink something ↔ up phrasal verb INVENTto produce a new idea, name etc by thinking: She was trying to think up an excuse.betryDid you think that up yourself?doWho thinks up names for new products?thinknameproduct
thinknounCollocations from other entriesPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesthinkthinksthinkthink2 nounWord family have a think British EnglishTHINK ABOUT to think about a problem or question: I’ll have a think and let you know.
verb (past tense and past participle paid /peɪd/)
Word familyDate: 1100-1200Language: Old French
Origin: paier, from Latin pacere ‘to make calm or peaceful’, from pax; → PEACE Verb form1give money [intransitive and transitive]PAY FOR to give someone money for something you buy or for a service:
How would you like to pay?willpay forMum paid for my driving lessons.paydrivelessonpay (in) cashYou’d get a discount for paying cash.paypay by cheque/credit cardCan I pay by credit card?pay somebody for somethingHe didn’t even offer to pay me for the ticket.pay somebody to do somethingRay paid some kids to wash the car.paykidpay somebody somethingI paid him $5 to cut the grass.paypay (somebody) in dollars/euros etcHe wanted to be paid in dollars.wantpaydollarGrammarThe object of pay can be the person you give money to or the amount of money you give: I’ll pay you in advance.I’ve already paid £700.pay ► Do not use pay followed directly by a noun referring to the thing you are buying. Use pay (an amount of money) for something: I’ll pay for the tickets.ticketI paid £100 for this jacket.pay2bill/tax/rent [transitive]PAY FOR to pay money that you owe to a person, company etc: I forgot to pay the gas bill!forgetYou pay tax at the basic rate.Is it okay if I pay you what I owe you next week?be3wage/salary [intransitive and transitive] to give someone money for the job they do: How much do they pay you?pay somebody $100 a day/£200 a week etcThey’re only paid about £4 an hour.paySome lawyers get paid over $400 an hour.lawyerpaybe paid weekly/monthly (also get paid weekly/monthly)We get paid weekly on Fridays.paywell/badly/poorly paidMany of the workers are very badly paid.workerbepaypaid work (=work you are paid to do)paid holiday/leave (=time when you are not working but are still paid)4pay attention (to somebody/something)ATTENTION to watch, listen to, or think about someone or something carefully: I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention to what you were saying.paybesayThey paid no attention to (=ignored) him.pay5legal cost [transitive] to give money to someone because you are ordered to by a court as part of a legal case: She had to pay a £35 fine for speeding.havespeedpay (something in) compensation/damages (=give someone money because you have done something against them)The company were forced to pay £5,000 in compensation.beforceMartins was ordered to pay court costs of £1,500.martinbeordercost6say something good [transitive] to say something good or polite about or to someone: The minister paid tribute to the work of the emergency services.payserviceI came by to pay my respects (=visit or send a polite greeting to someone) to Mrs Owens.comerespectI was just trying to pay her a compliment.betry7good result [intransitive]ADVANTAGE if a particular action pays, it brings a good result or advantage for you: Crime doesn’t pay.It pays to get some professional advice before you make a decision.payIt would pay you to ask if there are any jobs going at the London office.willbejobgoGetting some qualifications now will pay dividends (=bring a lot of advantages) in the long term.getqualificationdividend8profit [intransitive]PROFIT if a shop or business pays, it makes a profit: If the pub doesn’t start to pay, we’ll have to sell it.The farm just manages to pay its way (=make as much profit as it costs to run).manage9pay the penalty/priceBAD BEHAVIOUR OR ACTIONS to experience something unpleasant because you have done something wrong, made a mistake etcpay the penalty/price for (doing) somethingWilliams is now paying the price for his early mistakes.bepaymistake10pay (somebody) a call/visitVISIT to visit a person or place: I decided to pay my folks a visit.decidefolkpay (somebody) a call/visit toIf you have time, pay a visit to the City Art Gallery.11put paid to something British English to stop something from happening or spoil plans for something: Bad exam results put paid to his hopes of a university place.resultpayhope12be punished [intransitive] to suffer or be punished for something you have done wrong: I’ll make him pay!pay forThey paid dearly for their mistakes.paymistake13pay your wayPAY FOR to pay for everything that you want without having to depend on anyone else for money: Sofia worked to pay her way through college.work14pay for itselfSAVE MONEY if something you buy pays for itself, the money it saves over a period of time is as much as the product cost to buy: A new boiler would pay for itself within two years.willyear15the devil/hell to pay used to say that someone will be in a lot of trouble about something: If the boss finds out you were late again, there’s going to be hell to pay.findbego16pay through the nose (for something) spokenPAY FOR to pay much more for something than it is really worth17somebody has paid their debt to society used to say that someone who has done something illegal has been fully punished for it18pay court (to somebody) old-fashioned to treat someone, especially a woman, carefully and with respect, so that they will like you or help you19he who pays the piper calls the tune old-fashioned used to say that the person who gives the money for something can decide how it will be used → pay lip service to at lip service, → pay your dues at due2(2)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 1phrasespay £10/$50 etc I only paid ten pounds for it.paypoundpay (in) cash You have to pay in cash for the tickets.ticketpay by cheque I filled up with petrol and then paid by cheque.fillpaypay by credit card The hotel does not charge more if you pay by credit card.dopay in dollars/euros etc American exporters want to be paid in dollars.exporterpaydollaradverbspay handsomely (=pay a lot of money) Customers are willing to pay handsomely for anti-ageing cosmetic products.customerbewillageproductCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 3phrasespay somebody £200 a week/$100 a day etc The cleaners are paid £5 an hour.cleanerbepaybe paid by the hour/day/week I was working on a building site, being paid by the hour.beworkbuildbepayadverbsbe paid weekly/monthly Most of us get paid weekly or monthly.paywell-paid Teachers here are well-paid.teacherbepayhighly-paid a highly-paid football playerpaybadly-paid/poorly-paid For a long time I didn’t realise how badly-paid and overworked I was.payoverworkbeTHESAURUSpay to give someone money for something you are buying from them, or a service they are providing: I paid a lot of money for that computer.pay | You have to pay to park your car.meet the cost of something to pay for something for someone else, or to provide the money needed to do something: We will meet the cost of your travelling expenses.travelexpense | The cost will be met from public donations.meetdonationfoot the bill to pay for something for someone else, especially when you do not want to, or do not think that you should: As usual, the taxpayer will have to foot the bill.pick up the tab informal to pay for something: My company will pick up the tab for all moving costs.movecostfork out/shell out informal to pay a lot of money for something because you have to and not because you want to: He had to fork out £500 to get his car fixed.havefix | Fans are having to shell out roughly $65 per seat for football games.fanbehavegamesettle the bill to pay the bill after eating a meal, staying in a hotel etc: She went down to the hotel lobby to settle the bill.gogive especially spoken to pay a particular amount of money for something – used especially when saying how much you are willing to pay: How much will you give me for the car? | I’ll give you $50 for the lot (=for everything).something is on somebody spoken used when saying that someone else will pay for your meal, drinks etc: Order whatever you like – this is on me!be | The drinks are on the house (=the bar, restaurant etc will let you have them for free).drinkbe | Put your money away – the drinks are on us.drinkbepay somebody/something ↔ back phrasal verb1PAY FORto give someone the money that you owe them SYN repay: I’ll pay you back on Friday.We’re paying back the loan over 15 years.payyear2REVENGEto make someone suffer for doing something wrong or unpleasantpay somebody back for somethingI’ll pay Jenny back for what she did to me!dopay something ↔ in (also pay something into somethingpay something into something) phrasal verb to put money in your bank account etc: Did you remember to pay that cheque in?doI’ve paid $250 into my account.paypay off phrasal verb1pay something ↔ offPAY FOR to give someone all the money you owe them: I’ll pay off all my debts first.debtHe finally paid his overdraft off.pay2SUCCESSFULif something you do pays off, it is successful or has a good result: Teamwork paid off.pay3pay somebody ↔ off British English to pay someone their wages and tell them they no longer have a job: Two hundred workers have been paid off.workerbepay4pay somebody ↔ off to pay someone not to say anything about something illegal or dishonest → payoff(2)pay out phrasal verb1pay out (something)PAY FOR to pay a lot of money for something: Why is it always me who has to pay out?behavepay out (something) forAltogether he had paid out almost £5000 for the improvements.havepayimprovement2pay out (something) if a company or organization pays out, it gives someone money as a result of an insurance claim, investment, competition etc: Insurance companies were slow paying out on claims for flood damage.companybepayclaim → payout3pay something ↔ outLOOSE to let a piece of rope unwindpay something ↔ over phrasal verb to make an official payment of moneypay something ↔ over toClancy’s share of the inheritance was paid over to him.bepaypay up phrasal verb PAY FORto pay money that you owe, especially when you do not want to or you are late: She refused to pay up.refuse → paid-up
paynounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplespaypayspaypay2 S1 W2 noun [uncountable]Word family1money that you are given for doing your job: Staff have been working without pay for the last month.beworkThe tax is deducted from your pay every week.bedeductHe was suspended on full pay until the hearing.besuspendhear2in the pay of somebody writtenWORK FOR SB someone who is in someone else’s pay is working for them, often secretly: an informer in the pay of the policeCOLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + paylow Nurses often work long hours for relatively low pay.nursehourgood The work was steady and the pay was pretty good.bebehigher/better Workers demanded higher pay.workerdemandhighequal pay (=the same pay for the same type of work) The women at the factory went on strike for equal pay.womangobasic pay British English, base pay American English (=not including overtime pay or bonuses) The basic pay is so low you end up doing lots of overtime.bedolottake-home pay (=after tax etc has been taken away) Their average take-home pay is just £120.beovertime pay (=for extra hours that you work) Their bosses had to approve any overtime pay.bosshaveholiday pay British English, vacation pay American English (=pay when you are on holiday) Servicemen and women get no holiday pay, no overtime, no weekends off.servicemanwomanweekendsick pay (=pay when you are ill) As a self-employed person, you get no sick pay or benefits.employbenefitmaternity pay (=pay while a woman takes time off to have a baby) If you have worked here a year, you are entitled to 3 month’s maternity pay.workbeentitleredundancy pay British English, severance pay American English (=pay when there is no longer a job for you) We invested our redundancy pay in a new business venture.investfull pay They were immediately suspended on full pay pending a full inquiry.besuspendhalf pay In 1822 he retired from the army as captain on half pay.retirepay + NOUNa pay increase Teachers will be awarded a 6% pay increase this year.teacherawarda pay rise British English, pay raise American English If you get promoted, will you get a pay rise?promotea pay cut Staff were asked to take a 10% pay cut.beaska rate of pay (also a pay rate) (=the amount paid every hour, week etc) Many workers in the catering industry are on low rates of pay.workercaterberatea pay cheque British English, a paycheck American English (=the money you earn every week or month) Stretching your money until the next pay cheque arrives often becomes difficult.stretcharrivebecomea pay freeze (=when no one’s pay is increased) Ministers have approved a public sector pay freeze.ministerapprovea pay claim British English (=official request for more pay) The miners voted for strike action in support of their pay claim.minervotea pay dispute (=disagreement between an employer and employees about pay) Many flights were cancelled because of a pilots’ pay dispute.flightbecancelpilotpay and conditions (=the conditions in which people work and the pay they get) The unions are demanding better pay and conditions.unionbedemandwellconditionCOMMON ERRORS ► Do not say 'the salary pay'. Just say the pay.THESAURUSincome money that you receive from working, investments etc: families on a low incomefamilysalary the pay that professional people such as teachers or lawyers earn every year: a salary of $65,000 a yearwages the pay that someone earns every hour or every week: Her wages barely cover the rent.wagerendbonus money added to someone’s pay, as a reward for good work or as a reward when the company does well: The company pays an attendance bonus – if you go 30 days without being late or absent, you get the bonus.paydaybeearnings all the money that you earn by working: In a good year, a bonus can double an executive’s earnings.
verb (past tense and past participle spent /spent/)
Date: 1100-1200Origin: Partly from Latin expendere ( → EXPEND) and partly, later, from Old French despendre, from Latin dispendere ‘to weigh out’ Verb form1money [intransitive and transitive]SPEND MONEY to use your money to pay for goods or services:
I can’t afford to spend any more money this week.spend £5/$10 etcI only want to spend about $20.spend something on somethingMore money should be spent on education.shallspendspend something on somebodyMum never spends any money on herself.spendThe repairs cost a lot, but it’s money well spent (=a sensible way of spending money).repairspend2time [transitive]SPEND TIME to use time doing a particular thing or pass time in a particular placespend time etc with somebodyI want to spend more time with my family.spend time etc in/at somethingWe’ll have to spend the night in a hotel.His childhood was spent in Brazil.bespendspend time etc doing somethingStacey spends all her free time painting.spendpaint3a)spend the night with somebodySEX/HAVE SEX WITH to stay for the night and have sex with someone b)spend the night (at something) if someone spends the night at someone’s house, they sleep at that person’s house for a night: She spent the night at a friend’s house.spend4force/effort [transitive] to use effort or energy to do something: I love to cook, but I don’t feel like spending the energy every evening.spendeven5spend a penny British English spoken old-fashioned to urinate – used when you want to avoid saying this directlyTHESAURUSspend to use money to buy things: I bought two skirts and a T-shirt and I only spent $50.buyskirtspend | How much do you spend a week on food?go through something (also get through something British English) to spend all of an amount of money over a period of time – used especially when saying that someone spends a lot of money: I got through all my money in less than a month, and had to get my parents to send me more.getlittlehaveparentgo to great expense to spend a lot of money in order to do something, because you think it is important or special: The party was wonderful – they had obviously gone to great expense.behavego | There’s no need to go to great expense.squander /ˈskwɒndə $ ˈskwɑːndər/ to waste money on unnecessary things, instead of saving it or using it carefully: His son had squandered the family fortune on gambling and women.havesquandergamblewomansplash out British English informal to spend a lot of money on something you really want or will enjoy: Let’s splash out on a bottle of champagne. | People often splash out for Christmas and then regret it later.lateblow informal to spend a lot of money on something, especially on something that you do not really need: Her husband blew all their savings on a new sports car.blowsavingsporteconomize to spend less money: We’re trying to economize by eating at home instead of going out for meals.tryeatgomeal
verb
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: plegan Verb form
1children [intransitive and transitive] when children play, they do things that they enjoy, often with other people or with toys: Kids were playing and chasing each other.kidbeplaychaseplay catch/house/tag/school etcOutside, the children were playing cowboys and Indians.childbeplaycowboyplay withDid you like to play with dolls when you were little?dodollbeParents need to spend time just playing with their children.parentplaychild2sports/games a)[intransitive and transitive]PLAY A GAME OR SPORT to take part or compete in a game or sport: Karen began playing basketball when she was six.beginplaybeIf you feel any pain, you shouldn’t play.Men were sitting in the park, playing cards.manbesitplaycardplay againstBristol will play against Coventry next week.She’s playing Helen Evans in the semi-final (=playing against her).playplay forMoxon played for England in ten test matches.playmatch b)[transitive] to use a particular piece, card, person etc in a game or sport: Harrison played a ten of spades.playspadeThe Regents played Eddie at center (=used him as a player in that position) in the game against Arizona.regentplay c)[intransitive and transitive] to take a particular position on a team: Garvey played first base for the Dodgers.playdodger d)[transitive] to hit a ball in a particular way or to a particular place in a game or sport: She played the ball low, just over the net.play3
music [intransitive and transitive] PERFORMto perform a piece of music on a musical instrument: He’s learning to play the piano.learnShe played a Bach prelude.playHaden has played with many jazz greats.haveplaygreatA small orchestra was playing.beplay4radio/cd etc [intransitive and transitive] if a radio, CD etc plays, or if you play it, it produces sound, especially music: The bedside radio played softly.playplay a record/CD/tape etcDJs playing the latest house and techno tracksplaylatetrack5theatre/film a)[transitive] to perform the actions and say the words of a particular character in a theatre performance, film etc: Streep plays a shy, nervous woman.playplay a role/part/character etcPlaying a character so different from herself was a challenge.playbe b)[intransitive]PERFORM if a play or film is playing at a particular theatre, it is being performed or shown there: ‘Macbeth’ is playing at the Theatre Royal in York.beplay c)[transitive]PERFORM if actors play a theatre, they perform there in a play6play a part/roleEFFECT/INFLUENCE to have an effect or influence on somethingplay a part/role inA good diet and fitness play a large part in helping people live longer.helplong7play ball a)to throw, kick, hit, or catch a ball as a game or activity: Jim and Karl were playing ball in the backyard.beplay b)to do what someone wants you to do: So far, the company has refused to play ball, preferring to remain independent.haverefuse8pretend [linking verb]BEHAVE to behave as if you are a particular kind of person or have a particular feeling or quality, even though it is not true: the accusation that scientists are playing GodscientistbeplaySome snakes fool predators by playing dead.snakepredatorplay‘What do you mean?’ ‘Don’t play dumb (=pretend you do not know something).'Don’t play the innocent (=pretend you do not know about something) with me – we both know what happened.happenplay the idiot/the teacher etcSusan felt she had to play the good wife.feelhaveHe played the fool (=behaved in a silly way) at school instead of working.playwork9behave [transitive always + adverb/preposition]BEHAVE to behave in a particular way in a situation, in order to achieve the result or effect that you want: How do you want to play this meeting?meetPlay it safe (=avoid risks) and make sure the eggs are thoroughly cooked.eggbecookplay it carefully/cool etcIf you like him, play it cool, or you might scare him off.10play gamesHIDE/NOT SHOW to hide your real feelings or wishes in order to achieve something in a clever or secret way – used to show disapproval: Stop playing games, Luke, and tell me what you want.playgame11play something by ear a)to decide what to do according to the way a situation develops, without making plans before that time: We’ll see what the weather’s like and play it by ear. b)if someone can play a musical instrument by ear, they can play a tune without looking at written music12play a joke/trick/prank on somebodyJOKE to do something to someone as a joke or trick13play the game a)to do things in the way you are expected to do them or in a way that is usual in a particular situation: If you want a promotion, you’ve got to play the game.get b)FAIR British English to behave in a fair and honest way14play the race/nationalist/environmentalist etc card to use a particular subject in politics in order to gain an advantage: a leader who is skilfully playing the nationalist card to keep powerbeplay15play your cards rightSUCCEED IN DOING STH to say or do things in a situation in such a way that you gain as much as possible from it: Who knows? If you play your cards right, maybe he’ll marry you.knowcard16play your cards close to your chest to keep secret what you are doing in a situation17play into sb’s hands to do what someone you are competing with wants you to do, without realizing it: If we respond with violence, we’ll be playing into their hands, giving them an excuse for a fight.playhandgive18play for timeDELAY to try to delay something so that you have more time to prepare for it or prevent it from happening: The rebels may be playing for time while they try to get more weapons.rebelplayweapon19play tricks (on you) if your mind, memory, sight etc plays tricks on you, you feel confused and not sure about what is happening: It happened a long time ago, and my memory might be playing tricks on me.happenplaytrick20play the marketRISK to risk money on the stock market as a way of trying to earn more money21play the systemADVANTAGE to use the rules of a system in a clever way, to gain advantage for yourself: Accountants know how to play the tax system.accountant22play second fiddle (to somebody)IMPORTANT to be in a lower position or rank than someone else23play hard to getPRETENDATTRACT to pretend that you are not sexually interested in someone so that they will become more interested in you24smile [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] writtenSMILE if a smile plays about someone’s lips, they smile slightly25play hooky American English, play truant British English to stay away from school without permission26play with fireDANGEROUS to do something that could have a very dangerous or harmful result: Dating the boss’s daughter is playing with fire.datebeplay27play to your strengths to do what you are able to do well, rather than trying to do other things: It is up to us to play to our strengths and try to control the game.bestrength28light [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] writtenSHINE if light plays on something, it shines on it and moves on it: the sunlight playing on the waterplay29water [intransitive] written if a fountain plays, water comes from it30play a hose/light on somethingMOVE STH OR SB to point a hose or light towards something so that water or light goes onto it31play the fieldSEX/HAVE SEX WITH to have sexual relationships with a lot of different people32play fast and loose with something to not be careful about what you do, especially by not obeying the law or a rule: They played fast and loose with investors’ money.playinvestor33play happy families British English to spend time with your family, doing normal things, especially so that your family appears to be happy when it is notplay around (also play aboutplay about British English) phrasal verb1SEX/HAVE SEX WITHto have a sexual relationship with someone who is not your usual partnerplay around withWasn’t she playing around with another man?playIt was years before I realized he’d been playing around.beyearrealizebeplay2to try doing something in different ways, to see what would be best, especially when this is funplay around withPlay around with the ingredients if you like.ingredient3to behave in a silly way or waste time, when you should be doing something more serious SYN fool around: When the teacher wasn’t looking, we used to play about a lot.lookuseplay around with something (also play about with somethingplay about with something British English) phrasal verb to keep moving or making changes to something in your hands SYN fiddle with: Will you stop playing around with the remote control!playplay along phrasal verb1PRETENDto pretend to agree to do what someone wants, in order to avoid annoying them or to get an advantage: She felt she had to play along or risk losing her job.feelhavelose2play somebody along British EnglishLIE/TELL A LIE to tell someone something that is not true because you need their help in some wayplay at something phrasal verb1What is somebody playing at?DO British English spoken used when you do not understand what someone is doing or why they are doing it, and you are surprised or annoyed: What do you think you’re playing at?play2DO BADLYif you play at doing something, you do not do it properly or seriouslyplay at doing somethingHe’s still playing at being an artist.playbe3PRETEND British English if children play at doctors, soldiers etc, they pretend to be doctors, soldiers etcplay at being somethinga 14-year-old playing at being a grown womanplaybegrowplay something ↔ back phrasal verb to play something that has been recorded on a machine so that you can listen to it or watch it: He played back his answering machine messages.playanswermessageplay something ↔ down phrasal verb UNIMPORTANTto try to make something seem less important or less likely than it really is: Management has been playing down the possibility of job losses.havebeplaylossplay down the importance/seriousness/significance of somethingThe White House spokeswoman sought to play down the significance of the event.seekplay off phrasal verb1British English if people or teams play off, they play the last game in a sports competition, in order to decide who is the winner: The top two teams will play off at Twickenham for the county title.team2play off somebody/something American English to deliberately use a fact, action, idea etc in order to make what you are doing better or to get an advantage: The two musicians played off each other in a piece of inspired improvisation.musicianplayinspireplay somebody off against somebody phrasal verb ARGUEto encourage one person or group to compete or argue with another, in order to get some advantage for yourself: The house seller may try to play one buyer off against another, to raise the price.play on/upon something phrasal verb USE STHto use a feeling, fact, or idea in order to get what you want, often in an unfair way: The ad plays on our emotions, showing a doctor holding a newborn baby.playemotionshowholdplay something ↔ out phrasal verb1if an event or situation is played out or plays itself out, it happens: It will be interesting to see how the election plays itself out.interestplay2PERFORMif people play out their dreams, feelings etc, they express them by pretending that a particular situation is really happening: The weekend gives you a chance to play out your fantasies.givefantasyplay up phrasal verb1play something ↔ upEMPHASIZE to emphasize something, sometimes making it seem more important than it really is: Play up your strongest arguments in the opening paragraph.strongargumentopen2play (somebody) upBEHAVE British English informal if children play up, they behave badly: Jordan’s been playing up in school.beplayI hope the kids don’t play you up.kid3play (somebody) upHURT/CAUSE PAIN British English informal to hurt you or cause problems for you: My knee’s been playing me up this week.beplayThe car’s playing up again.playplay up to somebody phrasal verb to behave in a very polite or kind way to someone because you want something from them: Connie always plays up to her parents when she wants money.playparentwantplay with somebody/something phrasal verb1HOLDto keep touching something or moving it: Stop playing with the light switch!play2to try doing something in different ways to decide what works best: Play with the design onscreen, moving text and pictures until you get a pleasing arrangement.movepictureplease3THINK ABOUTto consider an idea or possibility, but not always very seriously SYN toy with: After university, I played with the idea of teaching English in China.playteach4MORE/EXTRAmoney/time/space etc to play with money, time etc that is available to be used: The budget is very tight, so there isn’t much money to play with.be5play with yourselfSEX/HAVE SEX WITH to touch your own sex organs for pleasure SYN masturbate6play with words/languageSAY to use words in a clever or amusing way
playnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesplayplaysplayplay2 S1 W2 noun
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: plega 1theatre [countable] a story that is written to be performed by actors, especially in a theatre:
a play by ChekhovThis is a major theme of Miller’s plays.beplayplay aboutEdward Bond’s play about class war2amusement [uncountable]PLAY A GAME OR SPORT things that people, especially children, do for amusement rather than as work: Play is very important to a child’s development.bea play areathrough playThe program aims to teach road safety through play.aimat playthe happy shouts of children at playshoutchild3effect [uncountable] the effect or influence of something: the free play of competition in the building industrybuildat playThere are a number of factors at play (=having an effect) in the current recession.benumbfactorbring/put something into play (=use something or make it have an effect)A complex system of muscles is brought into play for each body movement.musclebebringPolitical considerations do come into play (=have an effect) when making policy.considerationmake4action in a game or sportPLAY A GAME OR SPORT a)[uncountable] the actions of the people who are playing a game or sport: Rain stopped play after only an hour.stop b)[countable] one particular action or set of actions during a game: On the next play, Johnson ran 15 yards for a touchdown.runyard5in play/out of play if a ball is in play or out of play, it is inside or outside the area in which the rules of the game allow you to hit, kick, catch etc the ball: He kicked the ball out of play.kick6play on wordsSAY a use of a word that is interesting or amusing because it can be understood as having two very different meanings SYN pun7play of lightLIGHT patterns made by light as it moves over a surface: the play of light on the water8make a play for somethingTRY TO DO OR GET STH to make an attempt to gain something: He made a play for the leadership last year.make9make a play for somebody to try to begin a romantic or sexual relationship with someone: It’s obvious he was making a play for her.bemake10looseness [uncountable]MOVE/CHANGE POSITION if there is some play in something, it is loose and can be moved: There’s too much play in the rope. → fair play, foul playCOLLOCATIONSverbswrite a play So far, he has written three plays.havewriteplaygo to (see) a play While we were in New York, we went to a play.begosee a play I’ve never seen the play.seewatch a play Some of the audience were talking instead of watching the play.betalkwatchperform a play The play was performed by Brighton Youth Theatre.beperformact/perform/appear in a play She acted in many plays on the London stage.actplaybe in a play (=be performing in a play) Michael is currently in a play on Broadway.bedo a play spoken (=arrange it or perform in it) Bob asked if I would do this play, and I agreed.askwillagreeput on a play (=arrange for it to be performed) The school puts on a Nativity play every Christmas.putdirect a play (=tell the actors what to do) The play is directed by Paulette Randall.bedirectproduce/stage a play (=arrange its performance)rehearse a play (=practise it) We spent weeks rehearsing the play.spendweekrehearsea play opens (=its performances start) The play opens in San Francisco on Wednesday for a three-week run.opena play runs (=it continues to be performed) The play ran for five months.runmontha play closes (=its performances stop) The play closes on Sunday, so don’t miss it!closeADJECTIVES/NOUN + playa stage play (=a play in a theatre) I occasionally write reviews of local stage plays.reviewplaya TV/radio play (=a play written to be performed on TV/radio) This horror story would make a good radio play.willa school play I got a small part in the school play.geta Nativity play British English (=a play about the birth of Jesus, performed by children at Christmas) She was chosen to play Mary in the nativity play.bechooseCOMMON ERRORS ► Do not say 'give a play'. Say put on a play.
verb (past tense spoke /spəʊk $ spoʊk/, past participle spoken /ˈspəʊkən $ ˈspoʊ-/)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: sprecan, specan Verb form1in conversation [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]SPEAK A LANGUAGE to talk to someone about somethingspeak to
I spoke to her last Wednesday.speak‘Hello, may I speak to Jim Smith?’ ‘Yes, speaking’ (=used on the telephone).speakI know her by sight, but not to speak to (=not well enough to talk to her).speak to somebody about somethingI haven’t spoken to Steve about all this.speakspeak with especially American English: They did not want to speak with reporters.doreporterspeak ofIt was the first time she had ever spoken of marriage.behavespeak2say words [intransitive]TALK TO SB to use your voice to produce words: I was so shocked I couldn’t speak.beshockHe spoke very softly (=quietly).speak3language [transitive not in progressive]SPEAK A LANGUAGE to be able to talk in a particular language: Do you speak English?I don’t speak a word of French (=do not speak any French at all).can/can’t speak somethingSeveral children in the class can’t speak English.childFrench-speaking/Italian-speaking etca German-speaking secretaryspeak4formal speech [intransitive]TALK/MAKE A SPEECH to make a formal speechspeak atJones spoke at the teachers’ annual convention.speakteacherspeak toShe asked me to speak to her students about my work in marketing.askstudentmarketspeak in favour of/againstOnly one MP spoke against the bill.speak → speaker(1)5express ideas/opinions [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]SAYHONEST to say something that expresses your ideas or opinionsspeak as a parent/teacher/democrat etcHe emphasized that he was speaking as a private citizen, not in any official capacity.emphasizebespeakspeak well/highly/ill of somebody (=say good or bad things about someone)Her co-workers spoke highly of her.workerspeakIt’s wrong to speak ill of the dead.strictly/generally/roughly speaking (=used when expressing an idea that you think is exactly true, generally true etc)Strictly speaking, it’s my money, not yours. I earned it.speakearn6so to speak used when you are saying something in words that do not have their usual meaning: We have to pull down the barriers, so to speak, of poverty.barrier7speak your mind to tell people exactly what you think, even if it offends them: He was a tough politician who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind.be8be not speaking/not be on speaking termsTALK TO SB if two people are not speaking, they do not talk to each other, usually because they have argued: He was not on speaking terms with his brother or sisters.bespeaktermsister9speak volumes (about/for something)EXPRESS if something speaks volumes, it clearly shows the nature of something or the feelings of a person: What you wear speaks volumes about you.speakvolume10speak with one voice if a group of people speak with one voice, they all express the same opinion: On this issue, the 12 organizations spoke with one voice.organizationspeak11speak the same language if two people or groups speak the same language, they have similar attitudes and opinions12speak out of turnSAY to say something when you do not have the right or authority to say it → actions speak louder than words at action1(13), → the facts speak for themselves at fact(8), → in a manner of speaking at manner(5)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 5adverbsspeak well/highly of somebody (=say good things about them) He always spoke very highly of Marge.speakspeak ill of somebody (=say bad things about them) She never speaks ill of him.speakspeaking personally Speaking personally, yes, this is a worry.speakbestrictly speaking Strictly speaking, the tomato is a fruit.speakbegenerally speaking Generally speaking, the results have been good.speakresultberoughly/broadly speaking These innovations are, roughly speaking, what this book is about.innovationbespeakberelatively speaking Relatively speaking, property there is still cheap.speakbephrasesspeak as a parent/teacher etc Speaking as a medical man, I'd advise you to take some exercise every day.speakTHESAURUSto speak a languagespeak to be able to talk in a foreign language: Do you speak German? | I learnt Spanish for years, but I still don’t speak it very well.learnyearbe fluent in something to be very good at speaking and understanding a foreign language, so that you can speak it almost as well as your own language: Applicants should be fluent in Cantonese.applicantshallget by to speak enough of a language to be able to buy things, ask for help etc: ‘What’s your Italian like?’ ‘Not great, but I can get by.’ | I’ve just bought a book called ‘Get by in Portuguese'.buycallhave/pick up a smattering of something to speak or learn to speak a small but useful amount of a language: While I was in Bali, I picked up a smattering of Indonesian.bepickspeak for phrasal verb1REPRESENTspeak for somebody/something to express the feelings, thoughts, or beliefs of a person or group of people: Dan, speaking for the students, started the meeting.speakstudentstartmeet2speak for yourself spokenSAY/STATE used to tell someone that you do not have the same opinion as they do, or that something that is true for them is not true for you: ‘We don’t want to go.’ ‘Speak for yourself!’3be spoken forOWN if something or someone is spoken for, they have already been promised to someone else: They’re all either married or spoken for.marryspeak4speak for itself/themselvesOBVIOUS to show something very clearly: The results speak for themselves.resultspeak of something phrasal verb1SHOW/BE A SIGN OF literary to show clearly that something happened or exists: Her skin spoke of warm summer days spent in the sun.speakdayspend2no ... to speak of (also none/nothing to speak of)LITTLE/NOT MUCH very little of something or a very small thing: There’s been no rain to speak of for several months.bemonthThe house had no garden to speak of.havespeak out phrasal verb PROTESTto publicly speak in protest about something, especially when protesting could be dangerousspeak out about/againstFive students who had spoken out against the regime were arrested.studenthavespeakbearrestspeak to phrasal verb1TALK TO SBto talk to someone who has done something wrong and tell them not to do it again: Joe was late again today. You’ll have to speak to him.be2if something such as a poem, painting, or piece of music speaks to you, you like it because it expresses a particular meaning, quality, or feeling to you: Modern art just doesn’t speak to me.speak up phrasal verb1SPEAK A LANGUAGEused to ask someone to speak louder: Could you speak up, please?can2SAY/STATEto say something, especially to express your opinion: There was a brief silence, then Gerald spoke up.bespeak3speak up for somebodySUPPORT A PERSON, GROUP, OR PLAN to speak in support of someone: He is willing to speak up for the rights of women.bewillrightwoman
-speaksuffixActivator 1Word sets 1-speak-speak-speak /spiːk/
suffix [in nouns] the special language or difficult words that are used in a particular business or activity: computerspeak
verb (past tense and past participle stopped, present participle stopping)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: stoppian ‘to block up’ Verb form1not continue a)[intransitive and transitive] to not continue, or to make someone or something not continue:
By midday the rain had stopped.havestopThis is where the path stops.bestopThe referee stopped the fight.stopThe doctor advised me to stop the medication.advisePeople are fighting to stop the destruction of the rain forests.befightforeststop somebody doing somethingI couldn’t stop her crying.cry b)[intransitive and transitive] if you stop doing something, you do not continue to do itstop doing somethingI stopped digging and looked at him.stopdiglookWhat time do you stop work?I’ve been smoking for over ten years, and I can’t stop.besmokeyearstop it/that (=stop doing something annoying)Come on, you two! Stop it!Right, stop what you’re doing and come over here.do ► In this sense, do not say ‘stop to do something’. Say stop doing something. Stop to do something means to stop moving along or stop what you are doing in order to do something else: She stopped to look at the map (=in order to look at the map).2prevent [transitive]PREVENT to prevent someone from doing something or something from happening: The government tried to stop publication of the book.tryI’m leaving now, and you can’t stop me.leavestop somebody/something (from) doing somethingLay the carpet on paper to stop it sticking to the floor.liestickThe rain didn’t stop us from enjoying the trip.enjoystop yourself (from) doing somethingI couldn’t stop myself laughing.laughShe grabbed the rail to stop herself from falling.grabfallthere’s nothing to stop somebody (from) doing somethingThere’s nothing to stop you applying for the job yourself.apply ► Do not say ‘stop someone to do something’. Say stop someone (from) doing something. 3not moveSTOP MOVING [intransitive and transitive] to not walk, move, or travel any more, or to make someone or something do this: He stopped suddenly when he saw Ruth.stopseeStop! Come back!He stopped the car and got out.stopgetI was worried that the security guards would stop us at the gate.beworryguardwillstop at/outside/in etcShe stopped outside the post office.stopA car stopped behind us.stopstop to do somethingSam stopped to give me a lift.stopstop and do somethingHe stopped and looked into her face.stoplookstop forI need to stop for a rest.stop dead/short/in your tracks (=stop walking suddenly)Sally saw the ambulance and stopped short.seestopstop on a dime American English (=stop very quickly – used about cars)This truck can stop on a dime!4pause [intransitive]PAUSE to pause in an activity, journey etc in order to do something before you continuestop forWe stopped for a drink on the way home.stopstop to do somethingI stopped to tie my shoe.stopstop to think/consider etcIt’s time we stopped to think about our next move.stop5stay [intransitive] British English informalSTAY WITH SB, IN A HOTEL ETC to stay somewhere for a short time, especially at someone’s house: I won’t sit down – I’m not stopping.winstopstop forWill you stop for a cup of tea?6will/would stop at nothing (to do something)DETERMINED to be ready to do anything to achieve something that you want to achieve: We will stop at nothing to save our child.7stop short of (doing) somethingNOT DO STH to decide that you are not willing to do something wrong or dangerous, though you will do something similar that is less dangerous: The US government supported sanctions but stopped short of military action.supportsanctionstop8moneyPAY SB FOR WORK# [transitive] if you stop an amount of money, you prevent it from being paid to someone: Dad threatened to stop my pocket money.threatenstop something from something£200 will be stopped from your wages next month to pay for the damage.stopwageI phoned the bank and asked them to stop the cheque (=not pay a cheque that I had written).phoneaskMy mother called the bank to stop payment on the check.call9block [transitive] (also stop up)SHUT/CLOSE to block a hole or pipe so that water, smoke etc cannot go through itTHESAURUSto stop doing somethingstop to not do something any longer: I wish she would stop talking.willtalk | He waited for them to stop.waitquit especially American English informal to stop doing something: She needs to quit complaining about her life.needcomplain | It’s too late for him to quit now.give something up to stop doing something, especially something that you have been doing for a long time: It’s so hard to give up smoking.smoke | She wants to give up her job.want | I’ve given up trying to tell my son to clean his room.givetrypack something in informal to stop doing something, especially because you feel tired or annoyed: Sometimes I feel like packing in my job and starting again somewhere else.packstart | Pack it in, will you! (=used when telling someone to stop doing something, because they are annoying you)pull out of something to stop taking part in something that you have agreed to take part in: The unions have pulled out of the negotiations.unionpullnegotiation | The US decided to pull out of the competition.decidecease formal to stop doing something: The company has decided to cease production of its film cameras.havedecidecamera | The US government ceased talks with North Korea.ceasetalkto stop for a short timestop: Shall we stop for coffee now? | I stopped to have a look at the map.stoppause to stop speaking or doing something for a short time before starting again: He paused for a moment to consider the question.pause | ‘I think it’s going to rain,’ she said, pausing to look up at the sky.gosaypausehave/take a break to stop working, studying, or driving for a short time in order to rest: Okay, everyone. Take a ten-minute break. | If you’re feeling tired, you should have a break.feeltireshallbreak to stop working, studying etc in order to rest or eat something – used about a group of people who are doing something together: After a couple of hours the committee broke for lunch.hourbreakto stop happeningstop: The noise suddenly stopped.stop | We waited for the rain to stop.waitcome to an end to stop – used about something that has continued for a long time: The war finally came to an end in 1918.comewear off to gradually stop – used about a pain, a feeling, or the effects of something: The pain will soon wear off. | The excitement was beginning to wear off.bebegin | The anaesthetic took a long time to wear off.takepeter out to gradually stop happening or existing: The campaign petered out after only a few weeks.peterweekcease formal to stop: The fighting has ceased.fighthavecease | Production at the factory has ceased.haveceaseto stop movingstop: Can we stop soon? I’m tired.tire | The bus stops right in front of the hotel.stopcome to a halt especially written to move more slowly and then stop – used about a vehicle: The train slowly came to a halt just outside the station.come | The plane came to a halt less than twenty yards away from the limousines.comelittleyardlimousinepull over to move to the side of the road and stop – used about a vehicle or its driver: The bus pulled over to the side of the road, with smoke coming out of its engine.pullcome | The police officer was waving at him to pull over.bewavepull up to stop close to something – used about a vehicle or its driver: The taxi pulled up outside her house.pull | He pulled up next to our car.pullcome to a standstill to go slower and then stop moving completely: The road was blocked by an accident, and the traffic quickly came to a standstill.beblockcomestop back phrasal verb American English RETURNto go back to a place you have been to earlier: Can you stop back later? I’m busy right now.latestop by (something) phrasal verb VISITto make a short visit to a place or a person's home, especially while you are going somewhere else: I’ll stop by this evening.evenDaniel stopped by the store on his way home.stopstop in phrasal verb informal1GOto make a short visit to a place or person, especially while you are going somewhere else: I’ll stop in and see you on my way home.stop in atI need to stop in at the library.2British EnglishSTAY/NOT LEAVE to stay at home: I’m stopping in to wash my hair tonight.stopstop off phrasal verb VISITto make a short visit to a place during a journey, especially to rest or to see someone: We can stop off and see you on our way back.stop off in/at etcWe stopped off in Santa Rosa for a day.stopstop out phrasal verb British English informalLATE to stay out later than usual: It was a real treat being allowed to stop out late.bebeallowstop over phrasal verb VISITto stop somewhere and stay a short time before continuing a long journey, especially when travelling by plane: The plane stops over in Dubai on the way to India.stop → stopoverstop up phrasal verb1stop something ↔ up to block a hole or pipe so that water, smoke etc cannot go through it2British English informalLATE to stay up late: Joe stopped up till 3 o'clock to watch the boxing.stopbox
stopnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesstopstopsstopstop2 S2 W3 noun [countable]
Word family1come/roll/jerk/skid etc to a stopSTOP MOVINGSTOP STH THAT IS HAPPENING if a vehicle comes to a stop, it stops moving: The bus came to a stop outside the school.comeThe car skidded to a stop.skid2come to a stop if an activity comes to a stop, it stops happening: Work on the project has come to a stop because of lack of funding.havefund3bring something to a stopSTOP STH THAT IS HAPPENING to stop something moving or happening: David brought the truck to a shuddering stop.bringshudderThe UN is trying to bring the war to a stop.betry4during journeySTOP STH THAT IS HAPPENING a time or place when you stop during a journey for a short time: Our first stop was Paris.beWe’ll make a stop at the foot of the hill.The trip includes an overnight stop in London.include5bus/train a place where a bus or train regularly stops for people to get on and off: Our next stop will be York.This is your stop, isn’t it?be6put a stop to somethingSTOP STH THAT IS HAPPENING to prevent something from continuing or happening: The government is determined to put a stop to the demonstrations.bedeterminedemonstration7pull out all the stopsWORK HARD to do everything you possibly can to make something happen and succeed: The hospital staff pulled out all the stops to make sure the children had a wonderful day.pullstopchildhave8money the action or fact of telling your bank not to pay an amount of money to someone: I put a stop on that check to the store.9music a handle that you push in or out on an organ to control the amount of sound it produces10consonant a consonant sound, like /p/ or /k/, that you make by stopping the flow of air completely and then suddenly letting it out of your mouth → full stop1
noun
Sense 1-2, 5-6:Language: Old English
Origin: pund, from Latin pondoSense 3-4:
Date: 1400-1500
Origin: Perhaps from Old English pund-, found only in compound words 1weight [countable] (written abbreviation lb) a unit for measuring weight, equal to 16 ounces or 0.454 kilogramspound of
a pound of applesappleMoira weighs about 130 pounds.weighpoundThe grapes cost $2 a pound.grape2money [countable] (also pound sterling) a) £ the standard unit of money in Britain, which is divided into 100 pence: They spent over a thousand pounds.spendpounda multi-million pound businessa five pound note b)the (British) pound the value of British money compared with the value of the money of other countries: The pound was up against the dollar.be c)the standard unit of money in various other countries, such as Egypt and the Sudan3for dogs and cats [countable usually singular] a place where dogs and cats that have been found on the street are kept until their owners come to get them4for cars [countable] a place where cars that have been illegally parked are kept until their owners pay money to get them back5get/take/demand etc your pound of fleshSUFFER to get the full amount of work, money etc that someone owes you, even though it makes them suffer and you do not really need it. The phrase comes from Shylock, a character in the play The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare. He is a Jewish money-lender who lends money to Antonio. When Antonio is unable to pay the money back, Shylock says he has the right to cut a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body.6telephone [uncountable] American English the pound key
poundverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1Word sets 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplespoundpoundspoundedpoundingpoundpound2 verb
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: punian Verb form1hit [intransitive and transitive]HIT to hit something very hard several times and make a lot of noise, damage it, break it into smaller pieces etc:
He began pounding the keyboard of his computer.beginpoundpound against/onThomas pounded on the door with his fist.poundWaves pounded against the pier.wavepoundpound something against/on somethingGreen pounded his fist on the counter.pound2heart [intransitive] if your heart or blood is pounding, your heart is beating very hard and quicklypound withPatrick rushed to the door, his heart pounding with excitement.rushpoundShe ran, her heart pounding in her chest.runpound3head [intransitive] if your head is pounding, it feels painful, especially because you have a headache or you have been using a lot of effort4move [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive]RUN to walk or run quickly with heavy loud stepspound along/through/down etcI could hear him pounding up the stairs.canpoundstaira policeman pounding his beatpoundRunners will be pounding the pavement this weekend during the London Marathon.runnerpound5attack with bombs [transitive]ATTACK to attack a place continuously for a long time with bombs: Enemy forces have been pounding the city for over two months.forcebepoundmonthpound something ↔ out phrasal verb to play music loudly: The Rolling Stones were pounding out one of their old numbers.rollstonebepoundnumberTHESAURUSto hit somethinghit: Jack hit the ball and it flew over the fenceflyknock to hit a door or window with your closed hand in order to attract the attention of the people inside: Someone was knocking on the door.beknock | I knocked loudly but no one came.knockcomestrike written to hit a surface. Strike is more formal than hit and is mainly used in written English: The ball struck the side of the goal.strikewhack /wæk/ informal to hit something very hard: Edmonds whacked the ball into the air.whackbash to hit something hard, especially in a way that causes damage: The police had to bash the door down to get in.havetap to gently hit something with your fingers, often in order to attract someone’s attention: I tapped him on the shoulder.tap | I heard someone tapping on the window.heartaprap to knock quickly or hit something several times: He rapped the table with his pen to bring the meeting to order.rapmeet | Two police officers rapped on the door at 7 o'clock in the morning.officerrapbang to suddenly hit something hard, in a way that makes a loud noise: Her father banged his fist down on the table angrily.bang | The door suddenly banged shut.bangpound written to hit something many times with a lot of force: I could hear the sea pounding on the rocks.canpoundrock | She pounded on the door and shouted wildly.poundshouthammer written to hit something quickly many times making a loud continuous noise: The rain was hammering on the roof.behammer | A crowd of people were outside hammering on the door angrily.behammer
adjective (comparative quicker, superlative quickest)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: cwic ‘alive’ 1short timeSHORT TIME lasting for or taking only a short time:
That was quick! I thought you’d be another hour.bethinkIt’s probably quicker by train.quickHave we got time for a quick drink?getWhat’s the quickest way to the station?quickWe stopped to have a quick look at the church.stopThree bombs went off in quick succession (=quickly, one after the other).bombgo2fast moving or doing something fast: She walked with short, quick steps.walkstepThey were great people to work with – very quick, very efficient.beBoxers have to be quick on their feet (=able to move about quickly).boxerfoot3no delaySOON happening very soon, without any delay SYN speedy: I had to make a quick decision.haveWe’ve put the house on the market and we’re hoping for a quick sale.hopeWe need a quick response from the government.Robertson’s quick thinking had saved the little girl’s life.thinkhavesave4cleverINTELLIGENT able to learn and understand things fast: Jane’s very witty and very quick.She’s a quick learner.He’s a good interviewer, tough and quick on the uptake (=able to understand quickly what someone is saying).5be quickHURRY used to tell someone to hurry: If you want to come with me you’ll have to be quick – I’m leaving in ten minutes.leaveminute‘Can I just finish this first?’ ‘OK, but be quick about it.’6be quick to do somethingREACT to react quickly to what someone says or does: The government was quick to deny any involvement in the attacks.beattack7quick fix informalSOLVE/FIND THE ANSWER a solution to a problem that can be done quickly, but is not a good or permanent solution: There’s no quick fix for stopping pollution.stopCongress is trying to avoid quick-fix solutions.betrysolution8have a quick temperANGRY to get angry very easily9be quick on the draw a)to be able to pull a gun out quickly in order to shoot b)American English informal to be good at reacting quickly and intelligently to difficult questions or in difficult situations—quicknessquicknessesquickness noun [uncountable] → quicklyTHESAURUSquick taking only a short time to do something: I took a quick look at the map.take | Do I have time for a quick shower before we go out?short lasting only a short time: You can do a short course in diving.dive | The meeting was shorter than I’d expected.meetbeshortexpectbrief especially written lasting only a short time. Brief is more formal than short, and is used especially in written English: The President made a brief visit to Buenos Aires.make | a brief introduction to Piaget’s ideasidea | a brief pause in the rainrapid especially written happening in a short period of time – used about changes, increases, improvements etc: a rapid increase in crime | the rapid rate of industrial developmentspeedy happening or done as quickly as possible, especially so that you get the result that you want: Best wishes for a speedy recovery.wellwish | The restoration work has been making speedy progress.havebemakeprompt done very soon after something else: Thank you for your prompt reply. | the prompt action of the firefightersfirefighter | Discounts will be offered for prompt payment.discountofferhasty deciding or doing something very quickly, especially when this has bad results: It was a hasty decision, which he later regretted.belateregret | They had to make a hasty departure.havecursory formal looking at something very quickly without much attention to detail: Even a cursory glance at these figures shows that there is a problem.figureshowbe | The police conducted a cursory search of the property.conduct
quickinterjectionCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entriesquickquickquick2 interjection HURRYused to tell someone to hurry or come quickly: Quick! We’ll miss the bus!
quickadverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesThesaurus 1Activator 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesquickquickquick3 S3 adverb FAST/QUICKquickly – many teachers think this is not correct English SYN fast: Come quick! Larry’s on TV!It all happened pretty quick.happenQuick as a flash (=very quickly) she replied, ‘That’s not what I’ve heard!’replyhearTHESAURUSquickly at a high speed or without taking much time: The stream was flowing quite quickly.beflow | They quickly became friends.becomefriendfast at a high speed – used especially when talking about how something moves: You're driving too fast!drive | He ran home as fast as he could.runcanquick spoken quickly – used in exclamations or in comparatives: Quick! There’s a mouse!swiftly written quickly: The government acted swiftly.act | She was surprised that he agreed so swiftly.besurpriseagreerapidly quickly – used especially about changes, increases, improvements etc: The population is growing rapidly.begrow | a rapidly changing worldchangespeedily quickly and therefore efficiently: All problems were speedily dealt with.problembedealbriskly quickly and energetically: He walked briskly back along the path.walkat high/great speed at a very fast speed – used especially in technical descriptions: The molecules are travelling at great speed.moleculebetravelat a rapid rate especially written quickly – used about changes, increases, improvements etc: Internet shopping is growing at a rapid rate.shopbegrowas quick as a flash/in a flash extremely quickly: As quick as a flash, I was back in my bed and under the covers.becoverlike lightning moving extremely quickly: Like lightning, the cat darted under the bushes.dartbushflat out especially British English at the fastest speed possible: The car was going flat out.bego | He was running flat out.berun
quicknounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesquickquicksquickquick4 nounSense 1-2:Date: 1500-1600
Origin: Probably from a Scandinavian language. Sense 3:
Language: Old English
Origin: → QUICK1 1the quick the sensitive flesh under your fingernails and toenails:
Her nails were bitten to the quick.nailbebite2cut/sting/pierce somebody to the quickUPSET if a remark or criticism cuts you to the quick, it makes you feel extremely upset: She was cut to the quick by the accusation.be3the quick and the dead biblicalEVERYONE all people, including those who are alive and those who are dead
noun [countable]Word familyDate: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: reporter ‘to report’, from Latin reportare, from portare ‘to carry’ 1DESCRIBEa written or spoken description of a situation or event, giving people the information they need → accountreport of/on/about
Colleges have to provide a written report on the progress of each student during the year.collegewrite2REPORTa piece of writing in a newspaper about something that is happening, or part of a news programme → reporter: According to recent news reports, two of the victims are Americans.accordreportvictimbereport on/ofmedia reports of the food shortagesmediumreportshortage3TELLan official document that carefully considers a particular subjectreport ona recent report on child abuse4RUMOUR/RUMORinformation that something has happened, which may or may not be truereport ofPolice received reports of a bomb threat at the airport at 11:28 p.m.receivereportGovernment officials have denied reports of rebel advances.officialdenyreportadvancereport thata report that he had been killedhavebekill5British English a written statement by teachers about a child’s work at school, which is sent to his or her parents SYN report card American English6British English someone who works for a particular manager: Only Gordon’s direct reports are attending the course.reportbeattend7formal the noise of an explosion or shot: a loud reportCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1verbswrite a report Her social worker has written a report on the case.havewritemake a report We make regular progress reports to our manager.reportgive a report (=make a report, usually a spoken one) He came to the office to give his report in person.comeprepare a report The surveyor will view the property and prepare a full report.submit a report formal (=give a written report to someone) Doctors will have to submit weekly reports.doctorreporta report says/states (that) The report said that it would cost another £250 million to repair the damage.saywillADJECTIVESa full/detailed report A full report will be prepared for the next committee meeting.preparemeetan official/formal report Black graduates still face discrimination from employers, according to an official report.graduateemployeraccorda written report Mr Thomas asked me to send him a written report.askwritea confidential report (=one that only a few people see) He made a confidential report to UN headquarters in New York.makean autopsy report (also a post-mortem report British English) (=that shows the results of an examination on a dead body to find the cause of death) The autopsy report gave the cause of death as alcohol poisoning.givepoisonCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 4verbsreceive a report Amnesty has received repeated reports of violation of detention procedures.havereceiverepeatreportprocedurehave a report (=receive one) The police say they had reports of a gang shooting in East London.havereportshootconfirm a report A spokesman refused to confirm reports that the aircraft had previously suffered an engine fire.refusereporthavesufferdeny a report Government officials have denied reports of rebel advances.officialdenyreportadvancedismiss a report (=refuse to consider it because you believe it is not true) A Treasury official yesterday dismissed the reports as ‘pure speculation’.dismissreportADJECTIVES/NOUNS + reportan unconfirmed report (=not yet supported by official information) There are unconfirmed reports that up to 2,000 people have been killed.bereportbekillan eyewitness/first-hand report (=from someone who saw what happened) Some were beaten and tortured according to first-hand reports from former prisoners.bebeattortureaccordreportprisonera reliable report On Sunday there were reliable reports of a group of whales off the Devon coast.bereportwhalean unofficial report According to unofficial reports, the president had talks with Palestinian leaders.accordreporthavetalkleaderconflicting reports (=reports saying very different things) Conflicting reports continued to emerge from the area.conflictreportcontinuea misleading report (=likely to make you believe something that is not true) This isn’t the first time the industry has published misleading reports based on incomplete data.havepublishmisleadreportbasedatum
reportverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesreportreportsreportedreportingreportreport2 S2 W1 verb
Word familyVerb form1news [intransitive and transitive]REPORTTELL to give people information about recent events, especially in newspapers and on television and radio → reporter: This is Gavin Williams, reporting from the United Nations in New York.bereportunitenationWe aim to report the news as fairly as possible.The incident was widely reported in the national press.bereportreport onThe Times sent her to Bangladesh to report on the floods.timesendfloodreport thatJournalists in Cairo reported that seven people had been shot.journalistreporthavebeshootreport doing somethingWitnesses reported seeing three people flee the scene.witnessreportsee2be reported to be/do something used to say that a statement has been made about someone or something, but you do not know if it is true → allege: The stolen necklace is reported to be worth $57,000.stealbereport3job/work [intransitive and transitive]TELL to tell someone about what has been happening, or what you are doing as part of your jobreport (to somebody) on somethingI’ve asked him to come back next week and report on his progress.ask4public statement [transitive]SAY/STATE to officially give information to the public: Doctors have reported a 13% increase in the number of people with heart disease.doctorreportnumb5crime/accident [transitive]TELL to tell the police or someone in authority that an accident or crime has happened: I’d like to report a theft.report something to somebodyAll accidents must be reported to the safety officer.accidentreportreport somebody/something missing/injured/killedThe plane was reported missing.bereportmiss6complain [transitive]COMPLAIN to complain about someone to people in authorityreport somebody for somethingPolish referee Ryszard Wojoik reported two Leeds United players for violent conduct.reportuniteplayerreport somebody to somebodyHadley’s drinking problem led co-workers to report him to the supervisor.drinkleadworker7arrival [intransitive]SAY/STATE to go somewhere and officially state that you have arrivedreport toAll visitors must report to the site office.visitorAll soldiers were required to report for duty (=arrive and be ready for work) on Friday.soldierberequire8report sick to officially tell your employers that you cannot come to work because you are illreport back phrasal verb DESCRIBEto give someone information about something that they asked you to find out aboutreport back toThe committee has 60 days to report back to Congress.havedayreport back onStudents were asked to report back on their results.studentbeaskresultreport to somebody phrasal verb to be responsible to someone at work and be managed by them: He will report to Greg Carr, Boston Technology’s chief executive.THESAURUSto officially tell someoneinform to officially tell someone about something: Do you think we ought to inform the police? | Doctors should inform patients about the possible side effects of any drugs they prescribe.doctorshallpatienteffectdrugannounce to tell people publicly and officially about something: The university chancellor announced his resignation on Friday.announce | It was announced that the company had made a profit of $6 billion.beannouncehavemakereport to officially tell someone about something that has happened: She was able to report that the project was nearly finished.bebefinishnotify formal to tell someone officially about something that has happened or that is planned to happen: Staff were notified several months in advance that they would be losing their jobs.benotifymonthwilllosejob
nounWord familyDate: 1100-1200Language: Old North French
Origin: werre, from Old French guerre 1[uncountable and countable]WAR when there is fighting between two or more countries or between opposing groups within a country, involving large numbers of soldiers and weapons OPP peace:
the Vietnam WarHe served as a pilot during the war.servewar against/with/betweenthe war with Spain2[uncountable and countable]FIGHT FOR OR AGAINST STH a struggle over a long period of time to control something harmfulwar on/againstthe State’s war on drugsdrugthe war against racism3[uncountable and countable]FIGHT FOR OR AGAINST STH a situation in which a person or group is fighting for power, influence, or control: No one wants to start a trade war here.wanta ratings war between the major TV networksratingnetwork → price war4be in the wars British English spokenDAMAGE used, often humorously, to say that someone has lots of injuries or health problems: You’ve really been in the wars lately, haven’t you?bewar5this means war spokenFIGHT used humorously to say that you are ready to fight or argue about something → cold war, war of attrition, war of nerves, war of words, warringCOLLOCATIONSverbsfight a war The two countries fought a brief war in 1995.countryfightfight in a war (=take part as a soldier) Her grandfather fought in the war.fightwin/lose a war The Allies had won the war.allyhavewin | What would have happened if we’d lost the war?willhappenlosedeclare war In 1941, Britain and the US declared war on Japan.declarewage/make war (=to start and continue a war) Their aim was to destroy the country’s capacity to wage war.bego to war (=become involved in a war) It has been said that democracies don’t go to war with each other.havebesaydemocracywar breaks out (=it starts) They married just before war broke out.marrybreaka war rages (=continues in a very violent way) A civil war is still raging there.beragephrasesbe at war Russia was at war with Poland.bebe on the brink of war (=be about to be involved in a war) The country was on the brink of war.bethe outbreak of war (=the time when a war starts) A week after the outbreak of war, he enlisted in the army.enlistthe horrors of war They wanted to forget the horrors of war they had witnessed.wanthorrorhavewitnessADJECTIVES/NOUN + wara world war No one wants another world war.wanta civil war (=between opposing groups within a country) the English Civil Wara nuclear war (=involving nuclear weapons) The possibility of nuclear war was much on people’s minds in the Fifties.bemindfiftya conventional war (=not nuclear) A conventional war would still cause unacceptable devastation.willa guerrilla war (=involving a small unofficial military group) The nine-year guerrilla war has ended at last.haveendthe Korean/Vietnam/Iraq etc War People were protesting against the Vietnam War.beprotestWorld War I/World War II He was a pilot in World War II.bea just war (=one that you believe is right) They believe that they are fighting a just war.befighta religious war How many people have died in religious wars?diewarwar + NOUNthe war years The couple spent most of the war years apart.spendyeara war hero At home he was hailed as a war hero.behaila war veteran (=someone who took part in a war) There was a service for war veterans in the Garden of Remembrance.beveterana war criminal (=someone who behaves very cruelly in a war, in a way that is against international law) the arrest of two suspected Nazi war criminalssuspectcriminala war correspondent (=a reporter sending reports from a war) Being a war correspondent is a dangerous job.bebea war zone (=an area where a war is fought) The country had turned into a war zone.haveturna war crime (=a cruel act in a war which is against international law) They will be charged with war crimes.chargecrimea war wound He still suffered pain from an old war wound.sufferwinda war grave He had gone with a friend to visit the war graves in Flanders.havegograveCOMMON ERRORS ► Do not say 'do the war'. Say go to war or make war.THESAURUSwar noun [uncountable and countable] a situation in which there is fighting between countries or opposing groups within a country, with large numbers of soldiers and weapons: He fought in World War II.fight | the horrors of warhorrorconflict noun [uncountable and countable] a situation in which there is fighting or a war – used especially in news reports: the conflict in the Middle East | There is increasing danger of armed conflict.beincreasearmfighting noun [uncountable] a situation in which people or groups fight each other and try to kill each other: The fighting went on for months.fightgomonth | Fighting in the north has resulted in hundreds of deaths.fighthaveresulthundreddeathhostilities noun [plural] formal fighting in a war: The agreement called on the guerrillas to cease hostilities (=stop fighting) and begin peace talks.callguerrillahostilitytalkwarfare noun [uncountable] the activity of fighting in a war – used especially to talk about a method of fighting: new and more advanced methods of warfareadvancemethod | chemical warfarebattle noun [uncountable and countable] an occasion when two armies, groups of ships etc fight each other in one place during a war: the great naval battles of the Napoleonic Warsbattlewar | the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 | He died in battle.dieskirmish /ˈskɜːmɪʃ $ ˈskɜːr-/ noun [countable] a short fight between small groups of soldiers, ships etc, especially one that happens away from the main part of a war or battle: There were minor skirmishes between Indian and Pakistani troops across the border.beskirmishtroopcombat noun [uncountable] the act of fighting, especially during a war: Few of them had any experience of combat.have | hand-to-hand combataction noun [uncountable] military actions carried out by the army, navy etc of a country during a war – used especially in the following phrases: He was killed in action in 1944.bekill | Her son went missing in action.gomiss | Her grandfather saw action (=fought) in two world wars.seewar
verb (past tense took /tʊk/, past participle taken) /ˈteɪkən/
Word familyDate: 1000-1100Language: Old Norse
Origin: taka Verb form1move [transitive]TAKE/BRING to move or go with someone or something from one place to another OPP bringtake somebody/something to/into etc something
Barney took us to the airport.takeWould you mind taking Susie home?willtakeWhen he refused to give his name, he was taken into custody.refusebetakeMy job has taken me all over the world.havetaketake somebody/something with youHis wife went to Australia, taking the children with her.gotakechildtake somebody somethingI have to take Steve the money tonight.take somebody to do somethingHe took me to meet his parents.takeparent2action [transitive] used with a noun instead of using a verb to describe an action. For example, if you take a walk, you walk somewhere: Would you like to take a look?willMike’s just taking a shower.takeSara took a deep breath.takeI waved, but he didn’t take any notice (=pretended not to notice). British EnglishwavePlease take a seat (=sit down).take a picture/photograph/photoWould you mind taking a photo of us together?willtake3remove [transitive] to remove something from a placetake something off/from etc somethingTake your feet off the seats.footseatSomeone’s taken a pen from my desk.takePolice say money and jewellery were taken in the raid.betake → take away4time/money/effort etc [intransitive and transitive] if something takes a particular amount of time, money, effort etc, that amount of time etc is needed for it to happen or succeed: How long is this going to take?begoOrganizing a successful street party takes a lot of energy.organizetaketake (somebody) something (to do something)Repairs take time to carry out.repairIt took a few minutes for his eyes to adjust to the dark.takeminuteeyetake (somebody) ages/forever informal: It took me ages to find a present for Dad.takeagetake some doing British English informal (=need a lot of time or effort)Catching up four goals will take some doing.catchgoaldotake courage/gutsIt takes courage to admit you are wrong.takebehave what it takes informal (=to have the qualities that are needed for success)Neil’s got what it takes to be a great footballer.gettake5accept [transitive] to accept or choose something that is offered, suggested, or given to you: Will you take the job?Do you take American Express?If you take my advice, you’ll see a doctor.Our helpline takes 3.5 million calls (=telephone calls) a year.takecallSome doctors are unwilling to take new patients without a referral.doctorbepatientLiz found his criticisms hard to take.findcriticismI just can’t take any more (=can’t deal with a bad situation any longer).Staff have agreed to take a 2% pay cut.agreetake a hammering/beating (=be forced to accept defeat or a bad situation)Small businesses took a hammering in the last recession.businesstakehammerI take your point/point taken (=used to say that you accept someone’s opinion)take sb’s word for it/take it from somebody (=accept that what someone says is true)That’s the truth – take it from me.take the credit/blame/responsibilityHe’s the kind of man who makes things happen but lets others take the credit.makethinglettake it as read/given (=assume that something is correct or certain, because you are sure that this is the case)It isn’t official yet, but you can take it as read that you’ve got the contract.get6hold something [transitive]HOLD to get hold of something in your hands: Let me take your coat.Can you take this package while I get my wallet?take somebody/something in/by somethingI just wanted to take him in my arms.wantarm7travel [transitive]GO to use a particular form of transport or a particular road in order to go somewhere: Let’s take a cab.I took the first plane out.takeTake the M6 to Junction 19.8study [transitive] to study a particular subject in school or college for an examination: Are you taking French next year?betake9test [transitive] to do an examination or test SYN sit British English: Applicants are asked to take a written test.applicantbeaskwrite10suitable [transitive not in progressive or passive]USE STH to be the correct or suitable size, type etc for a particular person or thing: a car that takes low sulphur fueltakeWhat size shoe do you take?The elevator takes a maximum of 32 people.take11collect [transitive] to collect or gather something for a particular purpose: Investigators will take samples of the wreckage to identify the cause.investigatorsampletake something from somethingThe police took a statement from both witnesses.takewitness12consider [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition] to react to someone or something or consider them in a particular waytake somebody/something seriously/badly/personally etcI was joking, but he took me seriously.bejoketakeBen took the news very badly.takeShe does not take kindly to criticism (=reacts badly to criticism).dotake something as somethingI’ll take that remark as a compliment.take something as evidence/proof (of something)The presence of dust clouds has been taken as evidence of recent star formation.cloudhavebetaketake somebody/something to be somethingI took her to be his daughter.taketake somebody/something for somethingOf course I won’t tell anyone! What do you take me for? (=what sort of person do you think I am?)winI take it (=I assume) you’ve heard that Rick’s resigned.hearresign13feelings [transitive usually + adverb]FEEL HAPPY/FRIGHTENED/BORED ETC to have or experience a particular feelingtake delight/pleasure/pride etc in (doing) somethingYou should take pride in your work.shallAt first, he took no interest in the baby.taketake pity on somebodyShe stood feeling lost until an elderly man took pity on her.standfeellosetaketake offence (=feel offended)Don’t take offence. Roger says things like that to everybody.saythingtake comfort from/in (doing) somethingInvestors can take comfort from the fact that the World Bank is underwriting the shares.investorbeunderwriteshare14control [transitive]CONTROL to get possession or control of something: Enemy forces have taken the airport.forcetakeBoth boys were taken prisoner.boybetaketake control/charge/powerThe communists took power in 1948.communisttakeYoungsters need to take control of their own lives.youngsterlivetake the lead (=in a race, competition etc)15medicine/drugs [transitive] to swallow, breathe in, inject etc a drug or medicine: The doctor will ask whether you are taking any medication.betakeTake two tablets before bedtime.tablettake drugs (=take illegal drugs)Most teenagers start taking drugs through boredom.teenagertakedrugShe took an overdose after a row with her boyfriend.take16do you take sugar/milk? spoken British EnglishEAT used to ask someone whether they like to have sugar or milk in a drink such as tea or coffee17level [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to make someone or something go to a higher level or positiontake something to/into somethingThe latest raise takes his salary into six figures.latetakefigureEven if you have the talent to take you to the top, there’s no guarantee you’ll get there.If you want to take it further, you should consult an attorney.farshall18measure [transitive]MEASURE to measure the amount, level, rate etc of something: Take the patient’s pulse first.19numbers [transitive]COUNT/CALCULATE to make a number smaller by a particular amount SYN subtracttake something away/take something (away) from something‘Take four from nine and what do you get?’ ‘Five.’Ten take away nine equals one.equal20money [transitive] British English if a shop, business etc takes a particular amount of money, it receives that amount of money from its customers SYN take in American English: The stall took £25 on Saturday.take21somebody can take it or leave it a)to neither like nor dislike something: To some people, smoking is addictive. Others can take it or leave it.smokebe b)used to say that you do not care whether someone accepts your offer or not22take somebody/something (for example)EXAMPLE used to give an example of something you have just been talking about: People love British cars. Take the Mini. In Japan, it still sells more than all the other British cars put together.carsellcar23teach [transitive] British EnglishTEACH to teach a particular group of students in a school or collegetake somebody for somethingWho takes you for English?take24write [transitive]WRITE to write down information: Let me take your email address.Sue offered to take notes.offernote25take somebody out of themselves British English to make someone forget their problems and feel more confident: Alf said joining the club would take me out of myself.sayjoinwill26take a lot out of you/take it out of you to make you very tired: Looking after a baby really takes it out of you.looktake27take it upon/on yourself to do something formal to decide to do something without getting someone’s permission or approval first: Reg took it upon himself to hand the press a list of names.takename28take something to bits/pieces British English to separate something into its different parts: how to take an engine to bitsbit29be taken with/by somethingLIKE SB OR STH to be attracted by a particular idea, plan, or person: I’m quite taken by the idea of Christmas in Berlin.take30be taken ill/sick formalILL to suddenly become ill31sex [transitive] literarySEX/HAVE SEX WITH if a man takes someone, he has sex with them32take a bend/fence/corner etcDRIVE to try to get over or around something in a particular way: He took the bend at over 60 and lost control.takelose33have an effect [intransitive]SUCCEED IN DOING STH if a treatment, dye, drug etc takes, it begins to work successfullyTHESAURUStake to move or go with someone or something from one place to another: Don’t forget to take your keys.key | Shall I take you home? | I took Alice a cup of tea.takebring to take someone or something to the place where you are now: We’ve brought someone to see you!bring | Will you bring your photos with you when you come?phototransport to take large quantities of goods from one place to another in a plane, train, ship etc: The plane is used for transporting military equipment.beusetransport | The coal was transported by rail.betransportdeliver to take goods, letters, newspapers etc to someone’s home or office: Unfortunately, the package was delivered to the wrong address.bedeliverfly to take someone or something somewhere by plane: The bread is specially flown in from Paris.beflyship to take goods from one place to another – this can be by ship, truck, plane, or train: Half the whisky is shipped to Japan and the US.beshipcarry to take people or goods somewhere – used especially when saying how many people or things, or what kind: The new plane can carry up to 600 passengers.passenger | The ship was carrying a full cargo of oil.becarrylead to take someone to a place by going in front of them: He led Julia through the house to his study.lead | Roland led the way back to the car in silence.leadguide to take someone to a place and show them the way: Emily guided him through a side gate into a large garden.guideescort to take someone to a place and protect or guard them: The prisoner was escorted into the room by two police officers.beescortofficer | The singer was escorted by her assistant and her bodyguard.beescortusher to politely lead someone somewhere and show them where to go, especially because it is your job to do this: We were ushered into the lift by a man in uniform.beusherbe taken aback phrasal verb SURPRISEDto be very surprised about something: Emma was somewhat taken aback by his directness.betaketake after somebody phrasal verb [not in progressive] LIKE SB OR STHto look or behave like an older relative: Jenni really takes after her mother.taketake somebody/something apart phrasal verb1to separate something into all its different parts OPP put together: Tom was always taking things apart in the garage.betakething2to search a place very thoroughly: The police took the house apart looking for clues.takelookclue3to beat someone very easily in a game, sport, fight etc4to show that someone is wrong or something is not true: Tariq takes several gay myths apart in his book.takemythtake against somebody/something phrasal verb British English to begin to dislike someone or something, especially without a good reason: Voters took against the relationship between the government and the unions in the 1970s.votertakeuniontake somebody/something ↔ away phrasal verb1to remove someone or something, or make something disappear: She whisked the tray off the table and took it away.whisktakeHe was taken away to begin a prison sentence.betakeThis should take some of the pain away.shall2to take away British English if you buy food to take away, you buy cooked food from a restaurant and take it outside to eat it somewhere else → takeaway: Fish and chips to take away, please.chip3take your breath away to be very beautiful, exciting, or surprisingtake away from something phrasal verb SPOILto spoil the good effect or success that something has: The disagreement between the two men should not take away from their accomplishments.manshallaccomplishmenttake somebody/something ↔ back phrasal verb1take something ↔ backADMIT to admit that you were wrong to say something: You’d better take back that remark!well2take something ↔ backTAKE/BRING to take something you have bought back to a shop because it is not suitable: If the shirt doesn’t fit, take it back.3REMEMBERto make you remember a time in the past: Having the grandchildren around takes me back to the days when my own children were small.havegrandchildtakedaychildbetake something ↔ down phrasal verb1to move something that is fixed in a high position to a lower position: She made us take down all the posters.makeposter2WRITEto write down information: Can I just take some details down?detail3TAKE OFF CLOTHESto pull a piece of clothing such as trousers part of the way down your legstake somebody/something ↔ in phrasal verb1be taken inTRICK/DECEIVE to be completely deceived by someone who lies to you: Don’t be taken in by products claiming to help you lose weight in a week.takeproductclaim2take somebody ↔ inSTAY WITH SB, IN A HOTEL ETC to let someone stay in your house because they have nowhere else to stay: Brett’s always taking in stray animals.takeanimal3take something ↔ inUNDERSTAND to understand and remember new facts and information SYN absorb: He watches the older kids, just taking it all in.watcholdkidtakeHis eyes quickly took in the elegance of her dress.eyetake4take something ↔ in American English to collect or earn a particular amount of money SYN take British English5to visit a place while you are in the area: They continued a few miles further to take in Hinton House.continuemilfar6American English old-fashionedGO TO/ATTEND if you take in a show, play etc, you go to see it7take somebody ↔ in British English old-fashioned if the police take someone in, they take them to a police station to ask them questions about a crime: All five teenagers were arrested and taken in for questioning.teenagerbearresttakequestion8take something ↔ in to make a piece of clothing fit you by making it narrower OPP let outtake off phrasal verb1remove take something ↔ offTAKE OFF CLOTHES to remove a piece of clothing OPP put on: He sat on the bed to take his boots off.sitbootCharlie was taking off his shirt when the phone rang.betakering2aircraftUP if an aircraft takes off, it rises into the air from the ground SYN lift off → takeoff: I felt quite excited as the plane took off from Heathrow.feelexcitetake3successSUCCESSFUL to suddenly start being successful: Mimi became jealous when Jack’s career started taking off.becomestarttake4holiday take something off (something)HOLIDAY to have a holiday from work on a particular day, or for a particular length of timetake time off (work/school)I rang my boss and arranged to take some time off.ringarrangetake a day/the afternoon etc offDad took the day off to come with me.take5copy somebody take somebody ↔ off British English informalCOPY to copy the way someone speaks or behaves, in order to entertain peopletake somebody/something ↔ on phrasal verb1take somebody ↔ onJOB/WORK to start to employ someone → hire: We’re taking on 50 new staff this year.take2take something ↔ on to agree to do some work or be responsible for something: Don’t take on too much work – the extra cash isn’t worth it.3take something ↔ on to begin to have a particular quality or appearance: Her face took on a fierce expression.takeHis life had taken on a new dimension.havetake4take somebody ↔ on to compete against someone or start a fight with someone, especially someone bigger or better than you: Nigeria will take on Argentina in the first round of the World Cup on Saturday.He was prepared to take on anyone who laid a finger on us.bepreparelay5take something ↔ on if a plane or ship takes on people or things, they come onto it: We stopped to take on fuel.stoptake somebody/something ↔ out phrasal verb1INVITEtake somebody ↔ out to take someone as your guest to a restaurant, cinema, club etctake somebody ↔ out forWe’re taking my folks out for a meal next week.takefolk2take something ↔ outGET to make a financial or legal arrangement with a bank, company, law court etctake out a policy/injunction/loan etcBefore taking a loan out, calculate your monthly outgoings.take3take something ↔ out to get money from your bank account SYN withdraw: How much would you like to take out?will4take something ↔ out to borrow books from a library: You can take out six books at a time.book5take somebody/something ↔ out informalDESTROYKILL to kill someone or destroy something: The building was taken out by a bomb.buildbetaketake something out on somebody phrasal verb SUFFERto treat someone badly when you are angry or upset, even though it is not their fault: Don’t take it out on me just because you’ve had a bad day.havetake your anger/frustration etc out on somebodyIrritated with herself, she took her annoyance out on Bridget.irritatetaketake over phrasal verb CONTROLto take control of something → takeovertake something ↔ overHis only reason for investing in the company was to take it over.investbeRuth moved into our apartment and promptly took over.movetaketake to somebody/something phrasal verb [not in passive]1LIKE SB OR STHto start to like someone or something: Sandra took to it straight away.takeCharles was an odd character whom Kelly had never really taken to.behavetake2START DOING STHto start doing something regularlytake to doing somethingDee’s taken to getting up at 6 and going jogging.takegetgojog3take to your bedSLEEP to get into your bed and stay there: He was so depressed, he took to his bed for a week.bedepresstaketake something up phrasal verb1take something ↔ upSTART DOING STH to become interested in a new activity and to spend time doing it: Roger took painting up for a while, but soon lost interest.takepaintlose2START DOING STHto start a new job or have a new responsibility: Peter will take up the management of the finance department.take up a post/a position/duties etcThe headteacher takes her duties up in August.takeduty3take something ↔ upDO if you take up a suggestion, problem, complaint etc, you start to do something about it: Now the papers have taken up the story.papertaketake something ↔ up withThe hospital manager has promised to take the matter up with the member of staff involved.havepromiseinvolveI am still very angry and will be taking it up with the authorities.betakeauthority4LAST FOR A PERIOD OF TIMEto fill a particular amount of time or spacebe taken up with somethingThe little time I had outside of school was taken up with work.havebetaketake up space/roomold books that were taking up space in the officebookbetake5take something ↔ up to accept a suggestion, offer, or idea: Rob took up the invitation to visit.taketake up the challenge/gauntletRick took up the challenge and cycled the 250 mile route alone.takecycle6MOVE/CHANGE POSITIONto move to the exact place where you should be, so that you are ready to do something: The runners are taking up their positions on the starting line.runnerbetakepositionstart7take something ↔ up to make a piece of clothing shorter OPP let down8take something ↔ upCONTINUE/START AGAIN to continue a story or activity that you or someone else had begun, after a short break: I’ll take up the story where you left off.leavetake somebody up on something phrasal verb ACCEPTto accept an invitation or suggestiontake somebody up on an offer/a promise/a suggestion etcI’ll take you up on that offer of a drink, if it still stands.standtake up with somebody/something phrasal verb FRIENDLY old-fashioned to become friendly with someone, especially someone who may influence you badly
takenounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplestaketakestaketake2 nounWord family1[countable] an occasion when a film scene, song, action etc is recorded: We had to do six takes for this particular scene.havetake2sb’s take (on something)OPINION someone’s opinion about a situation or idea: What’s your take on this issue?3be on the take informalPAY FOR to be willing to do something wrong in return for money: Is it true that some of the generals are on the take?begeneralbe4[usually singular] American English informal the amount of money earned by a shop or business in a particular period of timeTHESAURUSwhat you say when giving examplesfor example used when giving an example: Prices have risen sharply. The price of gasoline, for example, has risen by over 50%.pricerisehaverise | Nepal has many attractions for visitors. For example, you can go trekking in the Himalayas, or see tigers in Chitwan National Park.haveattractionvisitortrektigerfor instance used when giving an example. For instance is slightly less formal than for example and is used more in spoken English: There were many unanswered questions. For instance, where was the money going to come from?bequestionbego | Some people are really good languages. Take Katie, for instance.belanguageeg/e.g. written used when giving an example or a list of examples. Don’t use eg in formal writing – use the full phrase for example: Make sure you eat foods that contain protein, e.g. meat, fish, eggs, milk, or cheese.foodeggsuch as especially written used when giving one or two typical examples when there are many others: It is difficult to get even basic foods such as bread and sugar.befoodtake spoken used when giving a particular example as a way of proving that what you are saying is correct: Take John – he has a good job but he didn’t go to university.have | It is possible to recover from some types of cancer. Take skin cancer, for example.betypebe a case in point used when emphasizing that someone or something is a good or typical example of what you have just mentioned: Some birds have returned to Britain after once being extinct here. The return of the osprey is a case in point.birdreturnbebe
verb [transitive]Word familyDate: 1500-1600Language: Latin
Origin: past participle of suggerere ‘to put under, provide, suggest’, from sub- ( → SUB-) + gerere ‘to carry’ Verb form1SUGGESTto tell someone your ideas about what they should do, where they should go etc → propose:
The zoo asked its visitors to suggest a name for the new baby panda.askvisitorsuggest (that)Her mother suggested that she should go and see the doctor.suggestshallI suggest you call him first.It has been suggested that the manager will resign if any more players are sold.havebesuggestplayerbesellsuggest doing somethingTracey suggested meeting for a drink after work.suggestmeetsuggest how/where/what etcCan you suggest what kind of tool I should use?shallcan/may I suggest (=used to politely suggest a different idea)May I suggest that you think carefully before rushing into this?rush ► Do not say ‘suggest (someone) to do something’. Say suggest doing something or suggest that someone (should) do something.2MEANINGto make someone think that a particular thing is true SYN indicate: Trends in spending and investment suggest a gradual economic recovery.trendspendsuggest (that)Opinion polls suggest that only 10% of the population trust the government.pollevidence/results/data/studies etc suggest(s) thatThe evidence suggests that single fathers are more likely to work than single mothers.suggestfatherbemother3SUGGESTto tell someone about someone or something that is suitable for a particular job or activity SYN recommendsuggest somebody/something for somethingJohn Roberts has been suggested for the post of manager.havebesuggest4to state something in an indirect way SYN imply: Are you suggesting my husband’s been drinking?besuggestbedrink5SHOW/BE A SIGN OFto remind someone of something or help them to imagine it: The stage was bare, with only the lighting to suggest a prison.belight6something suggests itself if an idea suggests itself, you think of it: I’ll look at my cookbooks and see if anything suggests itself.cookbooksuggest7I’m not suggesting spokenSAY used to say that what you have said is not exactly what you intended to say: I’m not suggesting for one moment that these changes will be easy.suggestchangeTHESAURUSsuggest to tell someone your ideas about what they should do: 'Why don’t you come with us?', Alan suggested.suggest | It was a sunny afternoon and so I suggested going to the beach.besuggestgorecommend to suggest that someone goes somewhere, tries something etc because you know that it is good and you think they will like it: Can you recommend a good restaurant near here? | It’s a brilliant book - I’d recommend it to anyone.propose formal to formally suggest a plan or course of action, especially at a meeting: The government has proposed building a new town just north of the city.haveproposebuild | I propose that we send a delegation to London to discuss our concerns.concernput forward to suggest an idea, plan, reason etc: The party has put forward new proposals to reduce the number of cars in the town centre.haveproposalnumbcar | The idea was first put forward by Aristotle.be | A number of reasons have been put forward to explain these negative results.numbreasonberesultnominate to officially suggest someone for an important job or position, or a person, film etc for a prize, especially when people will vote to make a decision: He’s been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature several times.benominatetime | Three candidates have been nominated for the position of chairman.candidatebenominate
verb (past tense and past participle made /meɪd/)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: macian Verb form1produce [transitive]MAKE to produce something, for example by putting the different parts of it together:
I’m going to show you how to make a box for your tools.gotoolA family of mice had made their nest in the roof.mousehavemakeShe made her own wedding dress.makeThe company has been making quality furniture for over 200 years.havebemakeyearThey met while they were making a film.meetbemakeMake a list of all the things you need.thingmake somebody somethingHe made her a toy horse, using just some straw and bamboo twigs.makeusetwigbe made from somethingPaper is made from wood.bemakebe made (out) of somethinga shirt made of silkmakemake something from/out of somethingShe’s very good at making things from old scraps of material.makethingscrapJapanese-made/English-made etc (=produced in Japan etc) → make the bed at bed1(1)GrammarUse made from especially when the materials used to make something have been completely changed and cannot be recognized: a wine made from Chilean grapesmakegrapeUse made of when the materials have not been completely changed and can still be recognized: The wheels were made of wood.wheelbemake ► Do not use 'made by' when talking about the materials used to make something.2do [transitive]DO used with some nouns to say that someone does something: Anyone can make a mistake.I can’t make a decision just yet.I need to make a quick phone call.You could have made more effort to talk to him.canmakeHe made no attempt to apologize.makeCould I make a suggestion?canThere are a few points I’d like to make.bepointThe police were called but no arrests were made.becallarrestbemakeI suppose we should make a start on cleaning this room.shallcleanStop making such a fuss!make3cook [transitive] to cook or prepare food or drink: When was the last time you made a cake?bemakeJohn was making breakfast in the kitchen.bemakeWho’s going to make the tea?gomake somebody somethingI’ll make you some sandwiches.sandwich4cause [transitive]CAUSE to cause something to happen, or cause a particular state or condition: Its beautiful beaches make this a highly popular area with tourists.beachtouristIt was this movie which made him a star.bemakeHis attitude made him very unpopular with colleagues.makecolleagueThe photo makes her look much older than she really is.makeoldbemake somebody/something do somethingI like him because he makes me laugh.makemake something difficult/easy/possible etcThe use of computers has made it possible for more people to work from home.computerhavemakemake something the best/worst/most expensive etcOver 80,000 people attended, making it the biggest sporting event in the area.attendmakebigsportThe President has made it clear that he is not going to change his mind.havemakebegoRegisterIn written English, people often use cause somebody to do something rather than make somebody do something, as it sounds more formal:His attitude caused him to be unpopular with colleagues.causecolleague5force [transitive]FORCE SB TO DO STH to force someone to do somethingmake somebody do somethingMy parents always make me do my homework before I go out.parentbe made to do somethingI was made to wait four hours before I was examined by a doctor.bemakehourbeexamine6mark/hole etc [transitive]CAUSE to cause a mark, hole etc to appearmake a hole/dent/mark etcMake a hole in the paper.The cup has made a mark on the table.havemake7make it a)ARRIVEto succeed in getting somewhere in time for something or when this is difficult: If we run, we should make it.shallmake it toWith blood pouring from his leg, he made it to a nearby house.pourmake b)SUCCESSFULto be successful at something, for example in your job: He came to the US and not only made it but made it big (=was extremely successful).comemakemakeSo far, relatively few women have made it to the top in the business world.womanmakemake it asHe was told he had no talent and would never make it as a professional singer.betellhavewillmake it toEngland look less likely to make it to the finals.littlefinalmake it to manager/director etcHow did anyone so stupid make it to manager?do c)spokenGO TO/ATTEND to be able to go to an event, meeting etc that has been arranged: I’m really sorry, but I won’t be able to make it on Sunday after all.winNice to see you. I’m glad you could make it.can d)SURVIVE informal to continue to live after you have been seriously ill or badly injured: Frank was very ill, and the doctors didn’t think he’d make it.bedoctor e)to manage to deal with a difficult experiencemake it throughI couldn’t have made it through those times without the support of my boyfriend.maketime f)used to say or ask what time it is according to your own or someone else’s watch: What time do you make it?I make it ten past three.8make the meeting/the party/Tuesday etc spokenGO to be able to go to something that has been arranged for a particular date or time: I’m sorry, I can’t make Friday after all.Will you be able to make the next meeting?meet9achieve something [transitive]SUCCEED IN DOING STH to succeed in achieving a particular position, rate etc: He was never good enough to make the team.beI don’t think we’ll make the deadline.10get money [transitive]EARN to earn or get money: The plan could cost you more than you would make.canwillThey made a profit of £140 million.makeHis one aim in life was to make money.beShe hopes to make a living (=earn the money she needs to live) from writing children’s books.hopelivewritechildbookHe’s made a fortune (=earned a lot of money) selling computers on the Internet.makesellcomputermake something out of somethingHow easy is it to make money out of gardening?begarden11have a quality [linking verb]SUITABLE to have the qualities that are necessary for a particular job, use, or purposemake nounI’m sure you will make a very good teacher.The hall would make an ideal venue for a wedding reception.willAn old cardboard box makes a comfortable bed for a kitten.make12make it/that something spoken used to correct what you have just said: Can we have two cups of coffee, please? No, make that three.cup13make doDEAL WITH to manage with the things that you have, even though this is not really enough: I hardly had any food in the house so I just had to make do.havehavemake do with/withoutI usually make do with a cup of coffee for breakfast.For many people, make do and mend (=when someone manages with the things they have and does not buy anything new) was a harsh reality.be14make yourself heard/understood/known etc to succeed in getting someone to hear you, understand you, or know that you are there: I had to shout to make myself heard above the music.havehear15be a total [linking verb]TOTAL to be a particular amount when added together: Two and two make four.There are nine people coming, plus me, which makes ten.becomemake16calculate [transitive]COUNT/CALCULATE used to say what you have calculated a number to be: I make that $150 altogether.17sports score [transitive] to achieve a particular score in a sports game: Surrey had made 92 by lunchtime.havemake18make somebody captain/leader etcJOB/WORK to give someone a new job or position in a group, organization etc: She’s now been made a full partner.bemakeHe was made mayor in 1998.bemake19make believePRETEND to pretend or imagine that something is true when it is not: I tried to make believe she was happy, but knew deep down it wasn’t true.trybeknow → make-believe20make like informalBEHAVE to behave as if something is true when it is not: He makes like he never met me before.makemeet21make as if to do something literaryPRETEND to seem as if you are going to do something but then not do it: She made as if to speak but then stopped.makestop22arrive [transitive] old-fashionedARRIVE to arrive at or get to a particular place, especially when it is difficult: I don’t think we’re going to make the town before nightfall.go23make the papers/headlines/front page etcNEWS to be interesting or important enough to be printed in a newspaper, reported on television etc: News of their divorce made the headlines.makeheadline24make or breakSUCCEED IN DOING STH to cause something or someone either to be very successful or to fail completely: Critics can make or break a young performer.critic → make-or-break25that makes two of us spokenAGREE used to say that you agree with someone or that something that is true of them is true of you too: ‘I haven’t a clue what’s going on.’ ‘That makes two of us.’gomake26make something perfect [transitive] informalPERFECT to make something complete or successful: The hat makes the outfit.make27make it with somebody old-fashioned informalSEX/HAVE SEX WITH to have sex with someone → made, → make sb’s day at day(19), → make friends at friend(3), → make good at good1(35), → make sense at sense1(5)THESAURUSmake used about things you make yourself, or things that are made in a factory: Diane makes all her own clothes.makeclothe | My camera was made in China.bemakeproduce to make something in large quantities to be sold, or to make something as the result of a natural process: The factory produces high-quality steel.produce | Japan produces some of the most advanced mobile phones.produceadvancephone | The pancreas is a gland in your body which produces hormones.beproducehormonecreate to make something new and original: Tarantino created a whole new style of films.createfilm | Many companies invest a lot of money in creating new products.companycreateproduct | Potter was famous for creating characters such as ‘Peter Rabbit’.becreatecharacter | This technique is used to create images of beautiful forests.beuseimageforestmanufacture to make machines, cars, equipment etc in factories: The company manufactures aircraft parts.manufacturepartmass-produce to make very large quantities of something in a factory: They developed a way to mass-produce the drug.developdevelop to design and make something new over a period of time: In 1962, Enders developed an effective vaccine against measles.develop | The company is developing new anti-virus software.bedevelopform to make something as the result of a natural process or chemical reaction: Hydrogen and oxygen combine to form water. | The research will help us understand how planets are formed.planetbeformgenerate to make something such as heat, electricity, or power: Wind can be used to generate electricity.usemake away with somebody/something phrasal verb1informalSTEAL to steal something and take it away with you: Thieves made away with the contents of the safe.thievemakecontent2KILL old-fashioned to kill someonemake for something phrasal verb [not in passive]1TOWARDSto go in the direction of a particular place SYN head for: I think it’s time we made for home.make2CAUSE[not in progressive] to cause a particular result or situation: Both teams are on good form, which should make for a great game.teambeshall → made for each other at made(6)make somebody/something into something phrasal verb1MAKEto change something so that it has a different form or purpose SYN convert: We can make your room into a study.2CAUSEto change someone’s character, job, position in society etc: The movie made her into a star overnight.makemake something of somebody/something phrasal verb1THINK/HAVE THE OPINION THATto have a particular opinion about or understanding of something or someone: I didn’t know what to make of her.What do you make of the idea?2USE STHto use the opportunities that you have in order to become successful: I want to make something of my life.make something of yourselfShe has the ambition and talent to make something of herself.have3make the most of something to get as much advantage as you can from a situation while you are able to: We’ve only got one day in Paris, so we’d better make the most of it.getwell4make too much of somethingIMPORTANT to treat something as if it is more important than it really is: It would be a mistake to make too much of these findings.willfinding → make much of somebody/something at much2(17)5make a day/night/evening of it informalSPEND TIME to spend a whole day, night etc doing something, because you have chosen to: We decided to take a picnic and make a day of it.decide → make a go of something at go2(3), → make the best of something at best3(9), → see what somebody is made of at made(4)make off phrasal verb LEAVE A PLACEto leave quickly, especially in order to escape: The men made off as the police arrived.manmakearrivemake off along/across/through etcThe getaway car made off towards Horrocks Avenue.makemake off with something phrasal verb [not in passive] informal STEALto steal something and take it away with you: Thieves broke into the school and made off with computer equipment worth £40,000.thievebreakmakemake out phrasal verb1see/hear make something ↔ outSEEUNDERSTAND to be just able to see or hear something: He could just make out a dark shape moving towards him.canmovemake out who/what etcI couldn’t make out what he was saying.besay2understand something make something ↔ out to understand something, especially the reason why something has happenedmake out what/how/why etcI couldn’t make out what I had done to annoy her.havedoAs far as I can make out, he has never been married.havebemarry3understand somebody make somebody ↔ out [usually in questions and negatives]UNDERSTAND to understand someone’s character and the way they behave: Stuart’s a strange guy – I can’t make him out at all.4write cheque etc make something ↔ outWRITE to write something such as a bill or cheque: She was making out a list of people to invite.bemakeThe book gives advice on making out a will.givemakemake something ↔ out toMake the cheque out to ‘Grays Ltd’.gray5say/pretend make somebody/something ↔ outPRETEND to say that something is true when it is not: The situation was never as bad as the media made out.bemediummakemake out (that)She always tried to make out that I was wrong and she was right.trybebemake somebody/something out to be somethingHe makes me out to be some sort of idiot.make6make out a case (for something)RIGHT/JUSTIFIED to find good reasons that prove something or show why you need something: We made out a case for hiring another assistant.makehire7succeed especially American EnglishSUCCEED IN DOING STH to succeed or progress in a particular way SYN get on: How did you make out this morning?do8sex informal especially American EnglishKISS to kiss and touch someone in a sexual way9make out like a bandit American English informalGET to get or win a lot of money: The lawyers made out like bandits.lawyermakebanditmake something out of somebody/something phrasal verb to change a person or thing into something else: The Olympics can make sporting heroes out of previously little-known athletes.sportheroknowathletemake something/somebody ↔ over phrasal verb1especially British EnglishGIVE to officially and legally give money or property to someone else SYN transfermake something/somebody ↔ over toHe made over the whole estate to his son.make2CHANGE/MAKE STH DIFFERENTto change someone or something so that they look different or have a different use: Redgrave has made herself over completely for her movie role.havemake → makeovermake towards something phrasal verb British English formal TOWARDSto start moving towards something: She made towards the door.makemake up phrasal verb1form/be make up something [not in progressive]CONSIST OF/BE MADE OFBE to combine together to form something SYN constitute: Women make up only a small proportion of the prison population.womanbe made up of somethingThe committee is made up of representatives from every state.bemakerepresentative2pretend something is true make something ↔ upINVENT to pretend that something is true in order to deceive someone: I think they’re making the whole thing up.make → made-up(1)3invent make something ↔ up to produce a new story, song, game etc by thinking: Nick made up a song about them.makeWhen you’re the boss you can make up your own rules.ruleI’ve given talks so many times that now I just make them up as I go along (=think of things to say as I am speaking).givetalktime4prepare make something ↔ upPREPARE to prepare something by mixing things or putting things together: I could make up a bed for you on the sofa.canCan you make up a bottle of milk for the baby?5sb’s face make somebody ↔ up to put make-up (=special coloured substances) on someone’s face in order to make them look better or different: They made him up as an old man for the last act of the play.makeOne lucky winner will have the chance to be made up and photographed.makephotograph ► Do not use the verb 'make up' when you are talking about putting make-up on your own face. Say that you put on (your) make-up. → made-up(2)6number/amount make something ↔ up especially British EnglishCOMPLETE to add to an amount in order to bring it up to the level that is needed: I saved as much as I could, and my parents made up the rest.savecanparentmakeThe company will be forced to pay $6 million to make up the difference.force7time/work make something ↔ upEQUAL to work at times when you do not usually work, because you have not done as much work as you should: I’m trying to make up the time I lost while I was sick.trylosebeIs it OK if I make the work up next week?be8friends (also make it up) informalFRIEND to become friendly with someone again after you have had an argumentmake up withHave you made up with Patty yet?makeOh come on! Why don’t you just kiss and make up?9from cloth make something ↔ up to produce something from cloth by cutting and sewing: The dress had been made up to her exact requirements.havebemakerequirementmake something ↔ up intoI plan on making that material up into a dress.make → make up your mind at mind1(3)make up for something phrasal verb1EQUALto make a bad situation better, or replace something that has been lost SYN compensate: The team will be anxious to make up for a disappointing start to the season.disappointI don’t eat breakfast but I make up for it at lunch.The good days more than make up for the bad ones.dayone2EQUALto have so much of one quality that it is not important that you do not have much of another onemake up for something in/withWhat Jay lacked in experience, he made up for in enthusiasm.lackmakeCaroline doesn’t have a natural talent for music but she makes up for it with hard work.make3to do something to show that you are sorry for doing something that upset or annoyed someone: I’m sorry I was late. To make up for it, let me treat you to a meal.be4make up for lost time a)WORK HARDto work more quickly, or at times when you do not usually work, because something has prevented you from doing the work before: We rehearsed all day Saturday, to make up for lost time.rehearselose b)ENTHUSIASTICto do a lot of something in an eager way because you have not had a chance to do it before: Palin didn’t travel much as a young man but he’s certainly made up for lost time now.makelosemake up to somebody phrasal verb1make (it) up to somebody to do something to show that you are sorry about the problems you have caused someone: I’ll make it up to you somehow.He was looking for a way to make up to her for what he had done.belookhavedo2FRIENDLY British English informal to say nice things to someone or be very friendly to them in order to get an advantage for yourself – used in order to show disapproval3be made up to captain/manager etc to be given a higher position in an organization SYN promote: He was a security guard before he was made up to reception manager.bebemake
makenounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesmakemakesmakemake2 nounWord family1TYPE[countable] the name of a particular product or of the company that makes it: What make is your car?bemake ofIt’s one of the most popular makes of satellite phone on the market.make2be on the make informal to be trying to get money or power – used in order to show disapproval: He was just a salesman on the make.beTHESAURUSa type of productbrand the name of a type of product made by a company, especially one that you use every day such as food or cleaning products: a survey to find out which brand of toothpaste people prefer | advertising for a well-known brand of cigarettesadvertiseknowcigarettemake a type of product made by a particular company – used especially about things such as machines, equipment, or cars: 'What make of car do you drive?' 'A Ford.'model one particular type or design of a vehicle, machine etc: The new models are much faster.modelbefast
adjective
Word familyDate: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: Latin singulus 1one [only before noun]ONLY only one:
A single tree gave shade from the sun.giveThey won the game by a single point.winthe highest price ever paid for a single work of arthighpaya single-sex school (=one for only boys or girls)2every single used to emphasize that you are talking about every person or thing: Don’t write down every single word I say.He works every single day.work3not a single no people or things at all: The plane was brought down safely and not a single passenger was killed.bebringbekillWe didn’t get a single reply to the advertisement.4the single biggest/greatest etc used to emphasize that you are talking about the one thing that is the biggest, greatest etc: Cigarette smoking is the single most important cause of lung cancer.smokebeTourism is the country’s single biggest earner.bebig5not married not married, or not involved in a romantic relationship with anyone: The changes in tax rates will benefit single people the most.changerateIs he single?be6single bed/room etc a bed, room etc that is meant to be used by one person only: You have to pay extra for a single room. → double1(4)7ticket British English a single ticket etc is for a trip from one place to another but not back again SYN one-way → return, round-tripTHESAURUSmarried having a husband or wife: How long have you been married?bemarry | a married couplemarrysingle not married: Chris is 45 and still single.be | single mothersmotherengaged having formally agreed to marry someone in the future: Jane and Pete have just got engaged.getengage | engaged couplesengagecouplelive together to share a home and have a sexual relationship, but not be married: More and more couples are choosing to live together rather than get married.couplebechoosemarryseparated no longer living with your husband or wife because of problems in your marriage: I think Joan and Brian are separated now.beseparatedivorced no longer married because you have legally ended your marriage: My parents got divorced when I was 10.parentgetdivorcebe | divorced mendivorcemanwidowed no longer married because your husband or wife has died: He’s a widowed father of two.widow
singlenounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1 2 3 4 5 6Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplessinglesinglessinglesingle2 noun [countable]
Word family1music a CD that has only one song on it, not a number of songs, or a song which is sold in this way → album: Have you heard their latest single?hearlate2sport a)one run2 in a game of cricket b)a hit that allows the person who is hitting the ball to reach first base in a game of baseball3tennis singles [uncountable] a game, especially in tennis, in which one person plays on their own against another person: I prefer playing singles.playsingleWho won the women’s singles?winwomansingle → doubles at double2(3)4not married singles [plural] people who are not married and are not involved in a romantic relationship with anyone: The show is especially popular among young singles.besinglea singles night at the clubsingle5ticket British English a ticket for a trip from one place to another but not back again SYN one-way ticket American English → return: A single to Oxford, please.6money American English a piece of paper money worth one dollar: Anybody have five singles?single7room a room in a hotel for just one person → double: I’m afraid we haven’t got any singles available.getsingle
singleverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplessinglesinglessingledsinglingsinglesingle3 verbVerb formsingle somebody/something ↔ out phrasal verb CHOOSEto choose one person or thing from among a group because they are better, worse, more important etc than the otherssingle somebody/something ↔ out forI don’t see why he should be singled out for special treatment.shallsinglesingle somebody/something ↔ out asOne programme was singled out as being particularly good.besinglebe
verb [transitive] (past tense and past participle meant /ment/)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: mænan Verb form1have a particular meaning [not in progressive]MEANING to have or represent a particular meaning:
What does ‘patronizing’ mean?dopatronizeThe red light means ‘Stop’.meanThe report fails to define what is meant by the term ‘key issues’.failbemeanissuemean (that)This light means you’re running low on fuel.meanrunRegisterIn written English, people often prefer to say that something indicates something is the case, rather than using mean:The light indicates that fuel supplies are low.indicatesupplybe2intend to say something [not in progressive]MEANING to intend a particular meaning when you say somethingmean (that)I meant we’d have to leave early – that’s all.meanIt’s pretty obvious what she means.mean(do) you mean spoken (=used to check you have understood what someone intended to say)Do you mean you’ve changed or Chris has changed?changehavechangedo/if you know/see what I mean? spoken (=used to check that someone understands you)I want to buy her something really special, if you know what I mean.We’re still married but living apart in the same house, if you see what I mean.marryliveOh yeah! I see what you mean (=I understand what you are trying to say).What I mean is, I don’t feel alone anymore (=used to explain more about what you have said).be‘I didn’t really like him.’ 'I know what you mean, I didn’t get on with him either (=used to say you understand and have had the same experience).‘In three hours’ time, I’ll be a free man.‘ ’How do you mean (=used to ask someone to explain what they have just said)?'hour3intend to do somethingINTEND to intend to do something or intend that someone else should do somethingmean to do somethingI’ve been meaning to ask you if you want to come for a meal next week.bemeanI didn’t mean to upset you.mean somebody/something to do somethingI didn’t mean this to happen at all.I never meant you to find out.meanmean for somebody to do something especially American English: I didn’t mean for her to get hurt.I’m sure she didn’t mean it (=she did not intend to upset or hurt someone).mean no harm/offence/disrespect (=not intend to harm, offend etc someone)I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm.He may sound a bit rude at times, but he means well (=intends to be helpful or kind, even if it does not seem like that).bitetimemeanI wasn’t criticizing you, I really meant it for the best (=wanted to be helpful, although my actions had the wrong effect).criticizemeanwell4result in something [not in progressive]RESULT to have a particular result or involve something: The merger will mean the closure of the company’s Sydney office.Don’t let him see you. It will only mean trouble.mean (that)The high cost of housing means that many young people can’t afford to buy a house.housemeanmean doing somethingMy new job will mean travelling all over the world.travelDieting also means being careful about which foods you buy.dietmeanbefood5be familiar [not in progressive] if a name, word etc means something to you, you are familiar with it or you understand it: He said his name was ‘Randall’ but it meant nothing to me (=I was not familiar with it).saybemeanDoes the name Bryce mean anything to you?doYou need to use analogies which will mean something to the reader.analogy6say something seriously [not in progressive]SERIOUS/NOT JOKING to be serious about what you are saying or writing: With children, if you say ‘no’, you have to mean it.childI meant what I said earlier.meansayearlyYou don’t really mean that, do you?7how important somebody/something is [not in progressive] used for saying how important someone or something is to youmean something to somebodyI know how much your work means to you.meanThe medal meant a lot to him.meanmean the world to somebody/mean everything to somebody (=be very important to someone)He meant the world to her.meanTime meant nothing (=it was not important) to me while I was travelling.meanbetravelOf course the relationship meant something to me.mean8show something is true/will happen [not in progressive]TRUE to be a sign that something is true or will happenmean (that)Finding a lump does not necessarily mean you have cancer.finddoClear skies mean that it will be a cold night.skyJust because he’s been in prison, it doesn’t mean that he’s violent.beSPOKEN PHRASES9what do you mean ...? a)UNDERSTANDused when you do not understand what someone is trying to say: ‘You’ll be careful won’t you?’ ‘What do you mean?’win b)SURPRISEDused when you are very surprised or annoyed by what someone has just said: What do you mean, you’ve cancelled the trip?cancelWhat do you mean by that? c)used when you are very annoyed by what someone has just done: What do you mean by calling me at this time of night?call10say which person/thingESPECIALLY used to say that a particular person or thing is the one that you are talking about, pointing to etc: ‘Hey you!’ ‘Do you mean me?’I meant the pink dress, not the red one.mean11I mean a)EXPLAINused when explaining or giving an example of something, or when pausing to think about what you are going to say next: You’re more of an expert than me. I mean, you’ve got all that experience.getIt’s just not right. I mean, it’s unfair isn’t it? b)CORRECTused to quickly correct something you have just said: She plays the violin, I mean the viola, really well.play12UNDERSTANDsee what I mean? used when something that happens proves what you said before: See what I mean? Every time she calls me up she wants me to do something for her.callwant13that’s what I meanMEANING used when someone is saying the same thing that you were trying to say earlier: ‘We might not have enough money.’ ‘That’s what I mean, so we’d better find out the price first.’well14I mean to sayEXPLAIN used when adding a reason or explanation for something you have just said, especially something you feel strongly about: Of course she wants to see the children, I mean to say, it’s only natural isn’t it?wantchild15mean businessDETERMINED to be determined to do something: This decision shows the public that we mean business.show16be meant to do something a)SHOULD/OUGHT TOif you are meant to do something, you should do it, especially because someone has told you to or because you are responsible for it: Come on, Ellen, you’re meant to be helping me.meanhelpI thought the police were meant to protect people.thinkbemean b)PURPOSEto be intended to do something: The diagram is meant to show the different stages of the process.bemeanstage17be meant to be good/excellent/bad etc used to say that you have heard or read that something is good, bad etc: The play is meant to be really good.bemean18be meant for somebody/somethingINTEND to be intended for a particular person or purpose: a book meant for childrenmeanchild19be meant for somebodySUITABLE if two people are meant for each other, they are very suitable as partners for each other: They were meant for each other.bemeanShe’s meant for him.mean20somebody was never meant for something/to be somethingSUITABLE used to say that someone is not at all suitable for a particular job or activity: I was never meant for the army.bemean21something was meant to be/happenCERTAINLY/DEFINITELY used to say that you think a situation was certain to happen and that no one could have prevented it: Dan left me after a month so I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.leavemean22know/understand what it means to be somethingUNDERSTAND to have experienced a particular situation, so that you know what it is like: I know what it means to be alone in a foreign country.mean
meanadjectiveCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesmeanmeanermeanestmeanmean2 adjective (comparative meaner, superlative meanest)
Sense 1-5, 7:Language: Old English
Origin: gemæneSense 6:
Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: meien, from Latin medianus; → MEDIAN2 1UNKINDcruel cruel or not kind:
That was a mean thing to do.beI felt a bit mean asking him to help.feelbiteaskIt’s a mean trick to play on someone.It was mean of him not to invite her.bemean toDon’t be so mean to her!2not generous British EnglishGENEROUS not wanting to spend money, or not wanting to use much of something SYN stingy, cheap American English: He’s too mean to buy a present for his wife.mean withHe’s always been mean with his money.beIt was supposed to be garlic bread, but they’d been a bit mean with the garlic.besupposebebite3no mean feat/achievement/task etcDIFFICULT something that is very difficult to do, so that someone who does it deserves to be admired: They sold 1 million cards in the first year of business – no mean feat, given the problems many businesses are facing.sellcardgiveproblembusinessbeface4be no mean performer/player etcGOOD/EXCELLENT to be very good at doing something: Kinnock is no mean performer on the rugby field.be5a mean something informalGOOD AT used to say that something is very good or that someone is very good at doing something: He plays a mean game of poker.playThey serve a mean Sunday brunch at the restaurant on Fourth Street.6average [only before noun] technical average: The study involved 60 patients with a mean age of 58.2 years.involvepatientyearThe mean annual rainfall was 852 mm.be7poor [only before noun] literaryPOOR poor or looking poor: She walked briskly through the mean and dirty streets.walkstreet—meanlymeanly adverb—meannessmeannessesmeanness noun [uncountable]THESAURUSunkind treating people in a way that makes them unhappy or upset. Unkind sounds rather formal. In everyday English, people usually say mean or nasty: Children can be very unkind to each other.child | a rather unkind remarkmean especially spoken unkind: Don’t be mean to your sister! | It was a mean thing to do.benasty deliberately unkind, and seeming to enjoy making people unhappy: He said some really nasty things before he left.saythingleave | a nasty manhurtful unkind – used about remarks and actions: Joe couldn’t forget the hurtful things she had said.thinghavesay | Couples sometimes do hurtful things to each other.couplethingspiteful deliberately unkind to someone because you are jealous of them or angry with them: The other women were spiteful to her, and gave her the hardest work to do.womanbegivehard | She watched them with spiteful glee (=pleasure).watchmalicious deliberately behaving in a way that is likely to upset, hurt, or cause problems for someone: Someone had been spreading malicious rumours about him.havebespreadrumour | There was a malicious smile on her face.be | an act of malicious vandalism | The accusations are malicious.accusationbeunsympathetic not seeming to care about someone’s problems, and not trying to help them or make them feel better: Her parents were very unsympathetic, and told her that she deserved to fail her exam.parentbetelldeserve | an unsympathetic bosshard-hearted very unsympathetic and not caring at all about other people’s feelings: Was he hard-hearted enough to leave his son in jail overnight?be | a hard-hearted businessman
meannounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplesmeanmeansmeanmean3 nounDate: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: meien, from meien ‘in the middle’; → MEAN2 1the mean technical the average amount, figure, or value:
The mean of 7, 9 and 14 is 10.be2the/a mean between something and somethingMIDDLE a method of doing something which is between two very different methods, and better than either of them: It’s a case of finding the mean between firmness and compassion.find → means
British English, programprogramsprogram American English /ˈprəʊɡræm $ ˈproʊ-/ noun [countable]
1planPLAN a series of actions which are designed to achieve something important: the US space programprogramme to do somethinga United Nations programme to control the spread of AIDSunitenationaidprogramme ofa programme of economic reformsreform2television/radio something that you watch on television or listen to on the radio: What’s your favourite television programme?news and current affairs programmesaffairprogrammeprogramme about/onThere’s a programme about killer whales next.whalesee/watch a programme3education American English a course of study: Stanford University’s MBA programa research program4improvements actions that have been planned to keep something in good condition or improve something: a new fitness programme5play/concert a small book or piece of paper that gives information about a play, concert etc and who the performers are: a theatre programme6list of eventsORDER/SEQUENCE a series of planned activities or events, or a list showing what order they will come inprogramme forWhat’s the programme for tomorrow?programme ofa programme of exhibitions throughout the yearexhibition7machineMACHINEORDER/SEQUENCE a series of actions done in a particular order by a machine such as a washing machine: The light goes off when it finishes the programme.gofinish8get with the program spoken informal especially American English used to tell someone to pay attention to what needs to be done, and to do it → program1COLLOCATIONSMeaning 1ADJECTIVES/NOUN + programmean economic programme The party did not have a clear economic programme.doa development programme This project is a central part of the development programme for the area.bea reform programme After the elections, they embarked on an ambitious reform programme.electionembarkan expansion programme The company’s aggressive expansion program will double the size of the chain in the next four years.yeara building programme We will continue with our hospital building programme.builda spending programme The government’s spending programme is the subject of vigorous debate.spendbethe space programme (=for sending vehicles into space) He was involved in the Soviet space programme.beinvolvea major/massive programme A major programme of modernisation is transforming public transport in London.betransforman ambitious programme The European Community embarked on an ambitious programme of research.embarkverbsembark on/launch a programme (=start it) The company has embarked on an expansion programme.haveembarkcarry out a programme (also implement a programme formal) They attempted to implement a programme of reform.attemptCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2NOUN + programmea television programme (also a TV programme informal) There aren't many good TV programmes on an the moment.programmea radio programme I was once interviewed for a radio programme.beinterviewa cookery/wildlife/news etc programme More and more people are watching cookery programmes on TV.bewatchprogrammeverbswatch a programme She was watching a wildlife programme.bewatchsee a programme Did you see that programme last night about crocodiles?docrocodilelisten to a programme A lot of people listen to that programme on the way to work.hear a programme I heard an interesting programme on the radio yesterday.hearinterestpresent a programme British English, host a program American English (=introduce its different parts) At the time she was also presenting several television programmes.bepresentprogrammeappear on a programme I was invited to appear on a TV programme.beinviteTHESAURUSprogramme British English, program American English /ˈprəʊɡræm/ something that you watch on television, or listen to on the radio: What’s your favourite television programme? | I watched an interesting programme about Egypt last night.watchinterestshow /ʃəʊ/ a programme on television or the radio, especially an informal one in which people talk together, take part in a game etc: a late-night talk show | game showsshow | She hosts a weekly call-in radio show called ‘Got a question?’hostcallgetdocumentary /ˌdɒkjɑˈmentəri◂ $ ˌdɑːk-/ a programme that gives you facts and information about a serious subject, such as history, science, or social problems: a documentary about homeless people | a 50-minute television documentarysoap opera/soap /ˈsəʊp ˌɒpərə $ -ˌɑː-, səʊp/ a television or radio programme that tells an imaginary story about a group of people and their lives, and is often broadcast regularly for many years: the Australian soap opera ‘Neighbours’opusneighbour | the huge success of television soapssoapsitcom /ˈsɪtkɒm $ -kɑːm/ an amusing programme in which there is a different story each week about the same group of people: the American sitcom ‘Friends’friendreality TV television programmes that show real people in funny situations or situations in which they must compete with each other. Often the people are filmed continuously for weeks or months: the reality TV show ‘Big Brother’ | The trouble with reality TV is that a lot of the time it’s really boring.beborewebcast a programme, event etc that is broadcast on the Internet: Universities may record and broadcast some lectures as webcasts.universitylecturewebcastpodcast a file of recorded sound and sometimes pictures that you can download from the Internet: The interview is available as a podcast.be
programmeverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplesprogrammeprogrammesprogrammedprogrammingprogrammeprogramme2 British English, programprogramsprogrammedprogrammingprogram American English verb [transitive]Verb form1to set a machine to operate in a particular wayprogramme something to do somethingI’ve programmed the video to come on at ten.program → program22EFFECT/INFLUENCEbe programmed if a person or an animal is programmed socially or biologically to do something, they do it without thinkingbe programmed to do somethingAll birds of this species are programmed to build their nests in the same way.birdbeprogramnest3PLANto arrange for something to happen as part of a series of planned events or activities: What’s programmed for this afternoon?program
verb
Word familyDate: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: passer, from Vulgar Latin passare, from Latin passus ‘step’ Verb form1go past [intransitive and transitive]PASS/GO PAST to come up to a particular place, person, or object and go past them:
The crowd parted to let the truck pass.partHe gave me a smile as he passed.givepassWe passed a group of students outside the theatre.passstudentI pass the sports centre on the way to work.sport2move/go [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]GO to go or travel along or through a place: He passed along the corridor to a small room at the back of the building.passbuildWe passed through the gates into a courtyard behind.passgateWe were just passing through (=travelling through a place) and thought we’d drop in to see you.bepassthink3put [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to put something around, through, or across something else: He passed the rope carefully around the post.pass4road/river etc [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive]GO a road, river, or railway line that passes a place goes through or near the place: The road passes right through the town centre.passThe main railway line passes just north of Manchester.pass5give [transitive]GIVE to hold something in your hand and give it to someone else: Pass the salt, please.pass somebody somethingCan you pass me that bag by your feet?footpass something to somebodyShe passed a cup of tea to the headmaster.passI passed the note back to her.pass → pass around6give information [transitive always + adverb/preposition]SEND to give information or a job to another person so that they can deal with itpass something (on/over/back) to somebodyI’ll pass the information on to our sales department.saleThey’ve passed the enquiry over to the police.pass7time a)[intransitive]PASS/TIME PASSING if time passes, it goes by: The days passed slowly.daypassShe became more ambitious as the years passed.becomeyearpassThey sat in silence while the minutes passed.sitminutepassHardly a day passes without more bad news about the economy (=there is bad news almost every day).pass b)[transitive]SPEND TIME if you pass time or pass your life in a particular way, you spend it in that way: We passed the winter pleasantly enough.passWe played cards to pass the time (=to help us stop feeling bored).playcardRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say that they spend time doing something rather than pass time:I spent the whole day watching TV.spendwatch8exam/test a)PASS A TEST[intransitive and transitive] to succeed in an examination or test OPP fail: Did you pass all your exams?doexamHe hasn’t passed his driving test yet.passdriveShe passed with flying colours (=got very high marks).passflycolour b)[transitive]PASS A TEST to officially decide that someone has succeeded in an examination or test OPP fail: The examiners will only pass you if they feel that you have done the work properly.examinerdo9law/proposal a)[transitive] to officially accept a law or proposal, especially by voting: Plans to extend the hotel have now been passed.planbepassThe motion was passed by 16 votes to 11.bepassvotepass a law/bill/actThe first Transport Act was passed in 1907.bepassThe government has passed new legislation to protect consumers.havepassconsumerThe United Nations Security Council has passed a resolution asking the two countries to resume peace negotiations.unitenationhavepassaskcountrynegotiation b)[intransitive and transitive] especially American English if a law or proposal passes an official group, it is officially accepted by that group: The bill failed to pass the House of Representatives.failrepresentative10happen [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] writtenSPREAD if something passes between people, they speak to each other or do something togetherpass betweenA glance of recognition passed between them.passPlease say nothing of what has passed here today.havepass11say pass a remark/comment to say something that gives your opinion: I’m afraid I can’t pass any comment on this matter.He passed some remark about doctors being paid too much.passdoctorbepay12let something passIGNORE to deliberately not say anything when someone says or does something that you do not like: Carla made some comment about my work but I decided to let it pass.makedecide13end [intransitive]FINISH/COME TO AN END to end or stop: After a couple of hours the storm passed.hourpassThe feeling of sickness soon passed.feelpass14sport [intransitive and transitive] to kick, throw, or hit a ball to a member of your own team during a gamepass toHe passed to Beckham on the edge of the penalty area.passpass something to somebodyAre you allowed to pass the ball back to the goalkeeper?beallow15more than [transitive]MORE THAN A NUMBER OR AMOUNT to become more than a particular number or amount: The number of unemployed has passed the two million mark for the first time.numbhavepass16pass unnoticedNOT KNOW to happen without anyone noticing or saying anything: His resignation passed largely unnoticed.pass17pass the time of day (with somebody)TALK TO SB to talk to someone for a short time in order to be friendly18change control [intransitive always + preposition] formal to change from being controlled or owned by one person to being controlled or owned by someone elsepass toThe land will pass to my son when I die.Control of these services has now passed into the hands of the local authorities.servicehavepasshandauthority19change [intransitive always + preposition] formalCONDITION/STATE OF STH to change from one state or condition into anotherpass from/toThe chemical passes from a liquid to a solid state during the cooling process.passcool20pass (a) sentence (on somebody) to officially decide how a criminal will be punished, and to announce what the punishment will be: Judges no longer have the power to pass the death sentence.judgelong21pass judgment (on somebody)OPINION to give your opinion about someone’s behaviour: I don’t want to pass judgment on my colleagues.colleague22give no answer [intransitive]NOT KNOW to give no answer to a question because you do not know the answer: ‘Who won the World Cup in 1998?’ ‘Pass.’win23not accept [intransitive] to not accept an invitation or offerpass onI’m afraid I’ll have to pass on that offer of coffee.24not pass sb’s lips humorous a)used to say that someone does not talk about something that is secret: Don’t worry. Not a word of this will pass my lips.lip b)used to say that someone does not eat or drink a particular thing: Not a drop of liquor has passed my lips.havepasslip25waste matter [transitive] medical to let out a waste substance from your bladder or bowels: See your doctor immediately if you pass any blood.He was having difficulty passing water (=letting out urine).behavepass26come to pass literary biblicalHAPPEN to happen → pass muster at muster2(1), → pass the buck at buck1(3)pass something ↔ around (also pass something ↔ roundpass something ↔ round British English) phrasal verb OFFERto offer or show something to each person in a group: Pass the cookies around, would you?cookiewill → pass the hat round/around at hat(6)pass as somebody/something phrasal verb if someone or something can pass as someone or something, they are similar enough to be accepted as that type of person or thing: His French is so good that he can pass as a Frenchman.bepass away phrasal verb DIEto die – use this when you want to avoid saying the word ‘die’pass by phrasal verb1pass by (somebody/something)GO to go past a person, place, vehicle etc: They all waved as they passed by.wavepassWill you be passing by the supermarket on your way home?pass → passerby2pass somebody bySATISFIED if something passes you by, it happens but you are not involved in it: She felt that life was passing her by.feelbepasspass something ↔ down phrasal verb [usually passive] GIVEto give or teach something to people who are younger than you or live after youpass something down (from somebody) to somebodyThe tradition has been passed down from father to son for generations.havebepassgenerationpass for somebody/something phrasal verb SAMEif something passes for another thing, it is so similar to that thing that people think that is what it is: With my hair cut short, I could have passed for a boy.canpasspass off phrasal verb1pass off well/badly etcWAY/MANNER if an event passes off well, badly etc, it happens in that way: The visit passed off without any serious incidents.passincident2pass somebody/something off as something to make people think that someone or something is another thing: They bought up pieces of old furniture and passed them off as valuable antiques.buypiecepassantiqueHe passed himself off as a doctor.passpass on phrasal verb1TELLpass something ↔ on to give someone a piece of information that someone else has given to youpass something ↔ on toShe said she’d pass the message on to the other students.saystudent2pass something ↔ on a)GIVEto give something, especially a disease, to your children through your genes b)GIVEto give a slight illness to someone elsepass something ↔ on toOne catches the virus and they pass it on to the rest.catch3pass something ↔ onCOST to make someone else pay the cost of somethingpass something ↔ on toAny increase in our costs will have to be passed on to the consumer.costpass4to die – use this when you want to avoid saying the word ‘die’pass out phrasal verb1UNCONSCIOUSto become unconscious: I nearly passed out when I saw all the blood.passsee2especially British English to finish a course of study at a military school or police college3pass something ↔ out to give something, such as books or papers, to everyone in a group SYN hand out, distributepass over phrasal verb1pass somebody ↔ over [usually in passive] if you pass someone over for a job, you choose someone else who is younger or lower in the organization than them: This is the second time I’ve been passed over for promotion (=someone else has been given a higher job instead of me).bebepass2pass over somethingIGNORE if you pass over a remark or subject, you do not spend any time discussing it: I want to pass over this quite quickly.I think we’d better pass over that last remark.wellpass something ↔ up phrasal verb NOT DO STHto not make use of a chance to do somethingpass up a chance/opportunity/offerI don’t think you should pass up the opportunity to go to university.shall
passnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2Word sets 1 2 3Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplespasspassespasspass2 S2 W3 noun [countable]
Word familySense 1-4, 6-8:Date: 1400-1500
Origin: → PASS1Sense 5:
Date: 1200-1300
Language: Old French
Origin: pas, from Latin passus; → PASS1 1documentLET/ALLOW an official piece of paper which shows that you are allowed to enter a building or travel on something without paying:
The guard checked our passes.checkpassThey issued us with free passes to the theatre.issuepassYou can buy a cheap one-day bus pass.2exam/test a successful result in an examination OPP fail: You will need at least three passes to get onto the course.littlepasspass inDid you get a pass in English?doThe pass mark (=the mark you need to be successful) is 55%.be3sport when you kick, throw, or hit a ball to another member of your team during a game: That was a brilliant pass by Holden.be4make a pass at somebody informalSEXY to try to kiss or touch another person with the intention of starting a sexual relationship with them5road/pathWAY/ROUTE a high road or path that goes between mountains to the other side: a narrow, winding mountain passwind6stagePART one part of a process that involves dealing with the whole of a group or thing several times: On the first pass we eliminated all the candidates who didn’t have the right experience.eliminatecandidate7aircraft a movement in which an aircraft flies once over a place which it is attacking8come to a pretty/sorry pass old-fashioned informalUNPLEASANT if things have come to a pretty or sorry pass, a situation has become very bad
verb (past tense rose /rəʊz $ roʊz/, past participle risen /ˈrɪzən/) [intransitive]
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: risan Verb form1increaseINCREASE IN NUMBER OR AMOUNT to increase in number, amount, or value SYN go up OPP fallrise by
Sales rose by 20% over the Christmas period.saleriserise from/toThe research budget rose from £175,000 in 1999 to £22.5 million in 2001.riserise aboveTemperatures rarely rise above freezing.temperaturefreezerise dramatically/sharply/rapidly/steeply etcThe number of people seeking asylum in Britain has risen sharply.numbseekhaveriseThe divorce rate has risen steadily since the 1950s.haveriserising crime/unemployment/inflation etcThe country faces economic recession and rising unemployment.faceriseThe police seem unable to cope with the rising tide of (=large increase in) car crime.riseRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say an amount or level goes up rather than rises: Prices have gone up a lot.pricego2go upwardsUP to go upwards OPP fall: The floodwaters began to rise again.floodwaterbeginShe watched the bubbles rise to the surface.watchbubblethe problems caused by climate change and rising sea levelsproblemcauseriselevelrise fromSmoke rose from the chimney.riseThe road rises steeply from the village.riseThe waves rose and fell.waverisefall3stand formalSTAND to stand up: Then she picked up her bag and rose to leave.pickriserise from the table/your chair etcThe chairman rose from his chair and came forward to greet her.risecomeHe put down his glass and rose to his feet.risefoot4become successfulFAMOUS to become important, powerful, successful, or rich OPP fallrise toHe rose to the rank of major.riserise to prominence/fame/powerHe had swiftly risen to prominence during the 1950s.haveriseMussolini rose to power in Italy in 1922.risepeople who rise to the top in their chosen professionschooseprofessionrise to do somethingHe rose to become chairman of the company.riseShe had joined the company as a secretary and risen through the ranks (=made progress from a low position to a high position) to become a senior sales director.havejoinriseranksale5be tallHIGH (also rise up) to be very tallrise aboveThe cliffs rose above them.cliffriserise fromhuge rocks rising from the searockriseThe bridge rose majestically into the air.rise6voice/sound a)HEARto be loud enough to be heardrise fromThe sound of traffic rose from the street below.riserise aboveHer voice rose above the shouts of the children.riseshoutchild b)INCREASE IN ACTIVITY, FEELINGS ETCto become louder or higher: His voice rose in frustration.rise7sun/moon/starAPPEAR to appear in the sky OPP set: The sun rises in the east.rise8emotionINCREASE IN ACTIVITY, FEELINGS ETC if a feeling or emotion rises, you feel it more and more strongly: She could sense her temper rising again.canriseThere was an atmosphere of rising excitement in the school.beriseThe doctor sounded optimistic and John’s hopes rose.soundhoperise9rise to the occasion/challengeDEAL WITH to deal successfully with a difficult situation or problem, especially by working harder or performing better than usual: a young athlete who can certainly rise to the occasionThe team rose to the challenge.rise10against a government/army (also rise up)REBELLION/REVOLUTION if a large group of people rise, they try to defeat the government, army etc that is controlling them: They rose up and overthrew the government.riseoverthrowrise againstThe prisoners rose against the guards and escaped.prisonerriseguardescaperise in revolt/rebellionThey rose in rebellion against the king.rise11bread/cakes etc if bread, cakes etc rise, they become bigger because there is air inside them12bed literaryWAKE UP/GET UP to get out of bed in the morning13alive again to come alive after having died → resurrectionrise from the dead/graveOn the third day Jesus rose from the dead.rise14court/parliamentMEET if a court or parliament rises, that particular meeting is formally finished15wind formal if the wind rises, it becomes stronger: The wind had risen again and it was starting to rain.haverisebestart16river literary if a river rises somewhere, it begins there: The Rhine rises in Switzerland.rise17rise and shine spokenWAKE UP/GET UP used humorously to tell someone to wake up and get out of bedCOLLOCATIONSadverbssharply/steeply (=a lot in a short time) The value of the painting has risen sharply in recent years.painthaveriseyeardramatically (=a lot and very suddenly) Unemployment rose dramatically.riserapidly/quickly/fast House prices rose rapidly last year.pricerisesignificantly (=in a way that shows something important) Male cancer rates rose significantly during the period 1969–78.raterisesubstantially (=a lot) University fees have risen substantially.feerisesteadily My salary had risen steadily each year.haveriseslightly The water temperature had risen slightly.haveriserise above something phrasal verb IGNOREif someone rises above a bad situation or bad influences, they do not let these things affect them because they are mentally strong or have strong moral principles: You expect a certain amount of criticism, but you have to rise above it.I try to rise above such prejudices.prejudicerise to something phrasal verb if you rise to a remark, you reply to it rather than ignoring it, especially because it has made you angry: You shouldn’t rise to his comments.commentHe refused to rise to the bait (=react in the way someone wanted him to).refuse
risenounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesriserisesriserise2 S3 W2 noun
1increase [countable]INCREASE IN NUMBER OR AMOUNT an increase in number, amount, or value SYN increase OPP fallrise inWe are expecting a rise in interest rates.beexpectratean alarming rise in unemploymentalarmrise ofProfits went up to £24 million, a rise of 16%.profitgo2wages [countable] British English an increase in wages SYN raise American English: He’s been promised a rise next year.bepromiseThe railworkers were offered a 3% pay rise.beoffer3success/power [singular]SUCCESSFUL the achievement of importance, success or power OPP fallrise ofthe rise of fascismthe rise of Napoleonrise toThatcher’s rise to power in the late 70sThe band’s sudden rise to fame took everyone by surprise.takehis swift rise to prominencethe rise and fall of the Roman Empire4give rise to something formalCAUSE to be the reason why something happens, especially something bad or unpleasant → provoke: His speech gave rise to a bitter argument.giveThe President’s absence has given rise to speculation about his health.havegive5movement up [singular] a movement upwards OPP fallrise ina sudden rise in sea levelslevelShe watched the steady rise and fall of his chest.watch6slope [countable] an upward slope or a hill: There’s a slight rise in the road.They topped the rise (=reached the top of the hill) and began a slow descent towards the town.topbegin7get a rise out of somebody informalJOKE to make someone become annoyed or embarrassed by making a joke about them → make fun of somebody: She enjoys getting a rise out of you.enjoygetCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1ADJECTIVES/NOUN + rise sharp/steep (=great and sudden) There’s been a sharp rise in house prices.bepricedramatic (=great and sudden) The meter showed a dramatic rise in the level of radioactivity.showbig/large There has been a big rise in violent crime.havebehuge/massive The result was a huge rise in unemployment.besubstantial/significant Manufacturers claimed the increase would mean a substantial rise in costs.manufacturerclaimwillcost | Wealthy Americans face a significant rise in their income tax rate.rapid The post-war years saw a rapid rise in prosperity.yearseesteady Japanese banks have been hit hard by the rise in interest rates.bankberatea 10%/40% etc rise The company reported an 81% rise in profits.reportprofita price rise The tax would result in a price rise of 6 percent for petrol.willa rent rise British English Tenants face huge rent rises.tenantrendrisea temperature rise They predicted a global temperature rise of 2.5 degrees by the end of the century.predictdegreephrasesa rise in the number of something There has been a rise in the number of arrests for drug offences.havebenumbarrestoffenceCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 3phrasessb’s rise to power They were alarmed by Hitler’s rise to power.bealarmsb’s rise to prominence His rise to prominence would not have been possible without the war.willbesb’s rise to fame Her success in the film ensured a rapid rise to fame.ensuresb’s rise to stardom In this book, he explores the actor’s rise to stardom.exploresb’s rise to the top His rise to the top of the Labour Party was effortless.bethe rise and fall of somebody/something The exhibition tells the story of the rise and fall of the Etruscan civilisation.telladjectivesmeteoric (=very great and quick) What can explain their meteoric rise in popularity?rapid/swift Her rapid rise to the top is well deserved.bedeserveTHESAURUSincrease noun [uncountable and countable] an occasion when the amount or number of something becomes bigger: There has been a significant increase in violent crime over the past year.havebe | price increasesincreasegrowth noun [singular, uncountable] an increase in the number, size, or importance of something. Growth is also used when saying that a company or a country’s economy becomes more successful: The astonishing growth of the Internet has had a dramatic effect on people’s lives.astonishhavehavelive | Japan experienced a period of rapid economic growth.experience | Many people are concerned about the enormous growth in the world’s population.beconcernrise noun [countable] an increase in the amount of something, or in the standard or level of something: The latest figures show a sharp rise (=a sudden big rise) in unemployment in the region.latefigure | There was a 34 percent rise in the number of armed robberies.benumbarmrobbery | The majority of families experienced a rise in living standards.familyexperiencelivestandardsurge noun [countable usually singular] a sudden increase in something such as profits, demand, or interest: There has been a big surge in demand for organically grown food.havebegrow | We have seen a tremendous surge of interest in Chinese medicine.seegain noun [uncountable and countable] an increase in the amount or level of something - used especially in business or political contexts, or when talking about an increase in someone’s weight: sales gainssalegain | The December job figures show a net gain of 81,000 jobs.figurejob | The party has experienced a gain in popularity.haveexperience | The amount of weight gain during pregnancy varies.varyhike noun [countable] informal especially American English a large or sudden increase in prices or taxes - often used in newspaper reports: Despite a 25% hike in fuel costs, the airline made a profit last year.costmake | tax hikeshike | wage hikeshike
adverb
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: ut 1from insideIN/INSIDE from inside an object, container, building, or place OPP in:
She opened her suitcase and took out a pair of shoes.opentakeshoeLock the door on your way out.Charlotte went to the window and looked out.golookOut you go (=used to order someone to leave a room)!out ofThe keys must have fallen out of my pocket.keyfallGet out of here!Someone had torn several pages out of her diary.havetearpageI don’t think I’d have the courage to jump out of a plane.All the roads out of the city were snowbound.roadbeout came/jumped etcThe egg cracked open and out came a baby chick.crackcome2outsideOUT/OUTSIDE not inside a building SYN outside: Many of the homeless have been sleeping out for years.besleepyearChildren were out playing in the snow.childbeplayBrrr, it’s cold out there.3not at homeHERE a)away from your home, office etc, especially for a short time OPP in: Did anyone call while I was out?dobeMy parents are both out at the moment.parentbeHe went out at 11 o'clock.go b)HOMEto or in a place that is not your home, in order to enjoy yourself: You should get out and meet people.shallLet’s eat out tonight (=eat in a restaurant).At first he was too shy to ask her out.bebe/get out and about (=go to places where you can meet people)Most teenagers would rather be out and about with their friends.teenagerwillfriend4FARdistant place a)in or to a place that is far away or difficult to get to: He went out to New Zealand.goThey’ve rented a farmhouse right out in the country.rent b)used to say how far away something is: The Astra Satellite is travelling some 23,000 miles out in space.betravelmilout ofa little village about five miles out of Birminghammil5given to many people used to say that something is given to many people: The examination will start when all the question papers have been handed out.paperbehandHave you sent out the invitations yet?sendinvitation6get rid of somethingGET RID OF used to say that someone gets rid of something or makes it disappear: Have you thrown out yesterday’s paper?throwMother used washing soda to get the stains out.usewashstain7STOP STH THAT IS HAPPENINGnot burning/shining a fire or light that is out is no longer burning or shining: Turn the lights out when you go to bed.lightThe firefighters arrived, and within minutes the fire was out.firefighterarriveminutebe8sun/moon etc if the sun, moon, or stars are out, they have appeared in the sky: When the sun came out, a rainbow formed in the sky.comeform9flowers if the flowers on a plant are out, they have opened: It’s still February and already the primroses are out.primrosebe10COMPLETELYcompletely/carefully used to say that something is done carefully or completely: I spent all morning cleaning out the kitchen cupboards.spendcleancupboardIn the summer months the soil dries out quickly.monthdry11INCLUDEnot included not included in a team, group, competition etc: The Welsh team was surprisingly knocked out in the semi finals.beknockfinalout ofDaniels will be out of the team until he recovers from his injury.recover12COME FROM/ORIGINATEcome from something used to say where something comes from or is taken fromout ofA lot of good music came out of the hippy culture in the 1960s.comeThe money is automatically taken out of your bank account every month.betake13STICK OUTaway from the edge of something away from the main part or edge of something: I swam out into the middle of the lake.swimA long peninsula juts out into the sea.jutout ofShe stuck her head out of the window to see what was happening.stickbehappen14not working especially American EnglishBROKEN if a machine, piece of equipment etc is out, it is not working: I don’t believe it – the elevator’s out again! → be out of order at order1(8)15productAVAILABLE used to say that a product is available to be bought: Is the new Harry Potter book out yet?beSony have brought out a new portable music system.bring16not in a situation no longer in a particular state or situationout ofShe’s not completely cured, but at least she’s out of danger.curelittleThis whole situation is getting out of control.begetHow long have you been out of work now?beKaren waved until the car was out of sight (=too far away to be seen).wavebe17FREE/NOT IN PRISONhaving left an institution a)having left the institution where you wereout ofa kid just out of collegeHis wife isn’t out of hospital yet. b)no longer in prison: Once he was out, he returned to a life of crime.bereturn18not fashionableFASHIONABLE no longer fashionable OPP in: You can’t wear that – maxi skirts have been out for years.skirtbeyear19not secretSECRET no longer a secret: Her secret was out.beThe word’s out that Mel Gibson is in town.beEventually the truth came out.come20read/shout etc something out (loud)SAY to say something in a voice that is loud enough for others to hear: Someone called out my name.callWe all listened as he read the statement out loud.listen21unconsciousUNCONSCIOUS not conscious: She fainted – she was out for about ten minutes.faintbeminuteHow hard did you hit him? He’s out cold.do22NOT HAVEnone left used to say that there is none of something left because you have used it all, sold it all etc: The album was sold out within minutes.besellminuteout ofWe’re out of milk.They’ve run out of ideas.idea23before the day/year etc is outFINISH/COME TO AN END before the day, year etc has ended: Don’t cry, I’ll be back before the week’s out.24not correctWRONG/INCORRECT if a measurement, result etc is out, it is wrong because the numbers have not been calculated correctly: He was out in his calculations, so there was a lot of carpet left over.becalculationbeleaveThe bill was out by over £10.beTheir forecast was way out.be → not far off/out/wrong at far1(2)25be out for something/be out to do something informalINTEND to have a particular intention: Andrew’s just out for a good time.I was convinced he was out to cheat me.beconvincebe26not in power used to say that someone, especially a political party, no longer has power or authority OPP in: It’s time we voted the Republicans out.voterepublicanout ofThe party has been out of office for a long time.havebe27on strike British English used to say that someone has stopped working as a way of protesting about something: The railway workers have come out in sympathy with the miners.workerminer28homosexualHOMOSEXUAL if a homosexual is out, they have told people that they are homosexual29IMPOSSIBLEnot possible spoken if a particular suggestion or activity is out, it is not possible: We don’t have enough money to rent a car, so that’s out.rend30sea when the tide is out, the sea by the shore is at its lowest level OPP in: You can walk across the sands when the tide is out.sandbe31sport a)a player or team that is out in a game such as cricket or baseball is no longer allowed to bat: Sussex were all out for 365.be b)a ball that is out in a game such as tennis or basketball is not in the area of play OPP in32out with it!SAY spoken used to tell someone to say something which they have been unwilling to say or have difficulty saying: OK, out with it! What really happened?happen33BECAUSEreason because of a particular feeling that you haveout ofThey obeyed him out of fear rather than respect.obeyJust out of curiosity, why did you take that job?do34CONSIST OF/BE MADE OFmade of something used to say what substance or materials a particular thing is made ofout ofa tombstone carved out of black marblecarvetoy boats made out of old tin cansboatmakecan35how many of a group used to say how common something is, or how large a part of a group you are talking aboutnine out of ten/three out of four etcNine out of ten students pass the test first time.studentApparently they’ve lost three games out of seven already.losegame36out of it informal a)DIFFERENTslightly unhappy because you feel different from the rest of a group of people and cannot share their fun, conversation etc: I felt a bit out of it because I was the only one who couldn’t speak French.feelbitebe b)DRUNKunable to think clearly because you are tired or drunk, or have taken drugs: You were really out of it last night. What were you drinking?bebedrink37out there a)in a place that could be anywhere except here: My real father is out there and one day I plan to find him.be b)where someone or something can be noticed by many people: Jerry Lewis is out there all the time raising money for disabled kids.beraisedisablekid c)informal an idea, work of art etc that is out there is so unusual that it might seem silly or extreme: He’s brilliant, but some of his ideas are really out there.ideabe38out front especially American English a)in front of something, especially a building, where everyone can see you: There’s a blue car out front. b)taking a leading position: As a civil rights leader, he was always out front.rightbe c)informal very honest and direct: Molly is very out front in talking about her mistakes.betalkmistake → out of your mind at mind1(24), → out of the blue at blue2(4), → out of luck at luck1(10), → out of this world at world1(15), → be out of the question at question1(9), → out front at front1(8), → out back at back2(2), → out of sorts at sort1(10)THESAURUSoutside not inside a building, but usually close to it: Whey don’t you go outside and play? | He was standing outside, smoking a cigarette.bestandsmokeout outside – used mainly before the following prepositions or adverbs: We slept out under the stars.sleepstar | Don’t stand out in the rain – come inside. | I can hear somebody out there.outdoors/out of doors away from buildings and in the open air – used especially when talking about pleasant or healthy things you do outside: In the summer, we like to eat outdoors. | Kids should spend as much time out of doors as possible.kidshalldoorin the open air outside where the air is fresh: It’s good to exercise in the open air. | Leave the wood to dry slowly in the open air.al fresco outside – used when talking about eating outside: We prefer to dine al fresco.
outprepositionCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesoutoutout2 S1 W1 preposition especially American English informal from the inside to the outside of something – many teachers of British English consider it incorrect to use ‘out’ as a preposition: Karen looked out the window at the back yard.lookGet out the car and push with the rest of us!
outverbCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesoutoutsoutedoutingoutout3 verbVerb form1[transitive usually passive]HOMOSEXUAL to publicly say that someone is homosexual when that person would prefer to keep it secret: Several gay politicians have been outed in recent months.politicianbeoutmonth2murder/the truth etc will out!SHOW/BE A SIGN OF used to say that it is difficult to hide a murder, the truth etc
outnounCollocations from other entriesWord sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplesoutoutsoutout4 noun1[singular]REASON an excuse to avoid doing an activity or to avoid being blamed for something: I’m busy on Sunday, so that gives me an out.give2[countable] an act of making a player in baseball lose the chance to score a point3on the outs (with somebody) American English informal arguing or not agreeing with someone: Wilson is on the outs with his family because of his relationship with that woman.beout → ins and outs
noun [countable]
Language: Old English
1part of an areaPART one of the two areas that are on the left or the right of an imaginary line, or on the left or the right of a border, wall, river etcside ofThe south side of town is pretty run down.beon the ... sidea scar on the right side of his faceFuel is cheaper on the French side of the border.becheapto one/the sideShe tilted her head to one side, pretending to consider the question.tiltpretendA man stood watching me from the other side of the road.standwatchHis friends and family were all on the other side of the world.friendbeThe restaurant was empty apart from another couple on the far side of the room (=the area that is furthest away from you).bethe right-hand/left-hand side (=the right side or the left side)In Sri Lanka they drive on the left-hand side of the road.leave2NEXT TOnext to [usually singular] a position directly next to someone or something, on the right or the lefton this/one side (of somebody/something)Stand on this side of me so Dad can get a photo.at sb’s side/at the side of somethingA little girl was skipping along at her side.beskipThere was a card tacked to the wall at the side of the photograph.betackon either side (of something)Two large screens stood on either side of the stage (=one on the left and one on the right side of it).screenstandto sb’s sideMaggie hurried to his side.hurry3of a building/object/vehicle etcSURFACE a surface of something that is not its front, back, top, or bottomside ofHe led the way round to the side of the building.leadbuildthe side of her glassSomeone ran into the side of my car.runhigh-sided/straight-sided etchigh-sided vehiclessidevehiclea straight-sided dishside4edgeSIDE the part of an object or area that is furthest from the middle, at or near the edgeside ofJack sat down heavily on the side of the bed.sitShe pulled into the side of the road and stopped the car.pullstop → fireside, lakeside, riverside, roadside sideline1(1) b)SECRETsecretly, and dishonestly or illegally: His wife discovered that he had a woman on the side.discoverhave → a bit on the side at bit3 c)food that is served on the side is ordered with the main dish in a restaurant, but is not usually part of that dish: I’d like eggs with toast on the side.egg21food American English a small amount of food that you order in a restaurant in addition to your main mealside ofa hamburger with a side of friesfry22on/from all sides (also on/from every side)AROUND/ROUND a)in or from every direction: Planes were attacking us from all sides.planebeattacksideThe town is surrounded on all sides by vineyards.besurroundsidevineyard b)by or from a lot of people with different opinions: Clinton was praised on all sides for his warm manner and diplomatic approach.bepraiseside23put/leave/set something to one side to save something to be dealt with or used later: Let’s leave that question to one side for now.Put a little money to one side each week.24be at sb’s side/stay by sb’s side/not leave sb’s side to be with someone, and take care of them or support them: He faced the reporters with his wife at his side.facereporterShe nursed him through his illness, never leaving his side.nurseleave25take/draw somebody to one sideTAKE/BRING to take someone away from other people for a short time for a private talk: Before they left, Colette took me to one side and warned me about Bernard.leavetakewarn26have something on your side/something is on your sideADVANTAGE used to say that you have an advantage that increases your chances of successhave time/luck/God/right etc on your sideBarnes didn’t have much experience, but he had youth and enthusiasm on his side.have27get on the wrong side of somebodyHAPPY to annoy someone or make them angry, especially someone who can cause serious problems for you: Be careful not to get on the wrong side of her.28keep on the right side of somebody to be careful not to annoy someone, because you want them to help you and not cause problems for you: We tried to keep on the right side of the housekeeper, so that she would let us bring beer in.trywill29on the right/wrong side of 30/40 etc informalYOUNGOLD/NOT NEW younger or older than 30, 40 etc30on the small/high/heavy etc side spokenLITTLE/NOT VERY a little too small, too high, too heavy etc: The trousers are a bit on the small side.trouserbebite31this side of Christmas/midnight etc before a particular time – used to say that something will not happen before then: I doubt we’ll see him this side of Christmas.32HEREthe best/biggest etc ... this side of something used humorously to say that something is very good, big etc: the best Chinese food this side of Pekingwell33on the wrong/right side of the law informalHONESTILLEGAL breaking or not breaking the law34be on the side of the angels to be doing what is morally right35let the side down British EnglishDISAPPOINTED to behave badly or do something that embarrasses or disappoints your family, friends etc36criticize/nag/hassle somebody up one side and down the other American English spokenCRITICIZE to criticize someone, complain to them in an annoying way etc without worrying about how they feel37meat a side of beef/bacon etc one half of an animal’s body, used as food38tv station [usually singular] British English spoken a television station SYN channel: What’s on the other side? → double-sided, one-sided, → to be on the safe side at safe1(7), → err on the side of caution at err(1), → flip side, → split your sides at split1(10), → the other side of the coin at coin1(3), → two sides of the same coin at coin1(4)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 1adjectivesone side A path leads down one side of the garden to a paved area.leadpavethe other/opposite side On the other side of the river are some low hills.behilleither side (=both sides) There were tall hedges on either side of the lawn.behedgethe far side (=the other side, quite a long way away) Nicolo was standing on the far side of the room.bestandthe left/right side He received a deep cut on the right side of his face.receivethe left-hand/right-hand side On the left-hand side list the skills and qualifications required for the job.leaveskillqualificationrequirethe east/west etc side The shop was on the west side of Culver Street.beCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 12adjectivesthe business/financial side Geller handles the business side of things.handlethingthe technical side Gregory works on the technical side, liaising with the sound and lighting people.workliaiselightthe social side The social side of the group is very important.bethe funny/serious side Luckily, when I explained the situation, he saw the funny side of it.explainseethe positive/negative side On the positive side, the authors have assembled a wealth of useful material.authorassemblethe bright side (=the good things about a situation) It was her nature to look on the bright side.bethe dark side (=bad things relating to something) The book is an examination of the dark side of genius.besb’s creative/caring/feminine etc side The art program is meant to bring out children’s creative side.bemeanchildTHESAURUSedge the part of something that is furthest from its centre or nearest the place where it ends: He got up quickly, knocking his plate off the edge of the table.getknock | the outer edge of the villageside the part of something that is near its left or right edge: On the left side of the garden there was an old stone wall.leavebe | They parked by the side of the road.parkrim the edge of something circular, especially the top of a cup or glass, or the outside edge of a pair of glasses: a white cup with a gold rim | She was looking at me over the rim of her spectacles.belookspectaclemargin the empty space at the side of a page that has writing on it: My teacher had marked my essay and made some comments in the margin.havemarkmakecomment | Leave wide margins on both sides of the page.marginsidehem the edge of a piece of cloth that is turned under and stitched down, especially the lower edge of a skirt, trousers etc: If you want the dress a bit shorter, I can easily turn up the hem.biteshortkerb British English, curb American English the edge of the pavement (=raised path) at the side of a road: A big black car was parked at the kerb.beparkoutskirts the areas of a city that are furthest away from the centre: The new station was built on the outskirts of the city.bebuildperimeter the outside edge around an enclosed area of land such as a military camp or a prison: Security guards patrol the perimeter night and day.guard
sideadjectiveCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Phrases from other entriesCorpus examplessidesideside2 adjective [only before noun]1SIDEin or on the side of something: Hannah slipped out through a side exit.slip2SIDEfrom the side of something: Can you get a side view?
sideverbCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplessidesidessidedsidingsideside3 verb [intransitive]Verb form SUPPORT A PERSON, GROUP, OR PLANto support or argue against a person or group in a quarrel, fight etcside with/againstFrank sided with David against their mother.side
adjectiveLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: geolu 1having the colour of butter or the middle part of an egg:
yellow flowersflower → chrome yellow, → primrose yellow at primrose(2)2INSULT not polite an offensive way of describing the skin colour of people from parts of Asia3(also yellow-bellied) informalBRAVE not brave SYN cowardly
yellownounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1Phrases from other entriesCorpus examplesyellowyellowsyellowyellow2 noun [uncountable and countable] the colour of butter or the middle part of an egg: Yellow doesn’t suit me at all.The room was decorated in a variety of reds, blues, and yellows.bedecorateredblueyellow
yellowverbCollocations from other entriesWord sets 1Phrases from other entriesCorpus examplesyellowyellowsyellowedyellowingyellowyellow3 verb [intransitive and transitive]Verb form to become yellow or make something become yellow: The paper had yellowed with age.haveyellow
noun
Date: 1300-1400Language: French
Origin: Latin positio, from positus, past participle of ponere ‘to put’ 1way of standing/sitting etc [countable]MOVE/CHANGE POSITION the way someone is standing, sitting, or lying:
Lie in a comfortable position.Frankie shifted his position so that his knees would not become cramped.shiftkneewillcrampsitting/kneeling/standing positionI struggled up into a sitting position.strugglesit2situation [countable usually singular]SITUATION the situation that someone is in, especially when this affects what they can and cannot do: I’m not sure what I would do if I were in your position.willbebe in a position to do somethingNext week we will be in a much better position to comment.wellbe in the position of doing somethingShe is in the enviable position of having three job offers.behaveofferYou’re putting me in rather a difficult position.put3place where somebody/something is [countable]PLACE the place where someone or something is, especially in relation to other objects and placesposition ofthe position of the sun in the skyOur hotel was in a superb central position near St Mark’s Square.bethe strategic position (=useful or important position) of Egypt in relation to the Arabian peninsula4PLACEcorrect place [uncountable and countable] the place where someone or something is needed or supposed to beinto positionHe pulled the ladder into position.pullin/out of positionAll parking signs have now been placed in position.parksignbeplace5direction [countable] the direction in which an object is pointingvertical/upright/horizontal positionMake sure the container remains in an upright position.remainShe turned the switch to the ‘on’ position.turn6opinion [countable]OPINION an opinion or judgment on a particular subject, especially the official opinion of a government, a political party, or someone in authority SYN attitudeposition onWhat’s the party’s position on tax reform?The principal took the position that the students didn’t need music classes.takestudentclassI hope you’ll reconsider your position.7job [countable]JOB/WORK formal a jobsb’s position as somethingBill took up his new position as Works Director in October.takeworkposition ofShe has held the position of Chief Financial Officer since 1992.haveholdBruce is thinking of applying for the position.bethinkapplyI’m sorry, the position has been filled (=someone has been found to do the job).havebefill8level/rank [uncountable and countable]POSITION/RANK someone’s or something’s level, authority, or importance in a society or organizationthe position of somebodythe position of women in societywomanposition of power/authority/influence etcMany of his supporters used their positions of power for personal advantage.supporterusepositionAs a priest, he was in a position of trust.beabuse your position as something (=use your authority wrongly)9be in a position to do somethingCAN to be able to do something because you have the ability, money, or power to do it: When I know all the facts, I’ll be in a position to advise you.fact10be in no position to do somethingCAN'T to be unable to do something because you do not have the ability, money, or power to do it: You’re unemployed and in no position to support a family.Ned says I’m always late? He’s in no position to talk (=should not criticize because he does the same thing).say11race/competition [uncountable and countable]LOSE A GAME, COMPETITION, OR WAR the place of someone or something in a race or competition in relation to the other people or things(in) 2nd/3rd/4th etc positionAlesi finished in third position.finish12sports [countable] the area where someone plays in a sport, or the type of actions they are responsible for doing: What position do you play?13jockey/manoeuvre/jostle for positionADVANTAGE to try to get an advantage over other people who are all trying to succeed in doing the same thing: Firms adopt different strategies as they jockey for position.firmstrategy14army [countable usually plural] a place where an army has put soldiers, guns etc: an attack on the enemy positionspositionCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1adjectivesa comfortable position She wriggled into a more comfortable position.wrigglean awkward position My foot was in an awkward position.bea sitting/kneeling/standing position The priest rose from his kneeling position by the bed.risekneela foetal position (=in which you are curled up like a baby before it is born) I crawled into my bed and curled up in a foetal position.crawlcurlverbschange/shift your position He shifted his position to get a better view of the stage.shiftwellpull/drag/haul yourself into a position She pulled herself into a sitting position.pullsitassume/adopt a position formal (=move your body into a particular position) The patient should adopt this position for five minutes every half hour.shallminutehold a position (=stay in a position) Pull in your tummy muscles and hold that position.muscleCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2adjectivesthe same position A lot of people are in the same position.bea similar position You can ask to be put in contact with others in a similar position.a strong/good position (=a situation in which you have an advantage) A victory tonight will put them in a very strong position to win the cup.a unique position (=a situation that no one else is in) Their close knowledge of the area places them in a unique position to advise on social policy.placea difficult/awkward position I was in the difficult position of having to choose between them.behavean enviable position (=a situation that other people would like to be in) He is in the enviable position of not needing to work.beneedan impossible position (=a very difficult situation) She was furious with Guy for putting her in such an impossible position.beputa weak position (=a situation in which you have a disadvantage) Someone who is desperate to sell their house is in a weak position.bebea vulnerable position (=a situation in which you might be harmed) Today we are in the vulnerable position of producing barely half our own food.beproducethe present/current position The following statistics indicate the present position.followstatisticthe legal position (=the situation from a legal point of view) The legal position is far from clear.besb’s financial position Has your financial position changed recently?havechangea bargaining/negotiating position (=someone’s ability to bargain/negotiate) The new law has strengthened workers' bargaining position .havestrengthenworkerbargainverbsbe in a strong/weak etc position We are in a good position to help.befind yourself in a similar/awkward etc position The refugee organizations now found themselves in a difficult position.organizationfindreach a position It has taken two years to reach the position we are now in.havetakeyearbeput/place somebody in a good/awkward etc position I'm sorry if I put you in an awkward position.strengthen sb’s position (=give someone a bigger advantage) People said that he used the conflict to strengthen his own position.sayuseweaken sb’s position (=give someone a bigger disadvantage) The Prime Minister's position had been weakened by allegations of financial mismanagement.havebeweakenallegationsb’s position improves By March, the Democrats' position had improved.democrathaveimprovephrasesa position of strength (=a strong position) By now they were negotiating from a position of strength.benegotiateTHESAURUSMeaning 7describing someone’s position in an organizationsenior used about someone who has an important position in an organization. Senior can also be used about someone who has a higher position than you in an organization: a senior executive | She’s a senior partner in a law firm. | She is senior to me.bechief [only before noun] used, especially in job titles, about someone who has the most important or one of the most important positions in an organization: Carole is the company’s chief financial officer.be | He’s the chief economist at Hangseng Bank.high-ranking [only before noun] used about someone who has a high position in an organization such as the government, the army, or the police: high-ranking government officialsrankofficial | a high-ranking police officerranktop [only before noun] used about someone who is very good, important, or successful in their job: a top lawyer | He’s one of the President’s top aides.aide | top diplomatsdiplomatjunior used about someone who has a low position in an organization. Junior can also be used about someone who has a lower position than you in an organization: a junior clerk | a junior doctor | His role as naval officer was junior to Nelson.beassistant [only before noun] an assistant manager, director, editor etc has a position just below a manager etc: He’s an assistant professor of neurology at Harvard University. | She became assistant director at the Belgrade Theatre.becomeCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 6verbstake/hold a position (=have an opinion) We take the position that these changes are to be welcomed.changebewelcomeadopt a position (=start having an opinion) In 1898, the Church adopted its current position.adoptchange your position Since then, the party has changed its position.havechangereconsider your position (=think again about it and perhaps change it) The UN Secretary General urged the US to reconsider its position.urgedefend a position Each of the next three speakers defended a different position.speakerdefendadjectivesan official position (=one that a government or organization says officially that it has) This was the French government’s official position.bean extreme position Few people hold this extreme position today.a middle position (=one that is between two extreme positions) They took a middle position, favouring decentralization but with some controls.takefavourcontrola neutral position (=not supporting either side in an argument) The US claimed that Jordan had abandoned its neutral position and sided with Iraq.claimhaveabandonsideCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 7verbshold a position (=have it) She had previously held a senior position in another school.haveholdapply for a position I decided to apply for the position of head teacher.decidetake up a position (=start doing a job) Woods took up a new position as managing director of a company in Belfast.woodtakemanageleave a position He left his position as Chief Conductor of the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra.leaveresign from a position She has resigned from her position as department secretary.haveresignoffer somebody a position They offered me the position of store manager.offerfill a position (=find someone to do a job) We are now seeking to fill some key positions in the company.beseekpositionadjectivesa senior position Decision making is done by managers holding the most senior positions.makebedomanagerholdpositiona junior position I left school and was offered a junior position in a bank.leavebeoffera permanent/temporary position It's a temporary position initially, for six months.monthan official position He has no official position in the government.haveCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 8phrasesa position of power/authority Many used their positions of power for personal advantage.usepositiona position of influence The media have an unrivalled position of influence.mediuma position of trust As a church leader, he was in a position of trust.bea position of responsibility Did you hold any positions of responsibility at school or university?dopositiona position of leadership She had risen to a position of leadership.haveriseadjectivesa privileged position The public expects the Royal Family to earn its privileged position.expectprivilegean influential position It's useful if you have friends in influential positions.friendpositiona powerful position Many leaders from that period are still in powerful positions in government.leaderbepositiona dominant position The firm achieved a dominant position in the world market.achieveverbsoccupy a position Those who occupy positions of power do not want democracy.positionmaintain a position (=keep the rank that you have) High-status groups do all they can to maintain their positions.grouppositionuse your position She can now use her position to do some good.abuse your position (=use your level or rank wrongly) He abused his position as a doctor.abuse
positionverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplespositionpositionspositionedpositioningpositionposition2 verb [transitive always + adverb/preposition]Verb form1PUTto carefully put something in a particular position: Position the cursor before the letter you want to delete.position yourselfI positioned myself where I could see the door.positioncan2be well/ideally/perfectly positioned to be in a situation in which you will be able to do something successfully: We are ideally positioned to take advantage of the growth in demand.bepositionTHESAURUSput to move something to a particular place: I’ve put the wine in the fridge. | Where have you put my grey shirt?place to put something somewhere carefully: ‘It’s beautiful,’ he said, placing it back on the shelf.sayplacelay to put someone or something down carefully on a flat surface: He laid all the money on the table.lay | She laid the baby on his bed.layposition to carefully put something in a suitable position: Position the microphone to suit your height. | Troops were positioned around the city.troopbepositionslip to put something somewhere with a quick movement: He slipped his arm around her waist.slip | Carrie quickly slipped the money into her bag.slipshove to put something into a space or container quickly or carelessly: Shove anything you don’t want in that sack. | I’ve ironed those shirts so don’t just shove them in a drawer.ironshirtstick (also bung British English) informal to put something somewhere quickly or carelessly: I stuck the address in my pocket and I can’t find it now.stick | Could you bung those clothes in the washing machine?canclothewashdump to put something down somewhere in a careless and untidy way: Don’t just dump all your bags in the kitchen.bag | People shouldn’t dump rubbish at the side of the street.pop informal to quickly put something somewhere, usually for a short time: Pop it in the microwave for a minute.thrust literary to put something somewhere suddenly or forcefully: ‘Hide it,’ he said, thrusting the watch into her hand.saythrust
verbVerb form1[intransitive and transitive]WALK to move forward by putting one foot in front of the other: ‘How did you get here?’ ‘We walked.’dowalkDoctors said he’d never walk again.doctorsaywalk into/down/up etcCarrie walked into the room and sat down in her chair.walksitHe loved walking in the hills.lovewalkhillwalk a mile/200 metres/a short distance etcWe must have walked ten miles today.walkmilI walked all the way to San Rafael.walkwithin (easy) walking distance (of something) (=near enough to be able to walk to)There are plenty of bars and restaurants within walking distance of the hotel.bebarrestaurantwalkwalking pace (=the speed that you normally walk at)2WALK[transitive] to walk somewhere with someone, especially in order to make sure that they are safe or to be polite: It’s late – I’ll walk you home.walk somebody to somethingSchools are urging parents to walk their children to school.schoolbeurgeparentchildShe walked me to the front gate.walk3WALK[transitive] to take a dog for a walk for exercise: Grandma’s out walking the dog.walk4[intransitive] British English informal if something has walked, it has disappeared and you think someone may have taken it: My pen seems to have walked.seemwalk5walk free (also walk American English) to leave a court of law without being punished or sent to prison: Ferguson walked free after the charges were dropped.walkchargebedropIf more evidence isn’t found, Harris will walk.find6walk it British English spoken a)WALKto make a journey by walking: If the last bus has gone, we’ll have to walk it.havego b)SUCCEED IN DOING STHto succeed or win something easily7be walking on airHAPPY to be feeling extremely happy8walk the streets a)to walk around the streets in a town or city: It was not safe to walk the streets at night.bestreet b)old-fashioned to be a prostitute9walk the beat when a police officer walks the beat, they walk around an area of a town or city in order to make sure nobody is committing a crime10walk tallCONFIDENT to be proud and confident because you know that you have not done anything wrong11walk somebody off their feet British Englishwalk sb’s legs off American English informalWALK to make someone tired by making them walk too far12walk the walk to do the things that people expect or think are necessary in a particular situation: People are motivated by leaders who actually walk the walk.bemotivateleader → talk the talk at talk1(18)13walk the plankFORCE SB TO DO STH to be forced to walk along a board laid over the side of the ship until you fall off into the sea, used as a punishment in the past14walk on eggshells (also walk on eggs American English) to be very careful about how you behave with someone because they are easily upset or made angryTHESAURUSwalk to move forward by putting one foot in front of the other: I missed the bus so I decided to walk.missdecide | We’ve walked about eight miles today.walkmilwander to walk without any clear purpose or direction: They wandered around the narrow streets of the old city.wanderstreetstride to walk with long steps in a determined, confident, or angry way: A man in a suit came striding purposefully into the hall.comestride | She strode onto the stage and began to address the audience.stridebeginpace to walk first in one direction and then in another many times, especially because you are nervous: Nick was pacing up and down, waiting for the phone to ring.bepacewaitmarch to walk quickly with firm regular steps – used especially about soldiers or someone who is angry: The troops marched past with smart uniform and good discipline.troopmarch | Sheila marched into the office and demanded an apology.marchdemandwade to walk through deep water: We had to wade across the river.havestomp to walk putting your feet down very hard, especially because you are angry: She turned and stomped off without looking back.turnstomplookto walk quietlytiptoe to walk quietly and carefully on your toes because you do not want to make a noise: I tiptoed out trying not to wake the baby.tiptoetrycreep to walk quietly and slowly because you do not want anyone to see or hear you: Stella crept up the stairs, hoping not to wake her parents.creepstairhopeparentsneak to walk quietly so that no-one notices you, especially because you are doing something you should not do: They sneaked off without paying.sneakpay | I quickly sneaked out to have a cigarette.sneakpad to walk quietly without wearing shoes – also used about cats and dogs walking quietly: Michelle got up and padded barefoot down to the kitchen.getpad | The cat padded in, asking for her food.padaskto walk slowlytrudge /trʌdʒ/ to walk in a slow tired way because it is difficult to continue walking, or you do not want to go somewhere: The men trudged along the road, heads bent against the wind.mantrudgeheadbend | I’ve spent hours trudging around the shops looking for a present.spendhourtrudgeshoplookplod to walk slowly in a tired way – often used about a horse, donkey etc: The donkey was plodding slowly along under its heavy load.beplod | I plodded on growing thirstier and hungrier.plodgrowthirstyhungryshuffle to walk very slowly and noisily without lifting your feet off the ground: The old man got up and shuffled to the door.getshuffleto walk with difficultylimp to walk with difficulty because one leg hurts, so that you put most of your weight on the other leg: Jake was limping because of the injury to his knee.belimpstagger to walk or move unsteadily, almost falling over, especially because you are drunk or have been injured: They finally staggered back to the hotel at 4 o'clock in the morning.stagger | He hit her and she staggered and fell.staggerfallhobble to walk with difficulty in a slow and unsteady way because your legs or feet hurt or have been injured: My new shoes were so painful I could only hobble along.shoebecan | She hobbled out to the car on crutches.hobblecrutchto walk for pleasuretake a walk (also go for a walk) to walk somewhere for pleasure: We went for a walk in the park.gostroll (also go for a stroll) to walk in a relaxed way, especially for pleasure: People were strolling along beside the river.bestroll | On Sunday, they went for a stroll in the park.gohike (also go hiking) to walk a long way in the mountains or countryside as an activity you enjoy: We’re going hiking in Scotland this summer.gohike | They hiked around the Lake District.hike | Pat likes doing active things like hiking and horse-riding.likedothinghikeridetrek (also go trekking) to go for a walk lasting several days or weeks in a faraway place, carrying your clothes with you: I’ve always wanted to go trekking in Nepal.wanttrek | They trekked up to Everest Base Camp.trekwalk away phrasal verb1LEAVE A RELATIONSHIPto leave a bad or difficult situation, instead of trying to make it betterwalk away fromYou can’t just walk away from 15 years of marriage!yearWhen the business started to have problems, it was very tempting to walk away.startproblembetempt2INJUREto come out of an accident or very bad situation without being harmed: Miraculously, both drivers walked away without a scratch.driverwalkwalk away with something phrasal verb informal WINto win something easily: And the lucky winner will walk away with a prize of £10,000.walk in on somebody phrasal verb INTERRUPTto go into a room and accidentally interrupt someone who is doing something private that they would not want you to seewalk into something phrasal verb1HIT/BUMP INTOto hit an object accidentally as you are walking alongwalk straight/right/bang etc into somethingZeke wasn’t looking and walked straight into a tree.lookwalk2TAKE PART/BE INVOLVEDif you walk into an unpleasant situation, you become involved in it without intending to: He was fairly certain now that he was walking into a trap, and wished he’d come armed.bebewalkwisharmwalk straight/right into somethingI walked right into a mob of maybe 50 young white guys.walkguy3GET British English if you walk into a job, you get it very easily: You can’t expect to walk straight into a job.4STUPID/NOT SENSIBLEto make yourself look stupid when you could easily have avoided it if you had been more carefulwalk straight/right into somethingYou walked right into that one!walkwalk off phrasal verb1LEAVE A PLACEto leave someone by walking away from them, especially in a rude or angry way: Don’t just walk off when I’m trying to talk to you!try2WALKwalk something ↔ off if you walk off an illness or unpleasant feeling, you go for a walk to make it go away: Let’s go out – maybe I can walk this headache off.walk off dinner/a meal etc (=go for a walk so that your stomach feels less full)3walk off (the/your etc job) American English to stop working as a protest: Without new contracts, mine workers will walk off their jobs Thursday.contractworkerjobwalk off with something phrasal verb informal1to win something easily: Lottery winners can walk off with a cool £18 million.winner2stealto steal something or take something that does not belong to you: Thieves walked off with two million dollars’ worth of jewellery.thievewalkdollarwalk out phrasal verb1LEAVE A PLACEto leave a place suddenly, especially because you disapprove of something: The play was awful and we walked out after half an hour.bewalkwalk out ofthe issue that led to the US walking out of the trade talks this weekleadwalktalk2to leave your husband, wife etc suddenly and go and live somewhere else: Her husband walked out, leaving her with three children to look after.walkleavechildwalk out onFive years later she walked out on Matthew and their two boys.yearlatewalkboy3to leave your job suddenly because you no longer want to do it: We’re so short-staffed. I can’t just walk out.staffwalk out ofIf you can afford to walk out of your job, why not?4STOP WORKING/GO ON STRIKEto stop working as a protest: Workers are threatening to walk out if an agreement is not reached.workerbethreatenbereachwalk out on something phrasal verb STOP DOING STHto stop doing something you have agreed to do or that you are responsible for: ‘I never walk out on a deal,’ Dee said.saywalk over somebody phrasal verb TREAT/BEHAVE TOWARDSto treat someone badly by always making them do what you want them to do: It’s terrible – she lets her kids just walk all over her.letkid
walknounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Word sets 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleswalkwalkswalkwalk2 S2 W2 noun1[countable]WALK a journey that you make by walking, especially for exercise or enjoyment: It’s a long walk. Maybe we should get the bus.shallwalk to/through/across etca walk through the castle groundsground2[countable]WALK a particular journey that you make by walking, especially one that goes through an interesting or attractive area: He says he’s going on a long walk tomorrow.saygoHave you ever done the Three Peaks walk?dopeakcoastal/hill etc walkThere is a stunning 10-mile coastal walk from St Andrews to Crail.be3[countable] an organized event when people walk for pleasure: Let’s all go on the beach walk.The local tourist office organises a number of guided walks.numbguidewalk4[singular]WALK the way someone walks SYN gait: You can often recognize people by their walk.5[singular] when you walk rather than run: Breathless, she slowed to a walk.slow → walk of life, → sponsored walk at sponsor2(5)COLLOCATIONSverbsgo for a walk Let’s go for a walk on the beach.take/have a walk She took a walk through the town.taketake somebody/a dog for a walk Could you take the dog for a walk?canADJECTIVES/NOUN + walka long walk We went for a long walk in the woods.gowooda short walk The house is only a short walk from local shops.beshopa little walk I just felt like a little walk.feela brisk walk A brisk walk will improve your circulation.an easy walk From here it is an easy walk to the summit.bea five-mile/ten-kilometre etc walk He began the five-mile walk back to town.begina five-minute/two-hour etc walk There’s a good restaurant a five-minute walk away.COMMON ERRORS ► Do not say 'go a walk' or 'make a walk'. Say go for a walk.THESAURUSwalk noun [countable] a journey that you make on foot, especially for exercise or enjoyment: I took the dog out for a long walk in the fresh air.take | We went for some lovely walks.gowalk | Do you fancy going out for a walk?gohike noun [countable] a long walk in the mountains or countryside: We went for a hike in the woods.gowood | There are some good hikes nearby.behikestroll noun [singular] a slow, relaxed walk: Let’s take a stroll in the park. | We went for a stroll along the river.gowander British English a short relaxed walk, especially to look around a place: We had a wander round the town and then went to the beach.havegotrek noun [singular] used when talking about a long walk in the mountains, countryside etc which lasts for several days and which you do for pleasure. Also used about a long tiring walk somewhere, which you do not want to have to do : They went on a three week trek in the Atlas Mountains.gomountain | We then had a long trek back to our hotel with all our luggage.haveslog [singular] a long, tiring, and unpleasant walk, which continues for several hours: It was a dreary slog over bleak and windswept hills.behillmarch noun [countable] an occasion when a group of people walk somewhere together, in order to protest about something: Demonstrators are planning a march through the capital.demonstratorbeplan | a peace march
noun
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: plante, from Latin planta ‘new growth on a plant, part cut off a plant to be grown again’ 1living thing [countable] a living thing that has leaves and roots and grows in earth, especially one that is smaller than a tree:
Don’t forget to water the plants.plant → houseplant2factory [countable] a factory or building where an industrial process happens: a huge chemical plant → power plant3machinery [uncountable] British English heavy machinery that is used in industrial processes: a plant hire business4something hidden [countable usually singular]GUILTY something illegal or stolen that is hidden in someone’s clothes or possessions to make them seem guilty of a crime5person [countable]SPY someone who is put somewhere or sent somewhere secretly to find out informationCOLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + plantrare Many rare plants were collected from India and China.plantbecollectcommon These plants are common in British gardens.plantbegardenwild plants Many wild plants are in danger of dying out.plantbediegarden plants (=plants that are grown in gardens) These butterflies feed on the flowers of several garden plants.butterflyflowerplantexotic/tropical plants Exotic plants can be grown in a greenhouse.plantgrowmedicinal plants (=plants that can be used in medicine) A lot of research into medicinal plants and traditional remedies has now been carried out.plantremedyhavebecarrya potted/pot plant British English (=a plant that is grown in a container) He leaves his house key under the potted plant on the porch.leavepota house plant (=a plant grown in a pot in the house) These make excellent house plants.planta climbing plant (=one that grows up things) The wall was covered with climbing plants.becoverclimbplanta trailing plant (=one that grows along the ground or hangs down)a tomato/potato/bean etc plant Bean plants are easy to grow.plantbepoisonous What should you do if your child has eaten a poisonous plant?shallhaveeatverbsa plant grows The plant grows to a height of about 20 inches.growincha plant thrives/flourishes (=grows well) A lot of plants thrive in partial shade.planta plant flowers The plants are flowering earlier this year.plantbeflowerearlygrow a plant It is not an easy plant to grow.bewater a plant He could see her watering the plants in her small garden.canwaterplanta plant withers (=becomes drier and starts to die)plant + NOUNplant life (=plants) All but the dirtiest of rivers support some plant life.dirtyriverplant material They feed on decaying plant material.decayTHESAURUSplant a living thing that has leaves and roots and grows in earth, especially one that is smaller than a tree: Don’t forget to water the plants.plant | Plants grow towards the sun.plant | Botanists examined plant species from around the world.botanistexamineherb a small plant that is used to improve the taste of food, or to make medicine: Sprinkle the dish with chopped fresh herbs.chopherb | medicinal herbs (=used as medicine)herb | The shop sells an interesting range of herbs and spices.sellinterestherbspiceweed a wild plant growing where it is not wanted that prevents crops or garden flowers from growing properly: She was pulling up weeds in her garden.bepullweed | Herbicides can be used to prevent and control weeds.herbicideuseweedbulb a root shaped like a ball that grows into a flower or plant: She planted hundreds of daffodil bulbs.planthundredbulbshrub a small bush with several woody stems: flowering shrubsflowershrub | Rosemary is an evergreen shrub.be
plantverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3Word sets 1 2 3 4Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesplantplantsplantedplantingplantplant2 verb [transitive]
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: plantian, from Latin plantare, from planta; → PLANT1 Verb form
1plants/seedsGROW PLANTS, VEGETABLES ETC to put plants or seeds in the ground to grow: Residents have helped us plant trees.residenthelptreeWe’ve planted tomatoes and carrots in the garden.planttomatocarrotplant a field/garden/area etc (with something)a hillside planted with fir treesplanttree2put something somewhere [always + adverb/preposition] informalPUT to put something firmly in or on something elseplant something in/on etc somethingHe came up to her and planted a kiss on her cheek.comeplantShe planted her feet firmly to the spot and refused to move.plantfootrefuse3hide illegal goods informal to hide stolen or illegal goods in someone’s clothes, bags, room etc in order to make them seem guilty of a crimeplant something on somebodyShe claims that the police planted the drugs on her.claimplantdrug4bomb plant a bomb to put a bomb somewhere: Two men are accused of planting a bomb on the plane.manbeaccuseplant5personSPY to put or send someone somewhere, especially secretly, so that they can find out information: The police had planted undercover detectives at every entrance.haveplantdetective6plant an idea/doubt/suspicion (in sb’s mind)BELIEVE to make someone begin to have an idea, especially so that they do not realize that you gave them the idea: Someone must have planted the idea of suicide in his mind.plantplant something ↔ out phrasal verb GROW PLANTS, VEGETABLES ETCto put a young plant into the soil outdoors, so that it has enough room to grow: The seedlings should be planted out in May.seedlingshallplant
verb [not usually in progressive]
Word familyDate: 1100-1200Language: Old Norse
Origin: vanta Verb form1desire [transitive]WANT to have a desire for something:
I really want a drink.What do you want for your birthday?She’d always wanted to go to Thailand.wantI don’t want Linda to hear about this.He didn’t want the holiday to end.You can order whatever you want.This shampoo is mild enough to use every day if you want.beIf she doesn’t get what she wants, she’s not happy.wantHe wanted that job so badly he was willing to kill for it.wantbewillThey desperately wanted a son.wantWhat I want to know is when we’re going to get paid.begopayAll I want is the chance to prove myself.beOh thank you, it’s just what I’ve always wanted.want2need [transitive]NEED used to say that you need something or to ask someone firmly to do something for you: Do you still want these magazines, or can I throw them out?magazinewant something doneI want that letter typed today.typewant somebody to do somethingI want you to find out what they’re planning.planmake you want to cry/throw up etc (=give you a strong feeling that you must do something)It always makes me want to sneeze.makeWhat do you want with a tool kit (=what do you need it for)?want doing British English informal (=need to be done)The carpet really wants cleaning.wantclean3ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STHoffer [transitive] used when offering or suggesting something to someone: Do you want a drink?Do you want me to come with you?Want a game of chess?Who wants a cup of coffee (=used to offer something to a group of people)?want4should [transitive] especially spoken British EnglishSHOULD/OUGHT TO used to say that something is sensible or that someone should do it, especially when giving advicemay/might want to do somethingYou might want to install anti-virus software.wouldn’t want to do something (=used to say something would not be a good idea)I wouldn’t want to come here at night.want to do somethingYou want to see a doctor about that cough.You don’t want to leave that – it’ll get wet.5WANTwhat do you want? used to ask, often in a slightly rude way, what someone wants you to give them, do for them etc: What do you want now? I’m busy.What do you want – chocolate or vanilla?6ask for somebody [transitive]ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STH to ask for someone to come and talk to you, or to come to a particular place: You’re wanted on the phone.wantChristine wants you in her office now.want7lack [intransitive and transitive] formalNOT HAVE to suffer because you do not have something: In many poorer countries, people still want basic food and shelter.poorcountry8YESif you want a)used to offer to do something: I’ll come with you if you want. b)used to invite someone to do something or to give them permission: Join in if you want.You can stay if you want to. c)used when someone suggests doing something, to say that you will do it, although you do not especially want to: ‘Hey, shall we go to the beach?’ ‘If you want.’9who wants ...?DON'T LIKE used to say that you do not like something or do not think that it is worth doing: Who wants to go to a noisy disco anyway?want10SAYI just wanted to say/know etc used to politely say something, ask about something etc: I just wanted to check that the meeting is still on next week.wantmeetbe11I don’t want to sound/be ..., but ... used to be polite when you are going to tell someone something that may upset them: I don’t want to sound rude, but I think you’ve had too much to drink.have12sex [transitive] informal if you want someone, you want to have sex with themCOLLOCATIONSadverbsvery much She very much wanted to do the right thing.wantbadly How badly do you want to win?desperately He desperately wants his mum and dad to get back together.wantreally Do you really want to succeed?just I just want to be left alone.leavephraseswhatever/anything you want Now he can do whatever he wants.wantwhenever you want Joanna is happy for him to see his son whenever he wants.bewantwherever you want You can park wherever you want.if you want (to) You can go if you want.get what you want You’ve got what you wanted, so you might as well leave.getwantdo what you want You can do what you want, instead of being told what to do.betellwhat I want to do is ... What I want to do is develop the skills I already have.beskillall I want is ... All I want is a normal life.beit’s just what I’ve always wanted (=used to thank someone for a present that you really like) Thanks for the bread machine – it's just what I've always wanted.thankwantwant for something phrasal verb not want for something/want for nothingNOT HAVE to have something you need, or everything you need: Say what you like, my kids never wanted for anything.kidwantwant in phrasal verb informal1especially American English to want to be involved in something: You want in, Mike?2to want to go into a place: The dog wants in.wantwant out phrasal verb informal1to want to stop being involved in something: She was fed up and she wanted out.befeedwant2to want to leave a place: I think the cat wants out.want
wantnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleswantwantswantwant2 noun
Word family1for (the) want of somethingEXACT used to say that you do not have or cannot find what you need in a particular situation: The gallery closed down for want of funding.closefund2for want of a better word/phrase etc used to say that you cannot find an exact word or phrase to describe something: They should behave, for want of a better word, decently.shallwell3not for want of (doing) somethingTRY TO DO OR GET STH used to say that even though something did not happen or succeed, it was not because you did not try hard enough or have what you needed: Well, if he doesn’t get the job it won’t be for want of trying!wintry4for want of anything better (to do) if you do something for want of anything better, you do it only because there is nothing else you want to do5lack [uncountable and countable] formalNOT HAVE something that you need but do not have: a disgraceful want of proper care6no food/money etc [uncountable]POOR a situation in which you do not have enough food, money, clothes etc: the chronic want and deprivation in the townshipstownship7be in want of something formalNEED to need something: The house is sadly in want of repair.be
noun [countable]Date: 1600-1700Language: French
Origin: rôle ‘roll, role’, from Old French rolle; → ROLL2 1TAKE PART/BE INVOLVEDthe way in which someone or something is involved in an activity or situation, and how much influence they have on itrole in
women’s role in societywomanthe role of diet in the prevention of diseaserole ofThey want to limit the role of government.2the character played by an actor in a play or film SYN partrole ofMatthews plays the role of a young doctor suspected of murder.playsuspectthe lead/leading/starring role (=the most important role)A young actor named Johnny Depp was given the leading role.namebegiveleadmajor/minor roleIt was Johansson's first major movie role.bethe title role (=the role of the character whose name is in the title of a film or play)The film features Paul Schofield in the title role.feature3role reversal a situation in which two people, especially a man and a woman, each do what is traditionally expected of the otherCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1verbsplay/have a role He played a prominent role in the company’s success.playtake on a role (also assume a role formal) (=start having it) Mr Jones took on the role of spokesperson for the organization.taketake a role Britain began to take a more active role in the affairs of Europe.beginaffairgive somebody a role Health experts should be given a key role in developing the correct procedures.expertshallgivedevelopprocedurecast somebody in a role written (=give someone a role, especially one they do not want) He found himself cast in the role of guide and translator.findadjectivesan important/major role She played an important role in her husband’s political career.playa key/central role The report recognized the key role of teachers.recognizeteachera vital/crucial/essential role Every member of the team has a vital role to play.havean active role (=when you do practical things to achieve particular aims) She took an active role in the community.takea leading role (=the most important role) They take a leading role in discussions.leaddiscussiona significant role Technology is already playing a significant role in classroom teaching.beplayteacha prominent role The military has played a prominent role in Burmese politics.haveplaya dual role (=when someone or something does two things) People have dual roles in society as producers and consumers.roleproducerconsumersb’s traditional role (=one based on ideas that have existed for a long time, without changing) Some women are happy with their traditional role as carers.womanbecarerCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2verbsplay a role She was the first actress to play the role of Peter Pan.behave a role His son has a small role in the series.havetake a role In the end, I decided not to take the role.decideland a role (=be given a role) In 1982 he landed a role in the musical 'Destry Rides Again'.landridecast somebody in a role (=give them a role) Television producers would not cast her in lead roles.producerwillroleadjectivesa major/big role It was his first major role.bea minor/small role He has had small roles in several other films.havehaverolefilmthe lead/leading role (=the most important role) He had already cast Tom Hanks in the lead role.havehanka starring role (=one of the most important roles) She was offered the starring role in a new British stage comedy.beofferstarthe title role (=the role of the character whose name is the title of the film or play) She will play the title role in ‘Emma’ later this year.latea supporting role (=not one of the main roles) Lee has a supporting role as Judy’s best friend,havesupportwella comic role She admits she is attracted to comic roles.admitbeattractrole
adjective, pronoun [always after a possessive]1OWNused to emphasize that something belongs to or is connected with a particular person or thing and not any other: Bring your own equipment.Every dance has its own rhythm.haveThe yacht was intended for the King’s own personal use.beintendHis face was only a few inches from her own.beinchof your ownWe have problems of our own.problemI’d like to have a place of my own (=my own home).your very own (=used to add more emphasis)One day I want to have a horse of my very own.something to call your own/which you can call your own (=something that belongs to you)She just wanted a place to call her own.want2INDEPENDENT PERSONHELPused to emphasize that someone did or made something without the help or involvement of anyone else: She makes a lot of her own clothes.makeclotheWe encourage students to develop their own ideas.studentideaIt’s your own fault for leaving the window open.leave3(all) on your own a)ALONEalone: I’ve been living on my own for four years now.beliveyearHe didn’t want to be left on his own.leave b)HELPwithout anyone’s help: You can’t expect him to do it all on his own.I can manage on my own, thanks.thank4for your own good/safety/benefit etc if you do something for someone’s own good etc, you do it to help them even though they might not like it or want it: I’m only telling you this for your own good.tellHe was kept away from the other prisoners for his own safety.bekeepprisoner5too nice/clever etc for your own good used to say that someone has too much of a good quality so that it may be a disadvantage: Stephen can be too generous for his own good.6get your own back (on somebody) informalREVENGE to do something bad to someone who has harmed you, as a way of punishing them → revenge: She wanted to get her own back on Liz for ruining her party.wantruin7be your own man/womanINDEPENDENT PERSON to have strong opinions and intentions that are not influenced by other people: Hilary’s very much her own woman.8make something your own to change or deal with something in a way that makes it seem to belong to you: Great singers can take an old song and make it their own.singer → come into your own at come1(6), → hold your own at hold1(24)GrammarUse own only after possessive words such as 'my', 'John’s', 'the company’s' etc: Few of them got back to their own country (NOT the own country).getDo not say 'an own car/room/computer etc'. Say a car/room/computer etc of your own: He soon had enough money to buy a truck of his own.have
ownverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesownownsownedowningownown2 S2 W2 verb [transitive not in progressive]Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: agnian, from agen ‘own’ Verb form1OWNto have something which belongs to you, especially because you have bought it, been given it etc and it is legally yours → possess:
The building is owned by the local council.buildbeownYou need to get permission from the farmer who owns the land.ownMany more people now own their own homes.homethe cost of owning a carownpublicly/privately owned British English (=belonging to the government or a private organization)a privately owned companyown2as if/as though/like you own the place informalCONFIDENT to behave in a way that is too confident and upsets other people: She acts like she owns the place!actownThey walked in as if they owned the place.walkown3old-fashionedTRUE to admit that something is trueown (that)I own that I judged her harshly at first.judgeown toI must own to a feeling of anxiety.feelTHESAURUSown if you own something, it legally belongs to you: They live in a flat but they don’t own it. | The land is owned by farmers.beownfarmer | a privately owned planeownhave [not in passive] to own something – used when focussing on the fact that someone has the use of something, rather than the fact that they legally own it: How many students have a cell phone?student | I wish I had a sports car.havesportpossess [not in passive] formal to own something: It is illegal to possess a firearm in Britain.be | I don’t even possess a smart suit!belong to somebody/something [not in passive] if something belongs to you, you own it: The ring belonged to my grandmother.belonghold to own shares in a company: One man holds a third of the company’s shares.holdsharebe the property of somebody/something formal to be owned by someone – written on signs, labels etc: This camera is the property of the BBC.beown up phrasal verb ADMITto admit that you have done something wrong, especially something that is not serious: Come on, own up. Who broke it?breakown up to (doing) somethingNo one owned up to breaking the window.ownbreakHe was too frightened to own up to his mistake.befrightenHe still wouldn’t own up to the fact that he’d lied.lie
adjective
Language: Old English
1no spaceFULL containing as much or as many things or people as possible, so there is no space left → empty: The train was completely full.beDon’t talk with your mouth full.The class is full, but you can register for next term.befull ofThe kitchen was full of smoke.bebe crammed/stuffed/packed etc full of somethingTed’s workshop was crammed full of old engines.becramenginehalf-full/three-quarters full etcMcQuaid filled his glass until it was three-quarters full.fillbequarterThe bath was full to the brim (=completely full) with hot water.befull (up) to bursting British English informal (=completely full)The filing cabinet was full to bursting.filebeburstRegisterIn everyday English, people often say that a place is packed when it is full of people:The trains are always packed in the rush hour.trainbepack2including everything [only before noun]COMPLETE complete and including all parts or details: Please write your full name and address on the form.The Health Centre offers a full range of services.offerserviceLotus will not reveal full details until the Motor Show.detailThe BBC promised a full investigation.promiseI don’t think he’s telling us the full story (=everything he knows about the matter).tell3highest amount/level [only before noun] the greatest amount or highest level of something that is possible SYN maximum: rising prosperity and full employmentriseThe charity helps disabled children reach their full potential.helpdisablechildFew customers take full advantage of off-peak fares.customerfareParker was driving at full speed when he hit the wall.bedrivein full leaf/bloomThe roses were now in full bloom.rosebe4having a lot of something be full of something a)FULLto contain many things of the same kind: a garden full of flowersflowerHis essay was full of mistakes.bemistakeThe music papers were full of gossip about the band.paperbeLife’s full of surprises, isn’t it?surprise b)EMOTIONALto feel, express, or show a lot of a particular emotion or qualityfull of excitement/energy/hope etcLucy was a happy child, always full of life.beHe was full of praise for the work of the unit.be c)to talk or think a lot about a particular thing: She was full of plans for the wedding.beplan5food (also full up British English) [not before noun]FULL having eaten so much food that you cannot eat any more: No more, thanks. I’m full.thank6emphasis [only before noun] used to emphasize an amount, quantity, or ratethree/six etc full days/years/pages etcWe devote five full days a month to training.daytrainHis pants rose a full three inches off his shoes.pantriseinchshoe7busy busy and involving lots of different activities: Before her illness, Rose enjoyed a full life.riseenjoyGo to bed. You’ve a full day tomorrow.8rank having or giving all the rights, duties etc that belong to a particular rank or positionfull professor/member/colonel etcOnly full members have the right to vote.membera full driving licencedrive9be full of yourself to have a high opinion of yourself – used to show disapproval: My first impression was that he was a bit full of himself.bebebite10be full of crap/shit/it not politeWRONG/INCORRECT a rude expression used to say that someone often says things that are wrong or stupid: Don’t listen to Jerry. He’s full of it.11clothes made using a lot of material and fitting loosely: a dress with a full skirt12body large and rounded in an attractive wayfull figure/face/breasts etcclothes for the fuller figureclothefull13taste having a strong satisfying taste: Now you can enjoy Nescafé's fuller flavour in a decaffeinated form.full → full-bodied14soundLOUD/NOISY pleasantly loud and deep: the rich full sound of the cello15full price not a reduced price: If you’re over 14, you have to pay full price.16in full view of somebodySEE so that all the people in a place can see, especially when this is embarrassing or shocking: The argument happened on stage in full view of the audience.happen17be in full swing if an event or process is in full swing, it has reached its highest level of activity: By 8.30, the party was in full swing.be18full speed/steam ahead doing something with as much energy and effort as possible: With last season’s misery behind them, it’s full steam ahead for the Bears.bear19be full of beans to be excited and have lots of energy20(at) full blast informal as strongly, loudly, or quickly as possible: The heater was on full blast but I was still cold.bebea car stereo playing Wagner at full blastplay21(at) full tilt/pelt moving as fast as possible: She ran full tilt into his arms.runarm22be in full cry if a group of people are in full cry, they are criticizing someone very strongly: Anyone who’s seen the world’s press in full cry can understand how Diana felt.seefeel23to the full (also to the fullest American English)COMPLETE in the best or most complete way: Ed believes in living life to the full.believelive24come/go/turn full circle to be in the same situation in which you began, even though there have been changes during the time in between: Fashion has come full circle and denim is back.havebe → fully, → have your hands full at hand1(29), → draw yourself up to your full height at draw up(4)THESAURUSfull containing as much or as many things or people as possible, so there is no space left: The train was nearly full.be | The cupboard was full of clothes.beclothe | He spilled a full cup of coffee on the carpet.spillfilled with something full of something – use this about a container when a lot of things have been put into it: The envelopes were filled with cash.envelopebefillstuffed full of something completely full of something – use this about a container when lots of things have been put into it, often in an untidy way: The case was stuffed full of clothes.bestuffclothepacked completely full of people – use this about a room, train etc: a packed restaurantpack | The courtroom will be packed with journalists.packjournalistbursting (with something) extremely full of something: Her wardrobe was bursting with coats and shoes.beburstcoatshoe | a small garden bursting with fruit and flowersburstflowercrammed so full that you cannot fit anyone or anything else in – often used when you think there are too many people or things: In summer, the hotels are crammed with tourists.hotelbecramtourist | The resort’s crammed beaches are uncomfortable in summer.crambeachbeteeming (with something) /ˈtiːmɪŋ/ full of people, animals etc that are all moving around: The rivers are teeming with fish.riverbeteemoverflowing used about a container that is so full that the liquid or things inside it come out over the top: an overflowing bathtuboverflow | The drawers were overflowing with magazines.drawerbeoverflowmagazineoverloaded used about a vehicle or a ship which has too many people or things in it: an overloaded fishing boatoverloadfish | The trucks are often grossly overloaded (=far too overloaded).truckbeoverload
fullnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesfullfullsfullfull2 noun in full including the whole of something: The debt must be paid in full.payHis statement on the handling of prisoners is worth quoting in full.handleprisonerbequote
fulladverbCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesfullfullfull3 adverb EXACTdirectlyfull on/inShe looked him full in the face as she spoke.lookspeak
prepositionDate: 1300-1400Origin: dure ‘to continue in existence’ (13-19 centuries), from Old French durer, from Latin durare 1DURINGfrom the beginning to the end of a period of time:
During the summer she worked as a lifeguard.workHe slept calmly during the early part of the night.sleepFoxes remain hidden during the day.foxhide2PERIOD OF TIMEat some point in a period of time: My father was killed during the war.bekillI mentioned the subject during our discussions at her Washington office.mentiondiscussion ► Do not say ‘during doing something’ or ‘during someone does something’. Use while: They chatted while waiting for the train (NOT during waiting for the train). | He stole her money while she slept (NOT during she slept).THESAURUSduring at one point in a period of time, or through the whole of a period of time: Did you hear the storm during the night?do | During the summer we spend a lot more time out of doors.doorall through (also throughout) /ɔːl ˈθruː, θruːˈaʊt/ during all of a period of time: The cafe’s closed all through the winter and opens again in April.closeopen | Throughout her career she has worked hard and achieved the highest standards.haveworkachievehighstandardover at one point or at various different points during a period of time: I’m going to redecorate my bedroom over the holidays.goholiday | She’s been a great help to me over the past year.bein the course of something formal during a particular process or period of time: In the course of the study we consulted with leading experts in global warming.consultleadexpertwarm | Many factors control the rise and fall of a species in the course of evolution.factor | There was huge social change in the course of the 1960s.bewithin during a period of time, or before the end of a period – used when you want to emphasize that it is a short or limited period: There have been five serious accidents within the last few days.beaccidentday | Payment must be made within 30 days.makeday | If we are inviting you for an interview, you will receive a letter within 14 days.beinviteday
conjunction1BEFOREearlier than a particular event or action OPP after: Say goodbye before you go.I saw her a few days before she died.seedaydie2PREVENTso that something does not or cannot happen: Put that money somewhere safe before it gets stolen.getstealThat dog ought to be destroyed before it attacks any more children.destroyattackchildBefore I could say anything more, Holmes had rushed off towards the station.canhaverush3used to say that something happens after a period of time: It was several minutes before we realised what was happening.beminutebehappenIt will be a while before we know the results.result4used to say that something must happen in order for something else to be possible: You have to pass a test before you can get a licence.5THREATEN spoken used to warn someone that something bad will happen to them if they do not do something: Get out before I call the police!6BEFOREused to emphasize that someone does not want to do something: She would die before she would admit she was wrong.willwillbeGrammarIn a clause beginning with before that refers to the future, use the present tense or present perfect, not 'will': I want to get home before it rains (NOT before it will rain).rain
beforeprepositionCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesbeforebeforebefore2 S1 W1 prepositionLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: beforan, from foran ‘before’, from fore; → FORE- 1BEFOREearlier than something or someone OPP after:
The new road should be completed before the end of the year.shallcompleteLet’s meet at our house before the show.Larry arrived home before me.arrivefive minutes/two hours etc before somethingHugh arrived just five minutes before the ceremony.arriveminutebefore doing somethingI usually take a shower before having my breakfast.haveWe only got back from Scotland the day before yesterday (=two days ago).getOther students joined in the protest, and before long (=soon) there was a crowd of 200 or so.studentjoinbe2BEFOREahead of someone or something else in a list or order OPP after: You were before me in the queue.beThe files are in alphabetical order, so B1 comes before C1.filebecome3FRONTused to say that something happens where it can be watched by people SYN in front of: Italy will face Brazil this afternoon before a crowd of 100,000 spectators.spectatoran actor who had performed before the Queenhaveperform4SHOW/LET SB SEE STHused to say that someone or something comes to be judged or considered by a person or group of people: The proposal was put before the planning committee.beplan5IMPORTANTused to say that one thing or person is considered more important than another: I put my wife and kids before anyone else.kidIn the air transport business, safety must always come before profit.6formalFRONT in front of something or someone: The priest stood before the altar.standThe sea stretched out before them.stretch7FRONTif one place is before another place on a road or journey, the first place is nearer to you than the second, so you will reach it first OPP after: The pub is 100 m before the church on the right.bethe last station before the Simplon Tunnel8formalDO if there is a job or situation before you, you will have to do the job or face the situation SYN ahead of: The task of emptying the house lay before us.emptylie9formalBEFORE if a period of time is before you, it is about to start and you can do what you want during it SYN in front of: We had a glorious summer afternoon before us to do as we pleased.havepleaseYou have your whole life before you.THESAURUSbefore earlier than something or someone: She could read before she started school.canstart | Do you want to have a shower before me?prior to formal before something happens: Please arrive at the airport two hours prior to departure.hourby no later than a particular time or date: The children are usually in bed by 9 o'clock.childbe | We have to be out of our hotel room by 10 o'clock.earlier before now, or before the time you are talking about: I saw her earlier.seeearly | I had sent the letter earlier in the week.havesendearlypreviously before now, or before a time in the past: He previously worked as an electrician.work | The show starred a previously unknown actress called Jennifer Aniston.starcallin advance before something happens – used especially when talking about the arrangements for something: Let me know in advance if you are going to be late.bego | The landlord wants three months’ rent in advance.wantmonthrendbeforehand (also ahead of time) before something happens, especially so that you are ready: I wish we had known about all this beforehand.haveknow | It’s always best to decide beforehand how much you want to pay.well
beforeadverbCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesbeforebeforebefore3 S1 W1 adverb1BEFOREat an earlier time: Haven’t I met you before somewhere?meetNever before had he seen so many people starving.haveseestarveShe looked just the same as before.look2the day/week/month etc before the previous day, week, month etc OPP after: She was in Paris last week and in Rome the week before.be3FRONT old use ahead of someone or something else: The king’s herald walked before.walk
adverbLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: elles 1[used after words beginning with ‘some-’, ‘every-’, ‘any-’, and ‘no-’, and after question words] a)AND/ALSObesides or in addition to someone or something:
There’s something else I’d like to talk about as well.I’d like you to come, and anyone else who’s free.He was awake now, as was everyone else.bebeWho else was at the party?be‘Two coffees, please.’ ‘Anything else?’ ‘No, thanks.’coffeethankAbove all else (=more than any other things) she was seeking love.beseek b)AND/ALSOused to talk about a different person, thing, place etc: I’d like to live anywhere else but here.If I can’t trust you, who else can I trust?2or else spoken a)used to say that there will be a bad result if someone does not do something: Hurry up or else we’ll miss the train. b)used to say what another possibility might be: The salesman will reduce the price or else include free insurance. c)used to threaten someone: Hand over the money, or else!3British English spokenONLY used after a question word to say that the thing, person, or place you have mentioned is the only one possible: ‘What are you doing?’ ‘Waiting for you, what else?’bedowait4what else can somebody do/say?DIFFERENT spoken used to say that it is impossible to do or say anything apart from what has been mentioned: ‘Will you really sell the house?’ ‘What else can I do? I can’t live here.’ → if nothing else at nothing1(11), → be something else at something(9)GrammarWhen you want to use the possessive form of 'someone else', 'anyone else', or 'no one else', you should add 's to else, not to 'someone' etc: Don’t use someone else’s ideas (NOT ... someone’s else ideas).ideaidea
noun [countable]1PARTone of the groups of people who work together in a particular part of a large organization such as a hospital, university, company, or government: the personnel departmentthe English departmentdepartment ofthe Department of the Environment2SHOP/STOREan area in a large shop where a particular type of product is sold: the toy department3be sb’s department spokenRESPONSIBLE if something is someone’s department, they are responsible for it or know a lot about it: I’ll see what I can do, but it’s not really my department.4spoken a particular part of someone’s character, or a particular part of a larger activity or subject: Dave was lacking in the trustworthiness department.belack—departmentaldepartmental /ˌdiːpɑːtˈmentl◂ $ -ɑːr-/ adjective: a departmental meetingmeetCOLLOCATIONSNOUN + departmenta government department The Home Office is the government department responsible for prisons.beprisona university department University departments are generally judged by their research quality.departmentbejudgethe Biology/Maths/History etc department (=in a university or school) the Chemistry department at Southampton Universitythe finance/marketing/design etc department (=in a company) He worked in the sales department of a small software company.worksalethe outpatient/casualty etc department (=in a hospital) I had to go to the physiotherapy department for treatment twice a week.havedepartment + NOUNa department head These decisions are made by the department head.decisionbemakea department manager (=in a company) After two years, he was promoted to the job of department manager.yearbepromotea department official (=in a government department) a senior justice department officialdepartment staff (=people working in a department) All department staff will be affected by the new working hours.affectworkhourphrasesthe Department of Health/Trade/Education etc (=in a government) the U.S. Department of Agriculturea member of a department (=a person working in a department) All members of the Biology Department are actively committed to research.memberbecommit
determiner, adjective1BEFOREmost recent or nearest to the present time → next(12): I hadn’t seen him since the last meeting.seemeetlast night/week/year etcDid you see the game on TV last night?doThe law was passed last August.bepassInterest in golf has grown rapidly in the last ten years.havegrowyearThings have changed since the last time (=the most recent occasion) you were here.thingchangebe2LASThappening or existing at the end, with no others after OPP first: I didn’t read the last chapter of the book.The next meeting will be held in the last week in June.meetholdthe last person/thing etc to do somethingAnna was the last person to see him alive.belast but one/two etc (=last except for one other, two others etc)on the last but one day of his trialsecond/next to last (=last except for one other)the second to last paragraph3REMAIN/BE LEFTremaining after all others have gone, been used etc: Can I have the last piece of cake?every last (=used to emphasize that you mean all of something)All the money was gone; every last penny of it.bego4the last minute/moment the latest possible time before something happens: Travelers will find it hard to get a hotel room at the last minute.travelerHe never makes a decision until almost the last moment.make5the last person/thingEXPECT used to make a strong negative statement about someone or something: She’s the last person I’d expect to meet in a disco (=I would not expect to meet her in a disco at all).Money was the last thing I cared about right now.becarethe last thing somebody needs/wantsThe last thing she needed was for me to start crying too.needbecry6be the last straw to be the final thing in a series of annoying things that makes someone very angry: He’d broken his promise again, and it was the last straw.breakbe7last thing (at night)LATE at the very end of the day: Take a couple of these pills last thing at night to help you sleep.pill8on your last legs informal a)TIREDvery tired: Sarah looks as if she’s on her last legs.lookleg b)ILLvery ill and likely to die soon9on its last legs informalCONDITION/STATE OF STH old or in bad condition, and likely to stop working soon: The car’s on its last legs.leg10be the last word in somethingBEST to be the best, most modern, or most comfortable example of something: It’s the last word in luxury holidays.holiday → last resort at resort1(2), → with your last/dying breath at breath(9), → last hurrah, → have the last laugh at laugh2(6), → the last/final word at word1(14)THESAURUSthe one before this onelast most recent or nearest to the present time: His last film was much better.bewell | It rained all day last Saturday.rain | The last time I saw her was two years ago.seebeyearprevious before this one, or before the one that you are talking about: See the diagram in the previous chapter. | His previous records had all been jazz records.recordhaveberecord | How much were you earning in your previous job?beearnformer [only before noun] formal existing or having a particular position in the past, but not now: the former Soviet Union | the former US president | Interest rates are unlikely to return to their former level.ratebe | the former Chief Executiveold [only before noun] used about a person or thing that existed in the past, but has been replaced by a newer one: an old boyfriend | The old model was much slower.beslowthe one that comes at the endlast [only before noun] happening or existing at the end, with no others after: What time does the last train leave?do | Our house is the last one on the right.befinal [only before noun] last in a series of actions, events, parts of a story etc: It’s the final game of the championship tomorrow. | the final scene of the filmclosing [only before noun] used about the last part of a long period of time, or of an event, book etc that has been exciting or interesting: the closing years of the twentieth centurycloseyear | Barnes scored the winning goal in the closing minutes of the game.scorewincloseminuteconcluding [only before noun] used about the last part of a piece of writing, a speech, or an organized event, that ends it in a definite way: the concluding section of the reportconclude | the judge’s concluding remarksconcluderemarkpenultimate /peˈnʌltəmət, peˈnʌltɪmət, pə-/ [only before noun] the one before the last one: the penultimate chapter
lastadverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleslastlastlast2 S1 W1 adverb1BEFOREmost recently before now → next: When I last saw her, she was working in New York.seebework2LASTafter everything or everyone else OPP first: Who is speaking last?bespeakAdd the flour last.last of all (=used when giving a final point or piece of information)Last of all, I’d like to thank everyone for coming.come3last but not leastLAST used when mentioning the last person or thing in a list, to emphasize that they are still important: Last but not least, let me introduce Jane, our new secretary.little
lastnounCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus exampleslastlastslastlast3 S1 W1 noun, pronoun1the lastLAST the person or thing that comes after all the others OPP first: I think this box is the last.bethe last to do somethingHe was the first to arrive and the last to leave.be2at (long) lastEVENTUALLY if something happens at last, it happens after you have been hoping, waiting, or working for it a long time: At last it was time to leave.beWe reached the summit at last.reach3the day/week/year etc before lastBEFORE the day, week etc before the one that has just finished: I sent the letter off the week before last.send4the last of somethingREMAIN/BE LEFT the remaining parts of something: John ate the last of the bread at lunchtime.eat5somebody hasn’t heard the last of somebody/somethingFINISH/COME TO AN END if you have not heard the last of someone or something, they may return and cause problems for you in the future: We haven’t heard the last of football violence.hear6somebody will never hear the last of something if you will never hear the last of something, someone will be angry with you about it for a long time: If my mother sees me, I’ll never hear the last of this.see7the last I heard spokenRECENTLY used to tell someone the most recent news that you know about a person or situation: The last I heard, she was at college studying law.hearbestudy8to the last formalEND until the end of an event or the end of someone’s life: He died in 1987, insisting to the last he was innocent.dieinsistbe
lastverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleslastlastslastedlastinglastlast4 S1 W2 verbLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: læstan ‘to last, follow’ Verb form1[intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive]LAST FOR A PERIOD OF TIME to continue for a particular length of timelast for/until/through etc
The hot weather lasted for the whole month of June.lastlast an hour/ten minutes etcEach lesson lasts an hour.lastThe ceasefire didn’t last long.2[intransitive and transitive]CONTINUE/NOT STOP to continue to exist, be effective, or remain in good condition for a long time: This good weather won’t last.winlast (somebody) two days/three weeks etcA good coat will last you ten years.yearCut flowers will last longer if you put flower food in the water.flowerlong3[intransitive always + adverb/preposition] (also last out (something) British English)SURVIVE to manage to remain in the same situation, even when this is difficult: They won’t be able to last much longer without fresh supplies.winlongsupplyIf you go into the job with that attitude, you won’t last long.winShe feared she might not be able to last out the afternoon in court without fainting.fearfaint4[intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition]ENOUGH to be enough for someone for a period of time SYN dolast (somebody) for/until/to etcThe batteries should last for 20 hours playing time.batteryshallhourplayWe only had $50 to last us the rest of the month.haveTHESAURUSto continue to happencontinue to happen without stopping: The good weather seems likely to continue.seem | Unless there are serious negotiations, the fighting will continue.benegotiationfight | Some people have lost work, and this will continue to happen until the computer system is fixed.losebefix | The review process is expected to continue for several weeks.beexpectweeklast to continue – use this to say how long something continues for: I know my good luck won’t last forever.win | It’s not certain how long the ceasefire will last. | The trial lasted for six days.lastday | The meeting lasted until lunchtime.meetlast | The training period lasted from July 2 to August 25.trainlastgo on to continue, especially for a long time: Disputes between neighbours can go on for years.disputeneighbouryearcarry on British English to continue, especially when there are problems: The game carried on despite the injury of two players.carryplayerdrag on to continue for much longer than necessary or for longer than you want: The meeting dragged on for another hour.meetdrag | The talks dragged on, with no apparent hope of achieving a peaceful solution.talkdragachievepersist formal if something bad persists, it continues to exist or happen: See your doctor if the symptoms persist.symptom | If adverse weather conditions persist, the game will be cancelled.conditioncancel
lastnounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Word sets 1Phrases from other entriesCorpus exampleslastlastslastlast5 noun [countable]Language: Old EnglishOrigin: læste, from last ‘footmark’ a piece of wood or metal shaped like a human foot, used by someone who makes and repairs shoes
nounDate: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: acort, from acorder; → ACCORD2 1of sb’s/sth’s own accordWILLING without being asked or forced to do something:
He decided to go of his own accord.decideThe door seemed to move of its own accord.seem2[uncountable] formal a situation in which two people, ideas, or statements agree with each otherbe in accord with somethingThese results are in accord with earlier research.resultbeearlyin perfect/complete accordIt is important to the success of any firm that its partners should be in complete accord.bepartnershall3[countable]AGREE a formal agreement between countries or groups: the Helsinki accord on human rightsright4with one accord formal if two or more people do something with one accord, they do it together or at the same time: There was a silence as the women turned with one accord to stare at Doreen.bewomanturn
accordverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from this entryOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesaccordaccordsaccordedaccordingaccordaccord2 verb formalDate: 1100-1200Language: Old French
Origin: acorder, from Vulgar Latin accordare, from Latin ad- ‘to’ + cor ‘heart’ Verb form1[transitive]ATTENTION to give someone or something special attention or a particular type of treatment:
You will not be accorded any special treatment.accordaccord something to something/somebodyEvery school accords high priority to the quality of teaching.accordteach2accord with somethingAGREE to match or agree with something: The punishments accorded with the current code of discipline.punishmentaccord
adjectiveWord family1AVAILABLEsomething that is available is able to be used or can easily be bought or found: Tickets are available from the box office.ticketbeavailable toNot enough data is available to scientists.datumbescientistavailable to do somethingFunds are available to assist teachers who want to attend the conference.fundbeteacheravailable forNo figures are available for the number of goods sold.figurebenumbgoodsellavailable inThere are plenty of jobs available in the area.bejobreadily/widely available (=very easy to obtain)Parking is readily available near the station entrance.parkbeMeetings were held to update employees as soon as new information became available.meetingbeholdemployeebecomeFurther building can continue when money is made available.farbuildbemakeEvery available space on the wall was covered in pictures.becoverpictureRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say that a book, record etc is out rather than available:His new album is out now.be2AVAILABLE[not before noun] someone who is available is not busy and has enough time to talk to you: Collins was not available for comment on Thursday night.be3RELATIONSHIPsomeone who is available does not have a wife, boyfriend etc, and therefore may want to start a new romantic relationship with someone else—availabilityavailabilitiesavailability /əˌveɪləˈbɪləti, əˌveɪləˈbɪlɪti/ noun [uncountable]: the availability of affordable housinghouseRooms are offered subject to availability.roombeofferCOLLOCATIONSverbsbecome available Luckily a house soon became available for us.becomemake something available With the Internet it is possible to make learning available wherever it is needed.belearnbeneedadverbsbe easily/readily/freely available (=easy to get) The material used was cheap and readily available.usebebe widely available (=available in many places) Organic food is now widely available.beadjectivesthe best available We use the best available technology.wellphrasesthe only available something One small tree was the only available protection from the sun.bethe nearest available something Ruth sat down in the nearest available armchair.sitnearevery available something You should practise speaking the language at every available opportunity.shallspeakTHESAURUSavailable if something is available, you can buy it, get it, or use it: Are there any tickets still available for Saturday?beticket | There’s no room for more books – we’ve used up all the available space.bookusefree if a seat or room is free, it is not being used by anyone: Excuse me, is this seat free?be | The hotel never has any free rooms over the Christmas period.haveroomvacant if a house or room is vacant, it is available for someone to use or rent: If you’re looking for somewhere to rent, I think there’s a vacant apartment in my building.lookrendbuild | I’ll ask around and see if there’s a room vacant somewhere. | The sign on the toilet said ‘vacant’.sayspare a spare room, key, tyre etc is one that you have in addition to the ones that you normally use, and is therefore available to be used: We have a spare room you can stay in. | There’s a spare key in this drawer. | I got the spare tyre out of the back of the car.getempty an empty room, building etc has no one in it: The house was empty for two months before it was sold.bemonthbesell | They have three empty rooms now that the kids have moved out.roomkidmoveon offer if something is on offer, it is available for people to choose from: There is a huge network of cycle tracks on offer.betrack | Other facilities on offer in this excellent hotel include a hairdressing salon, a coffee shop, and a children's play room.facilitychild | the variety of delicious fruits on offerfruittaken [not before noun] if a seat or room is taken, it is not available for other people to use, because someone has already arranged to use it: I’m sorry – that seat is taken.betake | I’m afraid all our rooms are taken at the moment.roombetake
nounWord family1[countable]DECIDE a choice or judgment that you make after a period of discussion or thought: Do you ever wonder if you made the right decision?makedecision to do somethingShe refused to discuss her decision to quit the group.refusedecision about/onWe finally came to a firm decision on the matter.comedecision as to which/whether/who etcViewers make the final decision as to who should be eliminated from the competition.viewershalleliminateThe judges’ decision is final (=it will not be changed).judgebe2[uncountable]DECIDE the quality someone has that makes them able to make choices or judgments quickly and confidently OPP indecision: the ability to act with speed and decision3[uncountable]DECIDE the act of deciding something: The Court has the ultimate power of decision.haveCOLLOCATIONSverbsmake a decision I want to think about it a bit longer before I make a decision.bitelongtake a decision British English (=make an important or formal decision) I fully accept the decision taken by the committee.takereach/come to/arrive at a decision (=make a decision after a lot of thought) We hope they will reach their decision as soon as possible.regret a decision (=wish you had not made a particular decision) I was already regretting my decision to go on holiday with him.beregretreconsider a decision (=think about changing a decision you have made) He said he wasn't prepared to reconsider his decision.saypreparereverse a decision (=change a decision) They want him to reverse his decision to quit.overrule/overturn a decision (=officially change a decision by another person or group) A director of the company had overruled that decision.haveoverrulepostpone a decision (=not make a decision until later) The government has postponed its decision about when to hold the election.havepostponeadjectivesan important decision My father made all the important decisions.makedecisiona big decision (=an important decision) Marriage is a big decision.bea major decision (=very important) The government now has some major decisions to make.havedecisiona difficult/hard/tough decision In the end I took the difficult decision to retire early.takea good decision It was a good decision to change the name of the product.bea bad decision I think he made a bad decision.makethe right decision She chose to study Engineering and it was definitely the right decision.chooseengineerbethe wrong decision I thought I'd made the wrong decision marrying Jeff.thinkmakemarrya conscious/deliberate decision (=one that you have thought about clearly) Belinda had made a conscious decision to have a baby.havemakea clear/firm decision (=a definite one) It's now time to come to a clear decision on this.a final decision (=one that will not be changed) The council will make a final decision in four months.montha snap decision (=one that you make extremely quickly) Police officers often have to make snap decisions on how to act.officerdecisiona controversial decision (=that people disagree about) The history of the law is full of controversial decisions.bedecisiona hasty decision (=one that you make without enough thought) Don't let yourself be forced into making hasty decisions.forcemakedecisiona joint decision (=one that two people make together) Jo and I made a joint decision that we should separate.makeshalla collective decision (=one that a number of people make together) Society should take collective decisions about individual rights and responsibilities.shalldecisionrightresponsibility
the past tense and a past participle of getGrammarYou cannot use got on its own as a present tense meaning 'have' or 'has' in standard English. Say that someone has something or has got something: We've got (NOT We got) some ideas.getgetidea
adjective (comparative blacker, superlative blackest)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: blæc 1COLOURcolour having the darkest colour, like coal or night:
a black evening dressevenjet/inky black (=very dark)jet black hair2no light very dark because there is no light: It was still pitch black (=very dark) out.be3PEOPLEpeople (also Black) a)belonging to the race of people who originally came from Africa and who have dark brown skin → white: Over half the students are black.studentbe b)[only before noun] relating to black people: politics from a black perspectiveBlack and Asian music4TEA/COFFEEdrink [only before noun] black coffee or tea does not have milk in it OPP white: Black coffee, no sugar, please.5DIRTYdirty informal very dirtybe black with soot/dirt/age etc6WITHOUT HOPESAD/UNHAPPYwithout hope sad and without hope for the future: the blackest period of European historyblacka mood of black despairIt’s been another black day for the car industry, with more job losses announced.belossannounce7humour making jokes about serious subjects, especially death: a very black joke8ANGRYangry [only before noun] full of feelings of anger or hate → blackly: Denise gave me a black look.give9a black mark (against somebody) if there is a black mark against you, someone has a bad opinion of you because of something you have done10not be as black as you are paintedBAD PERSON not to be as bad as people say you are11badBAD literary very bad: black deedsdeed—blacknessblacknessesblackness noun
blacknounCollocations from other entriesActivator 1Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesblackblacksblackblack2 noun1[uncountable] the dark colour of coal or night: You look good wearing black.wear → coal-black2(also Black) [countable] someone who belongs to the race of people who originally came from Africa and who have dark brown skin → white: laws that discriminated against blackslawdiscriminateblack3be in the black to have money in your bank account OPP be in the red
blackverbCollocations from other entriesActivator 1Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplesblackblacksblackedblackingblackblack3 verb [transitive]Verb form1British English if a trade union blacks goods or a company, it refuses to work with them: The union has blacked all non-urgent work.haveblack2old-fashioned to make something blackblack out phrasal verb1to become unconscious SYN faint, pass out: For a few seconds, he thought he was going to black out.secondthinkbego2MARKblack something ↔ out to put a dark mark over something so that it cannot be seen: The censors had blacked out several words.censorhaveblackword3LIGHTblack something ↔ out to hide or turn off all the lights in a town or city, especially during war → blackout
verb
Word familyDate: 1100-1200Language: Old French
Origin: changier, from Latin cambiare ‘to exchange’ Verb form1become different/make something different [intransitive and transitive]CHANGE/BECOME DIFFERENT to become different, or to make something become different:
Susan has changed a lot since I last saw her.havechangeseeChanging your eating habits is the best way to lose weight.changeeathabitbewellThe leaves on trees change colour in the autumn.leavetreechange (from something) to somethingHe changed from being a nice lad to being rude and unhelpful.changebebechange intoThe hissing sound gradually changed into a low hum.hisschangechange somebody/something into somethingA witch had changed him into a mouse.havechangechange something to somethingMueller changed his name to Miller when he became a U.S. citizen.changebecome2start doing/using something different [intransitive and transitive] to stop doing or using one thing, and start doing or using something else instead SYN switch: She changed jobs in May.changejobchange (from something) to somethingThe company has recently changed to a more powerful computer system.havechangeThe ship changed course and headed south.changeheadThe company has had to change direction because of developments in technology.havehavedevelopmentPiper awkwardly tried to change the subject (=talk about something else).try3replace something [transitive]REPLACE to put or use something new or different in place of something else, especially because it is old, damaged, or broken: Three boys were changing a tyre by the side of the road.boybechangeWhen I lost my keys, we had to change all the locks.losekeyhavelockchange something (from something) to somethingThe time of the meeting has been changed from 11 a.m. to 10:30.meethavebechangeHow often do you change cars (=buy a new car and sell the old one)?car4change your mindCHANGE YOUR MIND to change your decision, plan, or opinion about something: Her father tried to get her to change her mind.trychange your mind aboutIf you change your mind about the job, just give me a call.5change sides to leave one party, group etc and join an opposing party, group etc: It’s quite rare for politicians to change sides.politicianside6clothes a)[intransitive and transitive]TAKE OFF CLOTHES to take off your clothes and put on different ones: Francis came in while Jay was changing.comebechangeChange your dress – that one looks dirty.lookchange into/out ofSara changed into her swimsuit and ran out for a quick swim.changerunYou’d better go and get changed.wellchange b)[transitive] to put a clean nappy on a baby, or to put clean clothes on a baby or small child: I bathed him and changed his diaper.bathchangeCan you change the baby?7bed [transitive] to take the dirty sheets off a bed and put on clean ones8exchange goods [transitive] British EnglishEXCHANGE a)to take back to a shop something that you have bought and get something different instead, especially because there is something wrong with it SYN exchange American Englishchange something for somethingI bought these gloves for my daughter, but they’re too large. Can I change them for a smaller size?buyglovesmall b)to give a customer something different instead of what they have bought, especially because there is something wrong with it SYN exchange American English: I’m sure the shop will change them for you.9exchange money [transitive] a)EXCHANGEto get smaller units of money that add up to the same value as a larger unit: Can you change a £20 note? b)to get money from one country for the same value of money from another countrychange something into/for somethingI want to change my dollars into pesos, please.dollarpeso10trains/buses/aircraft [intransitive and transitive] to get off one train, bus, or aircraft and into another in order to continue your journeychange atPassengers for Liverpool should change at Crewe.passengershallchange trains/buses/planes etcI had to change planes in Denver.haveplaneall change! (=used to tell passengers to get off a train because it does not go any further)11change handsOWN if property changes hands, it starts to belong to someone else: The house has changed hands three times in the last two years.havechangehandtimeyear12change places (with somebody) a)EXCHANGEto give someone your place and take their place: Would you mind changing places with me so I can sit next to my friend?willchangeplace b)EXCHANGEto take someone else’s social position or situation in life instead of yours: She may be rich, but I wouldn’t want to change places with her.place13gear [intransitive and transitive] to put the engine of a vehicle into a higher or lower gear in order to go faster or slowerchange (into/out of) gearChange into second gear as you approach the corner.change up/down British English: Change down before you get to the hill.14change your tuneCHANGE YOUR MIND informal to start expressing a different attitude and reacting in a different way, after something has happened: The question is, will the president change his tune on taxes?betax15wind [intransitive] if the wind changes, it starts to blow in a different direction16change your spots to change your character completely: US business has changed its spots in recent years.havechangespotyear → chop and change at chop1(3)COLLOCATIONSadverbsdramatically/drastically/radically (=a lot) People’s work environment has changed dramatically in the past twenty years.havechangeyearcompletely His life had completely changed since he met Anya.havechangemeetconsiderably He has changed considerably in four years.havechangeyearsignificantly The legal system has changed significantly since the rule was established.havechangebeestablishfundamentally The political situation has fundamentally changed.havechangerapidly/quickly The market for phones is changing rapidly.phonebechangeslowly/gradually Things are gradually changing.thingbechangechange overnight (=very quickly) Old habits cannot be changed overnight.habitchangenounschanging circumstances/conditions The human brain adapts quickly to changing conditions.adaptchangeconditionchanging attitudes Changing attitudes cause traditional ways of life to disappear.changeattitudewaythe changing role of somebody the changing role of women in societychangewomanchanging patterns of work/behaviour etc Changing patterns of work mean that more people are able to work from home.changepatternbea changing environment In order to survive, you must adapt to a changing environment.changea changing world Children are growing up in a changing world.childbegrowchangechanging times (=a period of time when a lot is changing) We live in changing times.changetimeTHESAURUSto change somethingchange to make someone or something different: Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do to change the situation. | Being at college has changed her – she’s much more confident now.behavechangealter especially written tochange something so that it is better or more suitable: You can alter the colour and size of the image using a remote control.use | Can we alter the date of the meeting?meetadapt to change something slightly in order to improve it or make it more suitable: How much would it cost to adapt the existing equipment?willexist | You can adapt the recipe to suit your own requirements.requirementadjust to make small changes in the position or level of something in order to improve it or make it more suitable: How do you adjust the volume on the television? | He adjusted his tie in the mirror.adjustmodify especially written to make small changes to something such as a piece of equipment, a set of ideas, or a way of behaving in order to improve it or use it in a different way: He’s modified his opinions since then.modifyopinion | a modified version of the original program.modifyreform to change a law, system, organization etc so that it is fairer or more effective: plans to reform the tax systemplan | Health care needs to be completely reformed.needreformrevise to change a plan, idea, law etc because of new information and ideas: In July, China revised the rules for foreign investment.reviserule | The findings could force the scientists to revise their ideas about climate change.findingcanscientistideareorganize to change the way that a system or organization works: We’ve had to reorganize our databasehave | During the 1980s, the government reorganized the civil service.reorganizerestructure to make big changes to the way something is organized, especially a large political or economic system or a big company, in order to make it more effective: The company has been restructured from top to bottom.haveberestructureto change something completelytransform to change something completely, especially so that it is much better: Well, you’ve certainly transformed this place – it looks great!transformlook | Putin transformed the Russian economy.transformrevolutionize to completely and permanently change the way people do something or think about something, especially because of a new idea or invention: Computers have revolutionized the way we work.computerrevolutionize | This important discovery revolutionized our understanding of the universe.revolutionizeunderstandto change something in order to deceive peopledistort to explain facts, statements etc in a way that makes them seem different from what they really are: The judge said that she had deliberately tried to distort the facts.sayhavetryfact | Don’t try to distort the truth.twist to dishonestly change the meaning of a piece of information or of something that someone has said, in order to get an advantage for yourself or to support your own opinion: He accused reporters of twisting his words.accusereportertwistword | In her article she twisted the meaning of what I said.twistmeansaymisrepresent to give people a wrong idea about someone or their opinions, by what you write or say: I hope I have not misrepresented her opinion.misrepresent | He’s taking legal action to stop the film, claiming it grossly misrepresents him.takeclaimmisrepresentchange something ↔ around phrasal verb MOVE STH OR SBto move things into different positions: When we’d changed the furniture around, the room looked bigger.changelookbigchange over phrasal verb to stop doing or using one thing and start doing or using another → changeover: Complete all the exercises on one leg, then change over.exercisechange over toWe hope to change over to the new software by next month.
changenounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1 2Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleschangechangeschangechange2 S1 W1 noun
Word family1things becoming different [uncountable and countable]CHANGE/BECOME DIFFERENT the process or result of something or someone becoming different: I find it hard to cope with change.scientists worried about climatic changescientistworrychange inchanges in the immigration lawschangelawA change in personality may mean your teenager has a drug problem.havechange ofa change of temperatureNo major changes were made to the book.changebemakechange for the better/worse (=a change that makes a situation better or worse)There was a change for the better in the patient’s condition.bewellsocial/political/economic etc changethe sweeping political changes after the fall of communismsweepchangeShe had a change of heart (=change in attitude) and decided to stay.havedecideFamily life has undergone dramatic change in recent years.haveundergoyear2from one thing to another [countable]CHANGE FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHER the fact of one thing or person being replaced by another: The car needs an oil change.needchange ofa change of governmenta change of addresschange from something to somethingthe gradual change from grasslands to true desertgrasslandThe government has made some major policy changes.havemakechange3pleasant new situation [singular]DIFFERENT a situation or experience that is different from what happened before, and is usually interesting or enjoyablechange fromThe morning was cool; a welcome change from the heat of the day before.befor a changeHow about dinner out for a change?it/that makes a change (=used to say that something is better than and different from usual)‘Ron’s buying the drinks.’ ‘That makes a change.’buydrinkmakechange of scene/air/pace etc (=when you go to a different place or do something different)The patients benefit greatly from a change of scenery.patienta change is as good as a rest (=used to say that starting to do something different is as good as having a rest)4money [uncountable] a)MONEYthe money that you get back when you have paid for something with more money than it costs: Here’s your change, sir. b)money in the form of coins, not paper moneyin changeI have about a dollar in change.Matt emptied the loose change from his pockets.emptypocketA beggar asked for some spare change (=coins that you do not need).ask c)coins or paper money that you give in exchange for the same amount of money in a larger unitchange for £1/$10Excuse me, have you got change for a pound?getmake change American English (=give someone change)Can you make change for $20?5small change a)coins you have that do not have a high value: I only had about a pound in small change.have b)used to emphasize that something is a small amount of money when it is compared to a larger amount: The program costs $20 million a year, small change by Washington standards.coststandard6change of clothes/underwear etcCLOTHES an additional set of clothes that you have with you, for example when you are travelling7train/bus/aircraft [countable] a situation in which you get off one train, bus, or aircraft and get on another in order to continue your journey: Even with a change of trains, the subway is quicker than a cab at rush hour.trainbequick8get no change out of somebody British English spokenHELP to get no useful information or help from someone: I wouldn’t bother asking Richard – you’ll get no change out of him.ask → ring the changes at ring2(6)COLLOCATIONSadjectivesbig/major Going to a new school is a big change for children.gobechildslight/small/minor The proposed changes were relatively minor.proposechangebegradual There has been a gradual change in the weather.havebedramatic/drastic/radical (=very big, especially in way that is surprising) The Industrial Revolution was a period of dramatic change.besignificant The change in blood pressure was not significant.bemarked (=very noticeable) There was a marked change in his behaviour.bemarkfundamental Reducing waste requires a fundamental change in attitude.reducerequiresocial/political/economic etc change Demands for political and social change are growing.demandbegrowsweeping changes (=affecting many things or people, especially because of an official decision) There are likely to be sweeping changes in the company.besweepchangefar-reaching changes (=important and having a great effect that will last a long time) The Internet has brought about far-reaching changes in the way we work.havebringreachchangeverbsmake a change We've had to make some changes to the design.havechangeintroduce a change A number of changes were introduced to the curriculum.numbchangebeintroducebring (about) change (also effect a change formal) (=cause change) The war brought about radical social change.bring | Treatment is aimed at effecting a change in the child’s negative behaviour.beaimeffectsee/notice/observe a change I saw a big change in her when I met her again.seemeetundergo a change (=be affected by a change) The body undergoes a number of changes during this time.undergonumbchangesignal a change (=be a sign of a change) Does this move signal a change in US foreign policy?dophrasesthe pace/rate of change People sometimes feel alarmed by the pace of technological change.alarmTHESAURUSchange noun [uncountable and countable] a situation in which someone or something becomes different, or the act of making something different: There was a sudden change in the weather.be | We are living in a period of great change.belive | He was told to make some slight changes to his essay.betellchangealteration noun [uncountable and countable] a change, especially a small one that happens naturally or gradually, or one that is made in order to improve something: I noticed a slight alteration in her behaviour.notice | They had to make some alterations to their original theory.havealterationreform noun [uncountable and countable] a change made to a system or law in order to improve it: He called for a reform of our outdated voting system.callvote | Many people opposed the economic reforms.opposereformshift noun [countable] a change, especially in people’s attitudes or in the way they do things, or in the position of someone or something: a shift in public opinion about the war | There has been a noticeable shift in government policy on education.havebe | There needs to be a major shift away from road transport to rail transport.need | After he died, there was a dramatic shift in the balance of power.diebeswing a big change, especially in someone’s opinions or moods: There has been a big swing toward the Democrats (=many more people are supporting them).havebedemocrat | The drug can cause mood swings.swingfluctuation noun [uncountable and countable] a change in something - used when something changes often: fluctuations in the value of the dollarfluctuation | temperature fluctuationsfluctuation | fluctuations in his moodfluctuation | There has been some fluctuation in productivity levels.havebelevela great changetransformation noun [uncountable and countable] a change in which something or someone becomes completely different: There has been a complete transformation in his attitude since he became a father.havebebecome | her transformation from shy local girl to famous movie actressrevolution noun [countable] a complete change in ways of thinking or working: The 1970s saw the beginnings of a new technological revolution.seebeginning | Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity started a revolution in scientific thinking.startthinkshake-up noun [countable] a situation in which a lot of changes are very quickly made in a system or organization in order to make it more effective: The department has not performed well and is badly in need of a shake-up.haveperformbe | The Administration is planning a thorough shake-up of the welfare system.beplanU-turn noun [countable] a complete change in the plans of a government or political party so that it decides to do the opposite of what it originally said it would do: The government was forced to do a U-turn after angry protests about their taxation policy.beforceprotest
noun [countable]Date: 1600-1700Language: French
Origin: groupe, from Italian gruppo 1GROUP OF PEOPLEGROUP OF THINGS[also + plural verb British English] several people or things that are all together in the same placegroup of
a group of childrenchilda small group of islandsislandGet into groups of four.groupHe was surrounded by a group of admirers.besurroundadmirerin groupsDolphins travel in small groups.dolphingroupA group of us are going to London.bego2GROUP OF PEOPLEGROUP OF THINGSseveral people or things that are connected with each other: a left-wing terrorist groupleavegroup ofShe is one of a group of women who have suffered severe side-effects from the drug.bewomansuffereffectage/ethnic/income etc group (=people of the same age, race etc)Minority groups are encouraged to apply.groupbeencourage3several companies that all have the same owner → chain: a giant textiles grouptextilegroup ofHe owns a group of hotels in southern England.ownhotel4a number of musicians or singers who perform together, playing popular music SYN band → blood group, focus group, interest group, playgroup, pressure group, working groupCOLLOCATIONSMeanings 1 & 2phrasesa member of a group/a group member Frank was invited to be a member of the group.beinvitea group of three, four, five etc There was a group of three at the bar, two men and a woman.bemanADJECTIVES/NOUN + groupan age group Older people are being affected by the economic downturn more than other age groups.oldbebeaffectgroupan ethnic group (=one whose members belong to a particular race or nation) The university welcomes enquiries and applications from all ethnic groups.welcomeenquiryapplicationgroupa minority group (=one whose members belong to a different race, religion etc from most other people in a country) Conditions for many minority groups have worsened.conditiongroupworsena racial group Schools should not stereotype pupils from certain racial groups as troublemakers.schoolshallpupilgrouptroublemakera social group (=a group of people from a particular class in society) Lower social groups had a higher average family size.lowgrouphavehighan income group The budget will affect people differently, according to their income group.accordsb’s peer group (=people of the same age, social group etc) Many girls at school derive enormous strength from their peer groups.girlgroupa pressure group (=one that tries to make the government do something) Friends of the Earth is Britain’s leading environmental pressure group.friendbeleada protest group They formed a protest group and a petition of 50,000 signatures was presented at the town hall.formsignaturebepresenta splinter group (=that has separated from another political or religious group) A Social Democratic Party ( SDP), formed as a splinter group of the Socialist Party of Serbia.forma close-knit/closely-knit/tightly-knit group (=in which everyone knows each other well and gives each other support) The young mothers in the village are a fairly close-knit group.motherbea support group (=a group that meets in order to help the people in it deal with a difficult time) She set up a support group for people suffering from the same illness.suffera control group (=a group used in an experiment or survey to compare its results with those of another group) A control group had to be examined as well as the group that we are studying.haveexaminebestudygroup + NOUNa group decision Being involved in a group decision can help motivate workers.beinvolveworkera group discussion The course includes both individual work and group discussions.includediscussiona group leader There were three groups of eight people, each with a group leader.begroupverbsbelong to a group Ben belonged to an environmental group.belongget into groups The teacher asked the students to get into groups.askstudentgrouporganize something into groups Small children work best when they are organized into very small groups.childwellbeorganizegroupjoin a group He joined a self-help group for divorced men.joindivorcemanleave a group Rebecca left the group following a disagreement.leavefollowCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 4NOUN + groupa pop/rock/jazz group They’re one of the most exciting pop groups around at the moment.excitegroupphrasesa member of a group Jeremy was a member of a heavy metal group.bebe in a group She's in a jazz group, playing the saxophone.playverbsstart a group Ben and some friends started a rock group at school.friendstartfound a group formal (=start a group) Mick Jagger and Keith Richards founded the group in the early Sixties.founda group splits up (=the members decide not to play together anymore) The group split up because of ‘musical differences’.differencea group re-forms (=the members decide to play together again) The group has re-formed and is planning a series of comeback concerts.haveformbeplanconcertTHESAURUSof peoplegroup several people together in the same place: A group of boys stood by the school gate.boystand | Arrange yourselves in groups of three.groupcrowd a large group of people who have come to a place to do something: There were crowds of shoppers in the streets.becrowdshopperstreet | The crowd all cheered.cheermob a large, noisy, and perhaps violent crowd: An angry mob of demonstrators approached.demonstratorapproachmass a large group of people all close together in one place, so that they seem like a single thing: The square in front of the station was a solid mass of people.bebunch informal a group of people who are all similar in some way: They’re a nice bunch of kids.kidgang a group of young people, especially a group that often causes trouble and fights: He was attacked by a gang of youths.beattackyouthrabble a noisy group of people who are behaving badly: He was met by a rabble of noisy angry youths.bemeetyouthhorde a very large group of people who all go somewhere: In summer hordes of tourists flock to the island.hordetourist | There were hordes of people coming out of the subway.behordecomecrew a group of people who all work together, especially on a ship or plane: the ship’s crew | The flight crew will serve drinks shortly.drinkparty a group of people who are travelling or working together: A party of tourists stood at the entrance to the temple.touriststandof animalsherd a group of cows, deer, or elephants: A herd of cows was blocking the road.cowbeblockteam a group of people who work together: She is being cared for by a team of doctors.bebecaredoctorflock a group of sheep or birds: a flock of seagullsseagull | The farmer has over 100 sheep in his flock.havepack a group of dogs or wolves: Some dogs are bred to work in packs.dogbebreedpacklitter a group of kittens or puppies born at one time to a particular mother: He was one of a litter of seven puppies.bepuppyschool/shoal a group of fish or dolphins: Piranha fish live in shoals in the wild.shoalof thingsbunch a group of things held or tied together, especially flowers or keys: He handed me a bunch of daffodils.handdaffodilbundle several papers, clothes, or sticks held or tied together in an untidy pile: Bundles of papers and files filled the shelves.bundlepaperfilefillshelvecluster a group of things of the same kind that are close together in a place: a cluster of starsstar | Our road ended at a cluster of cottages.endcottage
groupverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesgroupgroupsgroupedgroupinggroupgroup2 verbVerb form1[intransitive and transitive]GROUP/PUT INTO GROUPS to come together and form a group, or to arrange things or people together in a groupgroup (something) together/round/into etcThe photo shows four men grouped round a jeep.showmangroupDifferent flowers can be grouped together to make a colourful display.flowergroupsmall producers who group together to sell their produceproducer2[transitive always + adverb/preposition]GROUP/PUT INTO GROUPS to divide people or things into groups according to a system: We were grouped into six age bands.begroupbandWe’ve grouped the questions under three headings.groupquestionheading
verb (past tense and past participle heard /hɜːd $ hɜːrd/)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: hieran Verb form1hear sounds/words etc [intransitive, transitive not in progressive]HEAR to know that a sound is being made, using your ears:
Blanche heard a crash as the back door was flung open.hearbeflingDid anyone see or hear anything last night?doOld Zeke doesn’t hear too well any more.hear somebody/something doing somethingJenny could hear them arguing outside.canarguehear somebody do somethingShe heard Tom go upstairs.hearhear what/who etcI couldn’t hear what they were saying most of the time.besaybe heard to do somethingShe didn’t want to be heard to criticize him.hear ► Do not confuse hear with listen to, which means ‘hear and pay attention to’: You should listen to my advice (NOT You should hear my advice).2listen to somebody/something [transitive not in progressive]LISTEN to listen to what someone is saying, the music they are playing etc: Maggie did not wait to hear an answer.doDid you hear that programme on whales the other night?dowhalehear whatI want to hear what the doctor has to say.haveI hear what you say/what you’re saying spoken (=used to tell someone that you have listened to their opinion, but do not agree with it)I hear what you say, but I don’t think we should rush this decision.shall3be told something [intransitive, transitive not usually in progressive]FIND OUT to be told or find out a piece of information: I heard a rumor that he was getting married soon.hearbegetmarryhear (that)I’m so sorry to hear he died.dieShe’ll be pleased to hear that she can leave hospital tomorrow.pleasehear aboutTeresa heard about the decision later.hearlatehear ofI’ve heard of a job which would be just right for you.hearwillThis was the first I’d heard of any trouble in the area (=I had just heard news of trouble for the first time).behearHe was last heard of in Washington (=he was in Washington the last time someone had information about him).behearhear anything/much of somebody/somethingWe don’t hear anything of him these days.dayso I hear/so I’ve heard spoken (=used to say that you have been told something or know it already)There’s a nasty infection going round, so I hear.gohear what/how/who etcDid you hear what happened to Julia?dohappenI’ve heard it said that they met in Italy.hearsaymeet4in court [transitive]JUDGE to listen to all the facts in a case in a court of law in order to make a legal decision: The Supreme Court heard the case on Tuesday.hear5have heard of somebody/somethingKNOW SB to know that someone or something exists because they have been mentioned to you before: ‘Do you know Jill Marshall?’ ‘No, I’ve never heard of her.’hear6not hear the last of somebodyPROBLEM used to say that someone will continue to complain about something or cause problems: I’ll sue him. He hasn’t heard the last of me yet.hear7you could hear a pin dropQUIET used to emphasize how quiet a place is: You could have heard a pin drop in there.canhear → unheard ofSPOKEN PHRASES8won’t/wouldn’t hear of itNOREFUSE used to say that you refuse to agree with a suggestion or proposal: I said we should go back, but Dennis wouldn’t hear of it.sayshall9I/he etc will never hear the end of itCRITICIZE used to say that someone will continue to talk about something for a long time: If my Mum finds out, I’ll never hear the end of it.find10be hearing thingsIMAGINE to imagine you can hear a sound when really there is no sound: There’s no one there. I must be hearing things.hearthing11(do) you hear?OBEY used to emphasize that you are giving someone an order and they must obey you: I want you to leave right now. Do you hear?12you can’t hear yourself thinkLOUD/NOISY used to emphasize how noisy a place is: Just shut up, Tom. I can’t hear myself think.13now hear this! American English old useLISTEN used to introduce an important official announcement14hear! hear! used in a discussion or meeting to say that you agree with what the speaker is saying15have you heard the one about ...JOKE used when asking someone if they know a joke16I’ve heard that one beforeBELIEVE used when you do not believe someone’s excuse or explanation17let's hear it for somebody used to say that someone deserves praise, or to ask people to show their approval of someone by clappingTHESAURUShear to know that a sound is being made, using your ears: There’s no need to shout – I can hear you! | Voices could be heard in the distance.voicecanhearlisten to pay attention to something, using your ears: I was listening to the news on the car radio.belisten | He never listens to anything I say.listenmake out to hear something with difficulty: When I got closer, I could make out a human voice.getclosecan | I could just make out what he was saying.canbesayoverhear to accidentally hear another person’s conversation: I overheard her say to her friend that she had lost something.overhearhavelosecatch to hear something that someone says: Sorry, I didn’t catch your name. | I caught the last few minutes of the programme.catchminutetune in to listen to a programme – often used in announcements on the radio: Tune in for all the latest news and views from around the world.lateview | Thousands of people tune in to the show every week.audible adjective loud enough to be heard: Her words were clearly audible.wordbe | an audible whisperhear from somebody phrasal verb [not in progressive]1NEWSto receive news or information from someone: Do you ever hear from Jack?Police want to hear from anyone who has any information.haveI look forward to hearing from you (=hope to receive news from you).hear2LISTENto listen to someone giving their opinion in a radio or television discussion programme: a chance to hear from some of the victims of violent crimevictimhear somebody out phrasal verb [not in passive] LISTENto listen to all of what someone wants to tell you without interrupting them: Just hear me out, will you?
verb (past tense bit /bɪt/, past participle bitten /ˈbɪtn/, present participle biting)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: bitan Verb form
1WITH YOUR TEETHteeth [intransitive and transitive]BITE to use your teeth to cut, crush, or chew something: The dog bit him and made his hand bleed.bitemakebite into/through/at/downShe bit into a croissant and took a sip of coffee.bitetakeAn adult conger eel can easily bite through a man’s leg.Nina pushed her fist into her mouth and bit down hard.pushbitebite something offa man whose arm was bitten off by an alligatorbebitebite your nails (=bite the nails on your fingers, especially because you are nervous)I wish I could stop biting my nails.canbitenailbite your lip (=because you are upset or not sure what to say)She paused uncertainly, biting her lip.pausebite2INSECT/SNAKEinsect/snake [intransitive and transitive] to injure someone by making a hole in their skin → sting: I think I’ve been bitten.bebiteThe dog’s been badly bitten by fleas.bebiteflea3NOT SLIPpress hard [intransitive]HOLDSTICK if an object bites into a surface, it presses firmly into it and does not move or slipbite intoThe hooves of the galloping horses had bitten deep into the soft earth.hoofgallophorsehavebiteHe wore boots that bit into the ice.wearbootbite4HAVE AN EFFECTEFFECT/INFLUENCEeffect [intransitive] to start to have an unpleasant effect: The new tobacco taxes have begun to bite.taxbeginbite intoThe recession is biting into the music industry.bebite5accept [intransitive] to believe what someone tells you, or to buy something they are selling, especially when they have persuaded you to do this: The new camcorders were withdrawn after consumers failed to bite.camcorderbewithdrawconsumerfail6FISHfish [intransitive] if a fish bites, it takes food from a hook and so gets caught: The fish just aren’t biting today.bite7bite your tongueSAY to stop yourself from saying what you really think, even though this is difficult: She should have bitten her tongue.shallbite8bite the dust informal to die, fail, or be defeated: Italy’s championship hopes eventually bit the dust.hopebite9bite the bullet informalACCEPT to start dealing with an unpleasant or dangerous situation because you cannot avoid it any longer: I finally bit the bullet and left.biteleave10bite off more than you can chewMORE THAN STH OR SB ELSE to try to do more than you are able to do11he/she won’t bite spokenFRIGHTENED used to say that there is no need to be afraid of someone, especially someone in authority: Well, go and ask him – he won’t bite!win12what’s biting you/her etc? spokenUPSET used to ask why someone is annoyed or upset13somebody/something bites spoken not polite used to say that you dislike someone or something very much or think that something is very bad14once bitten, twice shy used to say that if you have failed or been hurt once, you will be more careful next time15bite the hand that feeds youHARM/BE BAD FOR to harm someone who has helped or supported you16be bitten by the showbiz/travel/flying etc bugINTERESTED to develop a very strong interest in something → bite sb’s head off at head1(33), → nail-bitingTHESAURUSbite to use your teeth to cut, crush, or chew something: The dog bit me!bite | I sometimes bite my fingernails when I’m nervous.fingernail | He bit into the apple.bitechew to keep biting something that is in your mouth: Helen was chewing a piece of gum.bechew | He was chewing on a cigar.bechewgnaw if an animal gnaws something, it bites it repeatedly: The dog was in the yard gnawing on a bone.begnawnip somebody/give somebody a nip to give someone or something a small sharp bite: When I took the hamster out of his cage, he nipped me.takenipnibble to take a lot of small bites from something: A fish nibbled at the bait.nibble | She sat at her desk, nibbling her sandwich.sitnibblesink your teeth into somebody/something to bite someone or something with a lot of force, so that your teeth go right into them: The dog sank its teeth into my leg.sinktooth | He sank his teeth into the steak.sinktoothchomp on something informal to bite something and chew it in a noisy way: The donkey was chomping on a carrot.bechomp | He was chomping away on big slice of toast.bechompsting if an insect stings you, it makes a very small hole in your skin. You use sting about bees, wasps, and scorpions, and bite about mosquitoes, ants, spiders, and snakes: She stepped on a wasps’ nest and must have been stung at least 20 times.stepwaspbestinglittletimebite back phrasal verb1SAYbite something ↔ back to stop yourself from saying or showing what you really think: Tamar bit back the retort that sprang to her lips.bitespringlip2REVENGEto react strongly and angrily to somethingbite back atDetermined to bite back at car thieves, he wired his car to an electric fence.determinethievewire
bitenounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesbitebitesbitebite2 S3 noun
1WITH YOUR TEETHusing teeth [countable]BITE the act of cutting or crushing something with your teeth: Antonio devoured half his burger in one bite.devourtake/have a bite (of something/out of something)She picked up the sandwich and took a bite.picktakeCan I have a bite of your apple?give somebody a biteSome fish can give you a nasty bite.Her body was covered in bite marks.becovermark2WOUNDwound [countable]BITE a small hole made where an animal or insect has bitten yousnake/ant etc bitebite ofThe infection is passed by the bite of a mosquito.bepass3a bite (to eat) informalMEAL a small meal: We had a bite to eat and a couple of drinks before the flight.havedrink4TASTEtaste [uncountable] a pleasantly sharp taste: Goat’s cheese adds extra bite to any pasta dish.add5COLDcold [singular]COLD a feeling of coldness: There was no mistaking the approach of winter; he could feel its bite.bemistakecan6EFFECTIVENESSstrong effect [uncountable]EFFECTIVE a special quality in a performance, piece of writing etc that makes its arguments very effective and likely to persuade people: The film gains incisive bite from Sellers’ performance as the union chief.gainseller7FISHfish [countable] when a fish takes the food from a hook: Sometimes I sit for hours and never get a bite.hour8another/a second bite at the cherry British EnglishCHANCE/OPPORTUNITY a second chance to do something9jaw [countable usually singular] technical the way that a person or animal’s top and bottom teeth touch when their mouth is closed: Our dentist said that Emmy should wear a brace to improve her bite.sayshall → love bite, sound bite, → sb’s bark is worse than their bite at bark2(4)
adverb [always after a verb, adjective, or adverb]1ENOUGHto the degree that is necessary or wanted: Are the carrots cooked enough?becarrotcookHe just hadn’t thought enough about the possible consequences.thinkconsequenceYou can go to school when you’re old enough.enough forIs the water warm enough for you?beenough to do somethingWill Evans be fit enough to play?The rooms are all large enough to take a third bed.roombeSurely no one would be foolish enough to lend him the money?willYou’re late. It’s just not good enough (=not satisfactory or acceptable).2QUITE/FAIRLYfairly but not very: I was happy enough in Bordeaux, but I missed my family.bemissHe’s a nice enough young man.3bad/difficult/hard etc enough used to say that a situation is already bad and you do not want it to get any worse: Life’s difficult enough without you interfering all the time.interfere4lucky/unfortunate etc enough to be/do something used to say that someone is lucky or unlucky that something happens to them: They were unlucky enough to be caught in the storm.becatch5would you be good/kind enough to do something? spoken used to ask someone politely to do something for you: Would you be good enough to hold the door open?will6strangely/oddly/curiously etc enoughSTRANGE used to say that a fact or something that happens is strange or surprising: Strangely enough, I didn’t feel at all nervous when I faced the audience.face7near enough British English spokenALMOST used when you are guessing a number, amount, time etc because you cannot be exact: The full cost comes to £3,000, near enough.come → fair enough at fair1(14), → sure enough at sure2(1)GrammarEnough comes after adjectives and adverbs, never before them: The printer is light enough (NOT enough light) to move easily.beTheir business wasn’t growing fast enough.grow
enoughdeterminerCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesenoughenoughenough2 S1 W2 determiner, pronoun1ENOUGHas many or as much as is needed or wanted: Have I given you enough money?giveNot enough is known about what happened.beknowhappenenough forThere aren’t enough chairs for everyone.chairenough to do/eat etcErica was worried that the children weren’t getting enough to eat.beworrychildgetenough (something) to do somethingThe police didn’t have enough evidence to convict him.He didn’t even earn enough to pay the rent.rendYou’ve had more than enough time to make all the preparations.havepreparationenough to go round (=enough of something for everyone to have some)Do you think we’ve got enough pizza to go round?getnot nearly/nowhere near enough informal (=much less than you need)We only had $500, and that was nowhere near enough to buy a new camcorder.havebetime/reason/trouble etc enough old-fashioned: Come on – there’ll be time enough to chat later.late2used to say that a situation is already bad and you do not want it to get any worse: She has enough problems without you two getting into fights.haveproblemgetfightI don’t want to bother him – he has enough to worry about.have3FED UPhave had enough (of something) spoken used to say you are tired or angry about a situation and want it to stop: When I got home I just sat down and cried. I’d had enough.getsitcryhaveI’ve just about had enough of your stupid remarks.haveremark4enough is enough spoken used to say that something that is happening should stop: There comes a point when you say enough is enough.comebe5that’s (quite) enough (also enough already American English) spoken used to tell someone to stop doing something: Now, you two, that’s quite enough. Sit down and be quiet.6UNDERSTANDenough said spoken used to tell someone that they do not need to say any more because you understand the point they are making: ‘He’s the sort of man who wears a lot of jewellery.’ ‘Enough said.’wearsay7can’t get enough of something/somebody informal to enjoy something so much that you want more and more of it: Her millions of fans can’t get enough of her.fanGrammarEnough comes before uncountable and plural nouns, not singular nouns: We haven’t got enough time.getThere aren’t enough books (NOT enough book).bookTHESAURUSenough /ɪˈnʌf/ as much or as many as necessary, or as you want: My family never had enough money for holidays abroad.haveholiday | Have you had enough to eat?havesufficient formal enough for a particular purpose: The police did not have sufficient evidence to justify a charge.do | The accuracy of the older technique was sufficient for our needs.oldbeneedadequate formal enough in quantity or good enough in quality for a particular purpose: All staff must be given adequate training in health and safety.givetrain | The heating system was barely adequate.heatbeample more than enough for what is needed: Local residents will be given ample opportunity to express their views.residentgiveview | People used to think that 1 GB of memory was ample for the average personal computer.usebeplenty an amount that is enough or more than enough: Allow yourself plenty of time to get to the airport. | Your daughter won’t need much cash at camp ($20-$25 will be plenty).winsomething will do/something should do spoken used to say that a particular number or amount will be enough for what you need: ‘How many envelopes do you want?’ ‘Ten should do.’envelopeshall
noun
Date: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: aage, from Vulgar Latin aetaticum, from Latin aetas, from aevum ‘lifetime, age’ 1how oldHOW OLD [uncountable and countable]AGE the number of years someone has lived or something has existed → old:
Francis is the same age as me.beExperts disagree over the age of the drawings.expertdrawingDad retired at the age of 56.retireat age 5/18 etcIn Britain, schooling starts at age 5.schoolstart4/15 etc years of age (=4, 15 etc years old)She was just over 16 years of age.beyearat my/your etc age (=when you are as old as me etc)At my age, it’s quite difficult getting up the stairs.getstairover/under the age of 5/18 etcpeople over the age of 65for his/her etc age (=compared with other people of the same age)She’s tall for her age, isn’t she?RegisterIn everyday English, people usually use the expression how old …? rather than using the noun age: What age is your brother? ➔ How old is your brother? | They asked me my age. ➔ They asked me how old I was.2legal ageLEGAL AGE [uncountable] the age when you are legally old enough to do something: What’s the minimum age for getting a driver’s license?getYou’re not allowed to buy alcohol. You’re under age (=too young by law).allowThe normal retirement age is 65.be3period of lifePERIOD OF LIFE [uncountable and countable]PERIOD OF TIME one of the particular periods of someone’s life: When you get to old age, everything seems to take longer.seemlongThe early teens are often a difficult age.teenbe4being oldBEING OLD [uncountable]OLD-FASHIONEDOLD/NOT NEW the state of being old → youthwith ageHigh blood pressure increases with age.increaseSome of the furniture was showing signs of age.beshowsign5period of historyPERIOD OF HISTORY [countable usually singular]PERIOD OF TIME a particular period of history SYN era: We are living in the age of technology.beliveMolecular biology is pushing medicine into a new age.bepush → in this day and age at day(6)6ages [plural] (also an age)LONG TIME especially British English informal a long time: Simon! I haven’t seen you for ages.seeageThat recipe takes ages.takeageit’s ages since/before/until etc somethingIt’s ages since we’ve played that game.ageplay7come of age a)to reach the age when you are legally considered to be a responsible adult b)IMPORTANTif something comes of age, it reaches a stage of development at which people accept it as being important, valuable etc: During this period the movies really came of age as an art form.moviecome → New Age1, new age2COLLOCATIONSMeanings 1, 2 & 3ADJECTIVES/NOUN + ageold age (=the time when you are old) the problems of old ageproblemmiddle age (=between about 40 and 60) He was in late middle age.bea great/advanced age (=a very old age) My aunt died at a great age.die | Kirby is not alone in wanting to run his own business at an advanced age.bewantadvancea difficult/awkward age (=used mainly about the time when people are teenagers) 13 – 16 is often a difficult age.beretirement age The risk of experiencing poverty is much greater for those over retirement age.experiencebegreatschool age Children should start doing homework as they approach high school age.childshalldoschool-leaving age British English The government is proposing to raise the minimum school-leaving age.beproposeleavethe legal age In the US, the legal age for drinking alcohol is 21.drinkbethe minimum age 16 years is the minimum age to drive a car.yearbethe voting age plans to bring down the voting age from 18 to 16planvotethe marrying age She was 28 – long past the usual marrying age.bemarryphrasesfrom an early/young age She’d been playing the piano from a very early age.beplayat an early/young age Kids can start learning a second language at a young age.kidlearnsomebody (of) your own age He needs to find people his own age.needof childbearing age (=at the age when a woman can have children) It is against the law to refuse to employ a woman of childbearing age because she may become pregnant.beof working age 55 percent of the people are of working age.beworkthe age of consent (=when you are legally allowed to marry or have sex) At 15, the girl was under the age of consent.beage + NOUNan age group/bracket/range Men in the 50–65 age group are most at risk from heart disease.manbe | The school takes in children from the seven to eleven age range.takechildan age limit There’s no upper age limit for drivers.driverage discrimination laws against age discrimination in the workplacelawverbsget to/reach/live to a particular age One in three children die before they reach the age of 5.child | The number of people living to to the age of 80 has doubled in the last fifty years.numblivehavedoubleyearlower/raise the age (=at which something can be done) The voting age was lowered from 21 to 18.votebelowerlook/feel your age (=look or feel as old as you really are) The singer is 46, but she doesn’t look her age at all.be | I keep getting aches in my legs and I’m starting to feel my age.getachelegstartact your age (=behave in the way that a person of your age should behave) It’s time he started acting his age.startactask/say your age (=ask or say how old you are) It’s rude to ask a woman her age.COLLOCATIONSMeaning 5the Ice Age (=one of the long periods of time, thousands of years ago, when ice covered many northern countries)the Stone Age (=the very early time in human history, when only stone was used for making tools, weapons etc)the Bronze Age (=the period of time, between about 6,000 and 4,000 years ago, when bronze was used for making tools, weapons etc)the Iron Age (=the period of time, about 3,000 years ago, when iron was first used for making tools, weapons etc)the Middle Ages (=the period in European history between about 1100 and 1500 AD)the Dark Ages (=the period in European history from 476 AD to about 1000 AD)the Elizabethan age (=the period 1558–1603 when Elizabeth I was queen of England)the Victorian age (=the period 1837–1901 when Victoria was Queen of England)the industrial age (=the time during the late 18th and early 19th centuries when goods or substances such as coal and steel were first produced in large quantities using machines)the modern age (=from the 20th century until the present) the technical and scientific achievements that ushered in the modern ageachievementusherthe space age (=since vehicles were able to travel in space)the nuclear age (=since nuclear energy was used for weapons or energy)the computer age (=since computers became widely used) the modern computer agethe information age (=since the Internet has become widely used) Business has had to evolve in the information age.havehavea golden age (=a time of great happiness or success) a television show from the golden age of British comedya new age (=a time when things are better than they were in the past) Supporters see the coming season as the dawning of a new age for the club.supportercomedawnTHESAURUSa period in historyperiod a particular time in history, especially one studied as a subject: the late Victorian period | the interwar period | During that period many people moved from the countryside to the towns.movetowntime a period of years, months, days etc: The 1960s were a time of great social change.be | the biggest earthquake in modern timesbigtime | Verdun was an important city in Roman times.betimeage a long period, especially one that represents a particular stage in the development of civilization or technology: the industrial age | We are now in the age of the Internet.be | the Stone Age (=when people used tools made of stone)era a long period that has a particular character or that is marked by particular events: We live in an era of breathtaking change. | the post-war era | De Gaulle’s death marked the end of an era.markepoch /ˈiːpɒk $ ˈepək/ formal means the same as era, but sounds more formal and important: We are now entering a new epoch in human history.beenter | the colonial epoch | It was the end of an epoch.be
ageverbCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesageagesagedageingagingageage2 verb (present participle aging or ageing)Verb form1[intransitive and transitive]OLD/NOT NEW to start looking older or to make someone or something look older: He was worried to see how much she’d aged.beworryageThe experience had aged him in advance of his years.haveageyear2[intransitive]OLD/NOT NEW to become older: The buildings are ageing, and some are unsafe.buildingbeagebe3[intransitive and transitive]IMPROVE to improve and develop in taste over a period of time, or to allow food or alcohol to do this SYN mature: Cheddar cheese ages well.ageThe whisky is aged for at least ten years.beagelittleyear
noun
Word familyDate: 1400-1500Language: Latin
Origin: factum ‘thing done’, from facere ‘to do, make’ 1true information [countable]TRUEINFORMATION a piece of information that is known to be truefact about
The book is full of facts about the World Cup.befactfact ofFirst of all, we need to know the facts of the case.factit’s a fact/that’s a fact (=used to emphasize that something is definitely true or that something definitely happened)The divorce rate is twice as high as in the 1950s – that’s a fact.beis that a fact? (=used to reply to a statement that you find surprising, interesting, or difficult to believe)‘She used to be a professional singer.’ ‘Is that a fact?’usebe2the fact (that)TRUE used when talking about a situation and saying that it is true: Our decision to build the museum in Hartlepool was influenced by the fact that there were no national museums in the North East.beinfluencebemuseumHe refused to help me, despite the fact that I asked him several times.refuseasktimegiven the fact (that)/in view of the fact (that) (=used when saying that a particular fact influences your judgement about something or someone)Given the fact that this is their first game, I think they did pretty well.givebedodue to the fact (that)/owing to the fact (that) (=because)The school’s poor exam record is largely due to the fact that it is chronically underfunded.bebeunderfundThe fact we didn’t win when we were so close is very disappointing.bebedisappoint3in (actual) fact a)IN FACTused when you are adding something, especially something surprising, to emphasize what you have just said: I know the mayor really well. In fact, I had dinner with her last week.have b)IN FACTused to emphasize that the truth about a situation is the opposite of what has been mentioned: They told me it would be cheap but in fact it cost me nearly $500.tellwillHer teachers said she was a slow learner, whereas in actual fact she was partially deaf.teachersaybebe4the fact (of the matter) is spokenIN FACT used when you are telling someone what is actually true in a particular situation, especially when this may be difficult to accept, or different from what people believe: The fact of the matter is that he’s just not up to the job.be5the fact remainsIN FACT used to emphasize that what you are saying about a situation is true and people must realize this: The fact remains that the number of homeless people is rising daily.remainnumbberise6TRUEreal events/not a story [uncountable] situations, events etc that really happened and have not been invented OPP fiction: Much of the novel is based on fact.bebaseIt’s a news reporter’s job to separate fact from fiction.7facts and figures [plural] the basic details, numbers etc concerning a particular situation or subject: Here are a few facts and figures about the country.befactfigure8the facts speak for themselves used to say that the things that have happened or the things someone has done show clearly that something is true9after the factAFTER after something has happened or been done, especially after a mistake has been made → as a matter of fact at matter1(4), → face facts at face2(2), → in point of fact at point1(17)COLLOCATIONSadjectivesthe basic/key facts The report outlines the basic facts concerning the case.outlinefactconcerna well-known fact It is a well-known fact that new cars lose a lot of their value in the first year.beknowcara little-known fact It is a little-known fact that the actor was born in London.beknowbean interesting fact The research revealed some interesting facts about the behaviour of cats.revealinterestfactcata curious/remarkable fact It is a remarkable fact that elephants do not use their trunks to suck up water until they are over four months old.beelephanttrunkbemonthhard facts (=information that is definitely true and can be proven) His theory is supported by hard facts.besupportfacta historical/scientific fact This was presented as a historical fact when it was just an opinion.bepresentbethe bare facts (=only the basic general facts of a situation) We know the bare facts of his life, but nothing about what he was really like.factbeverbsgive somebody/provide the facts Newspapers have a duty to give their readers the facts.newspaperreaderfactestablish/piece together the facts (=find out what actually happened in a situation) The police are still piecing together the facts.bepiecefactexamine the facts I decided to examine the facts for myself.decidefactstate the facts (=say what you know is true) Press reports often fail to state the facts completely.reportfactstick to the facts (=say only what you know is true) Just stick to the facts when the police interview you.factphrasesknow for a fact (=used to say that something is definitely true) I know for a fact that she is older than me.beoldget your facts right/straight (=make sure that what you say or believe is correct) You should get your facts straight before making accusations.shallfactmakeaccusationget your facts wrong It’s no use putting together a beautifully-written argument if you get your facts wrong.putwritefact
verb
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: ascian Verb form1ASK A QUESTIONquestion [intransitive and transitive] to speak or write to someone in order to get an answer, information, or a solution:
‘What’s your name?’ she asked.askDon’t ask him – he won’t know.winThat kid’s always asking awkward questions.askquestionask who/what/where etcI asked him where he lived.askliveask somebody somethingWe’ll have to ask someone the way to the station.ask somebody if/whetherGo and ask Tom whether he’s coming tonight.comeask (somebody) about somethingVisitors usually ask about the history of the castle.visitorask around (=ask in a lot of places or ask a lot of people)I’ll ask around, see if I can find you a place to stay.2ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STHfor help/advice etc [intransitive and transitive] to make a request for help, advice, information etc: If you need anything, you only have to ask.ask somebody to do somethingAsk John to mail those letters tomorrow.letterask to do somethingKaren asked to see the doctor.askask forSome people find it difficult to ask for help.ask somebody for somethingHe repeatedly asked Bailey for the report.askask (somebody) if/whether you can do somethingAsk your mom if you can come with us.ask thatWas it too much to ask that he be allowed some privacy?beallow3SELLprice [transitive] to want a particular amount of money for something you are selling: How much is he asking?beaskask $50/$1,000 etc for somethingHe’s asking £2,000 for his car.askThey’re asking a fortune for that house.ask4invite [transitive usually + adverb/preposition] to invite someone to your home, to go out with you etcask somebody to do somethingLet’s ask them to have dinner with us some time.ask somebody out (=ask someone, especially someone of the opposite sex, to go to a film, a restaurant etc with you)Jerry’s too scared to ask her out.scareask somebody in (=invite someone into your house, office etc)Don’t leave them standing on the doorstep – ask them in!standask somebody over/round (=invite someone to come to your home)We must ask our new neighbours over for a drink.neighbour5demand [transitive] if you ask something of someone, you want them to do it for you: It would be better if he cooperated, but perhaps I’m asking too much.willwellcooperateaskask something of somebodyYou have no right to ask anything of me.Expecting the children to do an hour’s homework after school is asking a lot of them.expectchildbeask6I/you can’t/couldn’t ask for a better something (also I/you can’t/couldn’t ask for more) used to say that you are very happy with what you have or with a situation: I couldn’t ask for a better boss.well7be asking for troubleSENSIBLE to do something that is very likely to have a bad effect or result: Saying that to a feminist is just asking for trouble.saybeask8ask yourself somethingFIND OUT to think carefully and honestly about something: You have to ask yourself where your responsibilities really lie.responsibilitySPOKEN PHRASES9if you ask me used to emphasize your own opinion: He’s just plain crazy, if you ask me.10don’t ask meNOT KNOW used to say you do not know the answer to something: ‘Where’s she gone then?’ ‘Don’t ask me!’go11don’t ask used to say that something is too embarrassing or strange to explain: ‘What was that woman selling?’ ‘Don’t ask.’besell12be asking for itDESERVE used to say that someone deserves something bad that happens to them: It’s his own fault he got hit – he was asking for it.getbeask13be sb’s for the askingASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STH informal if something is yours for the asking, you can have it if you want it: The job was hers for the asking.beaskCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2nounsask for help Don’t be afraid to ask for help.ask for assistance (=help or support) You can call this number to ask for assistance.numbask for advice/ask sb’s advice If you are in any doubt, ask for advice.beask for information I wrote asking for information about language classes.writeaskclassask for directions (=instructions how to get from one place to another) At the station he asked for directions to the museum.askdirectionask for details Please ask for details of the full range of tickets available.detailticketask for sb’s opinion Dad always liked being asked for his opinion.likebeaskask for sb’s support Labour councillors asked for our support for the proposal.councilloraskask for permission The two men entered without bothering to ask for permission.manenterbotherask for an explanation When he asked for an explanation, no one could give him an answer.askcanTHESAURUS ask a questionask to speak or write to someone to get an answer: Did you ask about the price?do | They asked me a lot of questions.askquestioninquire/enquire /ɪnˈkwaɪə $ -ˈkwaɪr/ formal to ask someone for information about something: I’m writing to inquire about the job that was advertised in yesterday’s ‘Times’.writebeadvertisetimedemand especially written to ask a question in a firm or angry way: ‘Why didn’t you call me?’, she demanded.demandinterview to ask someone questions, to find out if they are suitable for a job, or as part of a television or radio interview: When they interviewed me for the job, they didn’t mention the salary.interview | David Letterman has interviewed all the stars.haveinterviewstarpoll to officially ask a lot of people in order to find out their opinion on something: Over 1,000 people were polled for the report.bepoll | 64% of the people we polled said that they approved of the way the government had handled the crisis.pollsayapprovehavehandleto ask someone about a crimequestion/interview to ask someone a lot of questions in order to get information about a crime: He was arrested and questioned by the police.bearrestquestion | Detectives are interviewing the father of the missing girl.detectivebeinterviewmissinterrogate to ask someone a lot of detailed questions, often in an aggressive way: The men were interrogated by the US authorities for over six hours.manbeinterrogateauthorityhourcross-examine to ask someone questions in court about the statements they made: A second lawyer began to cross-examine the witness.beginsomebody is helping the police with their inquiries formal used in news reports when saying that the police are asking someone questions about a crime – especially when they think this person is guilty, but have not yet charged them: He is helping the police with their inquiries in connection with the murder of Diane Jones.behelpinquiryto ask for somethingask for to tell someone you want them to give you something: I’m going to ask for a pay rise.goorder to ask for food or drink in a restaurant: We ordered some more coffee.order | Have you ordered yet?orderdemand to ask for something in a firm way, insisting that someone gives you what you ask for: They’re demanding immediate payment.demand | If the goods are faulty, you can demand a refund.goodberequest formal to ask for something: The pilot requested permission to land.request | I enclose the information you requested.requestbeg/plead to ask for something in an urgent way, because you want it very much and will be very unhappy if you do not get it: He begged me for some money.beg | I’m not going to plead for forgiveness.gonag/pester to keep asking someone for something, in an annoying way: She keeps nagging me for a new phone.keepnag | People were pestering him for his autograph.bepesterask after somebody phrasal verb British English if you ask after someone, you want to know whether they are well, what they are doing etc: I spoke to James today. He was asking after you.speakbeaskask for somebody phrasal verb if you ask for someone, you want to speak to them: There’s someone at the door asking for Dad.ask
asknounCollocations from other entriesPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesaskasksaskask2 noun a big ask a situation in a sports competition when someone needs to get a lot of points or do something very difficult in order to win: We need to win the next three games. It’s a big ask, but I’m confident we can do it.game
noun
Word familyDate: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: Latin fortis ‘strong’ 1military a)[countable usually plural]GROUP OF PEOPLE a group of people who have been trained to do military work for a government or other organizationgovernment/military/defence etc forces
The riots were suppressed by government forces.riotbesuppressforceHe strengthened US forces in the Gulf.strengthenforcea plan to disarm the rebel forces (=those fighting against the government)force b)the forces British English the army, navy, and air forcein the forcesBoth her sons are in the forces.sonbeforce c)nuclear/conventional forces nuclear weapons or ordinary weapons: short-range nuclear forcesforce → air force, armed forces, ground forces, → peacekeeping force at peacekeeping, → security forces at security(1), → task force(2)2military action [uncountable] military action used as a way of achieving your aims: Peace cannot be imposed by force.imposeThe UN will allow the use of force against aircraft violating the zone.violate3violence [uncountable]VIOLENT violent physical action used to get what you want: The police used force to overpower the demonstrators.usedemonstratorby forceIn the end he had to be thrown out of the house by force.havethrowThey kicked the door down using sheer brute force.kickuse4physical power [uncountable] the amount of physical power with which something moves or hits another thing → strengthforce ofThe force of the explosion blew out all the windows.blowwindowwith great/considerable/increasing etc forceHe raised his hand and struck her with terrifying force.raisestriketerrify5natural power [uncountable and countable] a natural power or event: the force of gravitypowerful natural forces such as earthquakes, floods, and droughtforceearthquakefloodthe forces of natureforce6organized group [countable usually singular] a group of people who have been trained and organized to do a particular job: the company’s sales forcesalethe quality of the teaching forceteach → police force7strong influence [countable]EFFECT/INFLUENCE something or someone who is powerful and has a lot of influence on the way things happenthe driving force (behind something/somebody) (=the person or thing that makes something happen)Betty Coward was the driving force behind the project.bedrivea force for change/peace/democracy etc (=someone or something that makes change, peace etc more likely to happen)Healthy competition is a force for innovation.beHe’s a quick and decisive player – a force to be reckoned with (=a person, team, company etc that influences what happens).reckonThe fall in prices was due to forces beyond their control.pricebeforce → market forces8powerful effect [uncountable]EFFECT/INFLUENCE the powerful effect that something has on you: Even after 30 years, the play has lost none of its force.yearhavelosethe force of his personality9join/combine forces (with somebody/something)UNITE to work together so that you can deal with a problem, be more powerful etcjoin forces to do somethingLocal schools have joined forces with each other to share facilities.schooljoinforcefacility10in force a)OBEYif a law, rule etc is in force, it already exists: The trade embargo has been in force for a year.havebe b)LOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNTin a large group, especially in order to protest about something SYN in large numbers: Villagers turned out in force to protest about the new road.villagerturn11come into force/bring something into force if a new law, rule, change etc comes or is brought into force, it starts to exist: Parking restrictions in the town centre came into force last month.parkrestrictioncome12by/through/out of force of habitHABIT because you have always done a particular thing and it is difficult to change: I get up at 6 o'clock every day out of force of habit.13by/through force of circumstance(s) British EnglishEFFECT/INFLUENCE if something happens by force of circumstance, events outside your control make it happen14wind a)force 8/9/10 etc a unit for measuring the strength of the wind b)gale/hurricane force wind extremely strong wind that does a lot of damage15police the force a word meaning the police force, used especially by police officers16the forces of good/evil etc literary people or things that increase the amount of good or bad in the world: the battle against the forces of evilforce → labour force, tour de force, workforceCOLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + forcesthe armed forces (=a country’s military organizations, including the army, navy, and air force) Israel refused to withdraw its armed forces from the area.refusearmforceAmerican/British/French etc forces Several battles took place involving American forces.battletakeinvolveforcegovernment forces (=soldiers fighting for the government) Government forces reportedly shot dead 300 unarmed civilians.forceshootciviliansecurity forces (=who protect a country against people who are fighting the government) The government claimed that the security forces had destroyed the rebels’ headquarters.claimforcehavedestroyrebelrebel forces (=who are fighting against the government) The village was attacked by rebel forces.beattackforcemilitary forces He served with the military forces during the war.serveforcea defence force Should the European Union have its own defence force?shallenemy forces Enemy forces now occupy substantial areas of the city.forceareaa peacekeeping force A large UN peacekeeping force is being assembled.bebeassemblespecial forces (=who are specially trained to fight against guerilla or terrorist groups) Special forces were employed to support the local army.forcebeemployphrasesbe in the forces Her husband is in the forces.beforceverbsjoin the forces (=become a soldier, sailor etc) He was too young to join the forces when the war broke out.beforcebreakwithdraw your forces Expecting the Allies to attack again, he began to withdraw his forces eastward.expectallybeginforce
forceverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesforceforcesforcedforcingforceforce2 S2 W1 verb [transitive]
Word familyVerb form1make somebody do something to make someone do something they do not want to do → persuadeforce somebody to do somethingGovernment troops have forced the rebels to surrender.troopforcerebelDue to the high cost of borrowing, many companies have been forced to close.borrowcompanybeforceforce yourself to do somethingI had to force myself to get up this morning.haveforce somebody/something into (doing) somethingwomen who are forced into arranged marriageswomanbeforcearrangemarriageBad health forced him into taking early retirement.forcetake2make somebody/something movePUSH [always + adverb/preposition] to make someone or something move in a particular direction or into a different position, especially through or using great strength SYN push: Westerly gales forced the ship off course.galeforceFiremen entering the building were forced back by flames.firemanenterbuildbeforceflameShe tried to keep the door shut but the man forced it open.tryforce3force your way through/into etc something (also force your way in/out/past etc)PUSH to push very hard in order to get somewhere: The doctor forced his way through the crowd.forceDemonstrators forced their way past.demonstratorforce4make something happen to make something happen or change, especially more quickly than planned or expected: the unfortunate events that forced his resignationeventforceWe need to force the pace on alternative energy policies.policyforce prices/interest rates etc down/upThe effect will be to increase unemployment and force down wages.wage5OPENforce a door/lock/window to open a door etc using physical strength, often causing damage: I forced the lock on the cupboard to see what was inside.forcebe6force the issueFORCE SB TO DO STH to do something that makes it necessary for someone to make decisions or take action, instead of waiting to see what happens: Polly decided to force the issue by demanding an explanation.decidedemand7force sb’s handFORCE SB TO DO STH to make someone do something unwillingly or earlier than they had intended: They’re reluctant to sell the house yet but the right offer could force their hand.can8force a smile/laugh etcFORCE SB TO DO STH to make yourself smile, laugh etc even though you feel upset or annoyedTHESAURUSforce to make someone do something they do not want to do. Used when people or situations make you do something: They were beaten and forced to confess to crimes they had not committed.bebeatforcecrimehavecommit | The drought forced millions of farmers to sell their cattle.forcefarmermake to force someone to do something by using pressure, threats, or violence. Make somebody do something is more common than force somebody to do something in everyday English: Her parents disapproved of Alex and they made her stop seeing him.parentdisapprovemakesee | Two men with guns made the staff hand over the money.mangunmakepressure (also pressurize British English) to try to force someone to do something by making them feel that they should do it: Some employers pressure their staff into working very long hours.employerworkhour | She felt they were trying to pressurize her into getting married.feelbetrygetmarryblackmail to force someone to give you money or do what you want by threatening to tell embarrassing secrets about them: She tried to blackmail him with photographs of them together at the hotel.tryphotographcompel [usually passive] formal to force someone to do something using official power or authority. Also used when someone has to do something because of their situation: The town was surrounded and compelled to surrender.besurroundcompel | I felt compelled to offer them some kind of explanation.feelcompel | You are compelled by law to carry an ID card.becompelcoerce /kəʊˈɜːs $ ˈkoʊɜːrs/ formal to force someone to do something by threatening them: Local people were coerced into joining the rebel army.becoercejoinbe obliged to do something formal if someone is obliged to do something, they must do it because it is the law or the rule, or because of the situation they are in: You are not obliged to say anything which may harm your defence in court.beoblige | They were obliged to sell the land.beobligeforce something ↔ back phrasal verb STOP STH THAT IS HAPPENINGto stop yourself from showing that you are upset or frightened, especially with difficulty: Janet forced back her tears.forcetearforce something ↔ down phrasal verb1FORCE SB TO DO STHto make yourself eat or drink something, although you do not want it: I forced down a piece of stale bread.force2to make a plane land by threatening to attack it: The hijacked plane was forced down by military jets.hijackbeforcejetforce something on/upon somebody phrasal verb FORCE SB TO DO STHto make someone do or accept something even though they do not want to: It’s no good trying to force a diet on someone.trypeople who try to force their own views on youviewforce something ↔ out of somebody phrasal verb FORCE SB TO DO STHto make someone tell you something by asking them many times, threatening them etc: I wasn’t going to tell Matt but he forced it out of me.goforce
suffix [in nouns]Language: Old FrenchOrigin: -elet, from -el ‘small’ (from Latin -ellus) + -et a small kind of something:
a bookleta piglet
letverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesletletslettingletlet1 S1 W1 /let/
verb (past tense and past participle let, present participle letting)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: lætan Verb form1allow [transitive not in passive] to allow someone to do something → permit:
I can’t come out tonight – my dad won’t let me.winlet somebody do somethingLet Johnny have a go on the computer now.Some people seem to let their kids do whatever they like.kidLet me have a look at that letter.let somebody have something (=give something to someone)I can let you have another £10, but no more. ► Do not say ‘be let to do something’, because let has no passive form. Use the active form, or use be allowed: They let me leave. | I was allowed to leave.RegisterIn written English, people often prefer to use allow somebody to do something rather than let somebody do something, as it is slightly more formal:We must allow young people to develop independence.2not stop something happening [transitive not usually in passive]LET/ALLOW to not stop something happening, or to make it possible for it to happenlet somebody/something do somethingJenny let the note fall to the ground.grindDon’t let anyone know it was me who told you.betellMax let the door swing open.Let the cookies cool down before you try them.cookielet yourself be beaten/persuaded/fooled etcI stupidly let myself be persuaded to take part in a live debate.persuade3let goHOLD a)to stop holding something or someone: Let go! You’re hurting me.hurtlet go ofThe guard let go of the lead, and the dog lunged forward.lunge b)to accept that you cannot change something and stop thinking or worrying about it: Sometimes you just have to learn to let go.4let somebody go a)to allow someone to leave a place where they have been kept SYN release: The police had to let him go through lack of evidence.haveThe hijackers were persuaded to let some hostages go.hijackerbepersuadehostage b)to make someone leave their job – used in order to avoid saying this directly: I’m afraid we had to let several of our staff go.haveSPOKEN PHRASES5suggest/offer [transitive not in passive] used to make a suggestion or to offer helplet’s do somethingLet’s make a start, shall we?Let’s all get together over Christmas.Let’s not jump to conclusions – he might have been delayed.conclusionbedelaylet somebody do somethingLet me help you with those bags.bagLet me give you a piece of advice.let’s hope (that)Let’s hope he got your message in time.getdon’t let’s do something British English informal: Don’t let’s argue like this.6let’s see (also let me see) used when you are thinking about or trying to remember something: Today’s date is – let me see, March 20th.beNow, let’s see, where did I put your application form?do7let me think used to say that you need time to think about or remember something: What was his name, now? Let me think.be8let him/her/them etc used to say that you do not care if someone does something they are threatening to do: ‘She says she’s going to sell her story to the newspapers!’ ‘Well, let her!’saygonewspaper9let’s face it/let’s be honest used to say that someone must accept an unpleasant fact or situation: Let’s face it, no one’s going to lend us any money.go10let’s just say (that)TELL used to say that you are not going to give someone all the details about something: ‘So who did it?’ ‘Let’s just say it wasn’t anyone in this family.’do11let yourself go a)to relax completely and enjoy yourself: For goodness sake, Peter, why don’t you just let yourself go for once? b)to stop looking after yourself properly, for example by not caring about your appearance: Poor Dad. He’s really let himself go since Mum died.die12let something go a)to not punish or criticize someone for something they have done wrong: OK, I’ll let it go this time. b)to stop worrying or thinking too much about something: It’s time to let the past go. c)informal to sell something for a particular amountlet something go for £20/$200 etcI couldn’t let it go for less than £300.little13wish [transitive not in passive]LET/ALLOW used to say that you wish or hope that something happens, or does not happen(not) let somebody/something do somethingDon’t let him be the one who died, she prayed.diepray14let aloneIMPOSSIBLE used after a negative statement to say that the next thing you mention is even more unlikely: The baby can’t even sit up yet, let alone walk!15let something drop/rest/lie to stop talking about or trying to deal with something: It seems the press are not going to let the matter rest.seembego16let slip to accidentally tell someone something that should have been kept secretlet slip thatLiz let slip that she’d seen him quite recently.see17rent [transitive] especially British EnglishLEND to charge someone an amount of money for the use of a room or building SYN lease → hire, rent: Interhome has over 20,000 houses to let across Europe.havehouselet something to somebodyI’ve let my spare room to a student.let somebody somethingWould you consider letting me the garage for a few months?willletmonthlet something out to somebodyWe let the smaller studios out to local artists.smallstudioartistTo Let written (=written on a sign outside a building to show that it is available for renting)18mathematics let something be/equal/represent something technical used in mathematics to mean that you give something a particular measurement or value in order to make a calculation: Let angle A equal the sum of the two opposite sides.side19let yourself in for something informalPROBLEM to do something that will cause you a lot of trouble: I don’t think Carol realizes what she’s letting herself in for.realizelet20never let a day/week/year etc go by without doing somethingREGULAR used to say that someone does a particular thing very regularly: They never seem to let a year go by without introducing a new version of their software.introduce21let the good times roll informal used to say that it is time for people to start having fun22let somebody have it informal to attack someone → let fly (something) at fly1(17), → let it all hang out at hang out(3), → live and let live at live1(21), → let it/her rip at rip1(5), → let rip at rip1(4)THESAURUSallow to say that someone can do something – used about parents, teachers, or people in authority: They don’t allow students to chew gum in the classroom.student | I’m not allowed to stay out after ten o'clock.allowlet [not in passive] to allow someone to do something. Let is not used in the passive, and is much more commonly used in everyday English than allow: Will your Mum let you come to the party? | I’ll borrow John’s bicycle, if he’ll let me.permit formal if something is permitted, it is allowed according to the rules - used especially on written notices and announcements: Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the building.smokebepermitbuildgive somebody permission used when someone in an important official position decides to allow someone to do something: He was given special permission to leave school early.begive | The Home Office has given him permission to stay in Britain indefinitely.havegivegive your consent to say that you will allow someone to do something that will affect you personally, or a member of your family, when you have a legal right to say ‘no’: Her parents have given their consent to the marriage.parentgive | You can’t build on someone’s land without the owner’s consent.give something the go-ahead to officially allow a planned project or activity to happen: The government finally gave the go-ahead for a new terminal at Heathrow airport.give | A new nuclear plant has been given the go-ahead.havebegiveauthorize to officially or legally allow someone to do something - used about laws or people: The UN resolution would authorize the use of force.will | I never authorized them to give information about me to other banks.authorizebankentitle to give someone the right to do or have something: The pass entitles you to travel on any bus, at any time, in Norwich.entitle | If the goods are faulty, the customer is entitled to a refund.goodbebeentitlesanction formal to give official approval and support for something: The Truman administration refused to sanction a military attack.refuse | The advertisements were sanctioned by the candidate himself.advertisementbesanctionlet somebody/something ↔ down phrasal verb1DISAPPOINTEDto not do something that someone trusts or expects you to do: She had been let down badly in the past.havebeThe worst feeling is having let our fans down.illfeelbehavefanlet the side down British English (=disappoint a group of people that you belong to)2to make someone or something less successful or effective: McKenzie’s judgement rarely lets him down.let3DOWNto move something or someone to a lower position: Let down a rope so that I can climb up.Carefully, she let herself down into the water.4let your hair down informalRELAXED to relax and enjoy yourself, especially after working hard: Visitors young and old let their hair down and enjoyed the show.visitorenjoy5let your guard/defences down to relax and stop worrying about what might happen or what someone might find out about you: Maggie never really lets her guard down, does she?letdo6let somebody down lightly/gentlyTELL to give someone bad news in a way that will not upset them too much: I get asked out on dates quite often, but I always try to let the guy down gently.askdate7British EnglishAIR to allow the air to escape from something so that it loses its shape and becomes flat: Someone’s let my tyres down!tyre8to make a piece of clothing longer by unfolding a folded edge OPP take uplet somebody in on something phrasal verb TELL A SECRETto tell something that is secret or only known by a few people: TV chef Raymond Blanc lets us in on the secrets of his kitchen.letsecretWould someone mind letting me in on the joke?willletlet somebody/something into something phrasal verb1TELL A SECRETto tell someone something that is secret or private: It was time to let the rest of the family into the secret.be2[usually passive] technical to put something such as a window or a decoration into a wall: Two large windows were let into the wall each side of the door.windowbelet somebody/something off phrasal verb1PUNISHto not punish someone: I’ll let you off this time, but don’t do it again.let somebody/something off withAfter checking our identities, the customs men let us off with a warning.checkidentitycustommanwarnlet somebody off the hook (=allow someone to escape punishment or criticism)He’d decided to make Sandra wait before letting her off the hook.decideletlet somebody off lightly/easily (=give someone a less serious punishment than they deserve)I think young criminals are let off far too lightly.criminalbe2let somebody off (something)LET/ALLOW if someone in authority lets you off something you should do, they give you permission not to do it: You’ve worked hard all week, so I’ll let you off today.work3let something ↔ offSHOOT to make something explode: One boy had let off a firework in class.have → let/blow off steam at steam1(4)let on phrasal verb informal TELL A SECRETto tell someone something, especially something you have been keeping secretlet on (that)Don’t let on that I told you.telllet on who/why/how etcWe never did let on how we found out.dofindI’m sure he knows more than he’s letting on.knowletlet out phrasal verb1let out somethingSOUND to suddenly make a loud sound such as a shout or crylet out a scream/cry/roar etcHe let out a cry of disbelief.2let something ↔ outLOOSE to make a piece of clothing wider or looser, especially because it is too tight3let something ↔ out British EnglishLEND to charge someone an amount of money for the use of a room or building: We’re letting out our son’s old room to a student.let4American EnglishFINISH/COME TO AN END if a school, college, film etc lets out, it ends and the people attending it can leave: What time does the movie let out?do → let the cat out of the bag at cat(2)let up phrasal verb1FINISH/COME TO AN ENDto become less severe or harmful: The wind had dropped and the rain gradually let up.havedrop2to be less severe, unkind, or violent towards someone: Even when the crowd had scattered, the police didn’t let up.havescatter3to stop working as hard as you were: You’re doing really well, but you can’t afford to let up now.do
letnounCollocations from other entriesPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplesletletsletlet2 noun1[countable] British English an arrangement in which a house or flat is rented to someone: An agency is managing the let.bemanagea long-term let2without let or hindrance law happening freely without being prevented in any way
adjectiveWord familyDate: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: Latin habilis ‘skillful’, from habere ‘to have’ 1be able to do something a)CANto have the skill, strength, knowledge etc needed to do something:
I’ve always wanted to be able to speak Japanese.want b)CANto be in a situation in which it is possible for you to do something: I’d like to do more gardening, but I never seem able to find the time.gardenI haven’t been able to read that report yet.be2GOOD ATclever or good at doing something: one of my more able studentsstudent
-ablesuffixOther dictionary examples-able-able-able /əbəl/
(also -ible-ible) suffix [in adjectives]Language: Old FrenchOrigin: Latin -abilis, from -bilis ‘capable or worthy of’ 1that you can do something to:
washable (=it can be washed)unbreakable (=it cannot be broken)loveable (=easy to love)2having a particular quality or condition: knowledgeable (=knowing a lot)comfortable—-ably-ably /əbli/, -ibly-ibly suffix [in adverbs]: unbelievably
adjective
Word familyDate: 1300-1400Language: Latin
Origin: directus, past participle of dirigere ‘to set straight, guide’ 1without involving othersPERSONALLY/YOURSELF done without any other people, actions, processes etc coming between OPP indirect:
Experienced users have direct access to the main data files.experienceuserdatumfileI’m not in direct contact with them.Few policy-makers have had direct experience of business.makerhavedirect effect/impact/influence etcEducational level has a sizeable direct effect on income.havedirect link/connection/relationship etcThere is a direct link between poverty and ill-health.bedirect result/consequenceThe decision to close the hospital is a direct result of Government health policy.be2from one place to anotherSTRAIGHT going straight from one place to another without stopping or changing direction OPP indirect: Which is the most direct route to London?bea direct flight to New York3exact [only before noun]EXACT exact or total: Weight increases in direct proportion to mass.increaseFor Lawrence, in direct contrast to Adam, everything seemed to come so easily.seema direct quote (=exact words) from the book4behaviour/attitudeHONEST saying exactly what you mean in an honest clear way OPP indirect: Women often feel men are too direct and not sympathetic enough.womanmanbeNow, let me ask you a direct question, and I expect a direct answer.5direct descendantFAMILY someone who is related to someone else through their parents and grandparents, not through their aunts, uncles etcdirect descendant ofShe claimed to be a direct descendant of Wordsworth.claim6direct hit an occasion on which something such as a bomb hits a place exactly, causing a lot of damage: During the war, the cathedral suffered many direct hits.sufferhitOne of the bombers scored a direct hit.bomberscore7direct heat/sunlightHOT TASTE strong heat or light that someone or something is not protected from OPP indirect: Never change the film in direct sunlight. → directly, directnessCOLLOCATIONSnounsdirect access Very few people have direct access to the President.direct contact The disease is only spread by direct contact between people.bea direct link/connection The campaign makes a direct link between global warming and the consumption of energy in the home.makewarma direct relationship We think having a direct relationship with customers is very important.havecustomerbea direct effect/impact Our organization’s work has a direct impact upon children’s lives in this country.havechildlivea direct result/consequence Many illnesses here are a direct consequence of bad diet.illnessbedirect experience People learn best through direct experience.welldirect evidence There is no direct evidence that this causes any harm.becausedirect control The state has direct control over certain industries.haveindustryTHESAURUSnot hiding the truth or the factshonest saying what you really think and not hiding the truth or the facts: I’m going to ask you something, and I want you to be honest with me.go | an honest answer | To be honest, I didn’t think his speech was very good.bestraight informal honest and saying what you really think: I can’t help you if you’re not straight with me. | I need a straight answer.open willing to talk about what you think, feel etc in an honest way, rather than trying to hide it: People have become more open about their feelings.feeling | She’s very easy to talk to because she’s so open.frank speaking honestly and directly about something, especially something that people find difficult to discuss: In his book, he’s brutally frank about his experience with his illness. | a frank discussion about sexdirect saying exactly what you think in an honest clear way, even when this might annoy or upset people: Not everyone liked his direct manner.like | She can be very direct.blunt speaking in a completely honest way, even if it upsets people, when it would be better to be more careful or polite: Sorry if I was a bit blunt with you.bebite | His hard tone and blunt words were hurtful.wordbe | She didn’t reply and I knew I had been too blunt.knowhavebeupfront [not before noun] informal talking and behaving in an honest way, even when it is difficult to do this, in a way that people respect: It’s best to be upfront about your financial problems.wellproblem | You have to be upfront with kids.kidoutspoken expressing your opinions publicly in a very direct way, which may offend or annoy some people: an outspoken critic of the government | He was known for his outspoken views on various controversies.beknowviewcontroversyforthright formal saying exactly what what you think, without being afraid of what other people will think: The opposition have not come up with a clear forthright statement of their policies.policy | At times, Helena was a little too forthright.timebecandid formal honest about the facts, or about your opinions and feelings, even if other people disapprove of them: He’d always been completely candid about his past.be | It was an unusually candid admission for a politician.be
directverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2Word sets 1 2Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesdirectdirectsdirecteddirectingdirectdirect2 S3 W2 verb
Word familyVerb form1aim [transitive always + adverb/preposition]DIRECTION to aim something in a particular direction or at a particular person, group etcdirect something at/towards etc somethingThe machine directs an X-ray beam at the patient’s body.directThe new route directs lorries away from the town centre.directlorryI’d like to direct your attention to paragraph four.I want to direct my efforts more towards my own projects.effortproject2be in charge [transitive]IN CHARGE OF to be in charge of something or control it: Mr Turner was directing the investigation from a very early stage.bedirectThe choir was directed by Sir David Willcocks.bedirect3film/play [intransitive and transitive] to give the actors in a play, film, or television programme instructions about what they should do: The play was directed by Frank Hauser.bedirect4way/route [transitive] formal to tell someone how to get to a placedirect somebody to somethingCould you direct me to Trafalgar Square, please?can5tell somebody to do something [transitive] formal to tell someone what they should do SYN orderdirect somebody to do somethingThe judge directed the jury to find Mr Baggs not guilty.directdirect thatHe directed that his body should be buried in Upton.directshallbury
directadverbCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesdirectdirectdirect3 adverb1STOP MOVINGwithout stopping or changing direction SYN directly: Can we fly direct to Chicago, or do we stop in Salt Lake City first?2IMMEDIATELYwithout dealing with anyone else first SYN directly: Esther decided to contact the manager direct.decideIt is usually cheaper to buy the goods direct from the wholesaler.becheapgood
auxiliary verb (past tense did /dɪd/, past participle done /dʌn/, third person singular does /dəz; strong dʌz/)Language: Old EnglishOrigin: don 1IN QUESTIONS/NEGATIVES a)used with another verb to form questions or negatives:
Do you like bananas?bananaI don’t feel like going out tonight.goIan didn’t answer.Where do you live?Doesn’t Rosie look wonderful?Don’t listen to her! b)spoken used to form question tags (=short questions that you add to the end of statements): You know Tony, don’t you?She didn’t understand, did she?do2used instead of repeating a verb that has already been used: ‘Will Kay come?’ ‘She may do.’So now you know as much as I do.‘You forgot all about it.’ ‘No, I didn’t.’forget‘I want to go home.’ ‘So do I.’I didn’t believe the story and neither did he.do3FOR EMPHASISEMPHASIZEused to emphasize the main verb in a sentence: Do be careful.You do look nice in that hat.I do think she’s behaved badly.behave‘You should have warned me.’ ‘But I did warn you.’shallwarndoHe owns, or did own (=emphasizing past tense), a yacht.owndo4IN POLITE REQUESTSOFFER spoken used when politely offering someone something: Do have another sandwich.
doverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesdodoesdiddonedoingdodo2 S1 W1 verb (past tense did, past participle done, third person singular does)
Word familyVerb form1action/activityACTIVITY/JOB [transitive]DO to perform an action or activity: Have you done your homework yet?doYou need to do more exercise.It’s a pleasure doing business with you.doI didn’t know what to do.All he does is sit in front of the television all day.dobedo something/nothing/anything etcWe should do something to help him.shallIt all happened so quickly that I couldn’t do anything about it.happenbored teenagers with nothing to doboreteenagerdo the laundry/ironing/dishes etcIt’s your turn to do the dishes.dishRegisterIn written English, people often use the verb act rather than the phrase do something, as it sounds more formal:The government needs to act to help these people.need2succeedSUCCEED/FAIL [intransitive]DO WELL used to ask or talk about how successful someone is at somethingdo well/badlyStudents are under considerable pressure to do well.studentbehow somebody/something is doing (with/in something)You should get promoted after about a year, depending on how you’re doing.shallpromotedependdoHow’s he doing in trying to give up smoking?dotrysmoke3have an effect [transitive]EFFECT/INFLUENCE to have a particular effect on something or someone: The scandal will do serious damage to his reputation.This will do nothing for (=will not improve) Jamie’s confidence.The colour does nothing for her (=does not improve her appearance).doGetting the job has done a lot for (=had a good effect on) her self-esteem.gethavedoA week in the countryside will do you good (=make you feel better).Exercise can do wonders for (=have a very good effect on) body, mind, and spirit.wonder4jobJOB/WORK [transitive] to have a particular job: What do you want to do after you leave school?What do you do for a living (=as your job)?liveShe’s very good at what she does.do5enough/acceptable [intransitive, transitive not in progressive]GOOD ENOUGH used to say that something will be enough or be acceptable: We don’t have a lot of wine for the party, but it should just about do.shallI can’t find my black shoes so these will have to do.shoeA few sandwiches will do me for lunch.sandwichIt won’t do (=it is not acceptable) to say that the situation couldn’t have been avoided.winbeavoid6what somebody will do for something used to talk about what arrangements someone has made to get something they need: What will you do for money if you leave your job?I’m not sure what we’ll do for transport yet.7what is somebody/something doing? spoken used to ask why someone or something is in a particular place or doing a particular thing, especially when you are surprised or annoyed by this: What’s my coat doing on the floor?doWhat are you doing walking around at this time of night?bedowalkWhat on earth do you think you’re doing?do8do your/sb’s hair/nails/make-up etc to do something that improves your appearance or someone else’s appearance: It must take her ages to do her make-up in the mornings.agemorningWho does your hair?do9spend timeSPEND TIME [transitive] informalSPEND TIME to spend a period of time doing something: She did a year backpacking around the world.dobackpackOh yes, I certainly did my time in the army (=spent time in the army).do10studySTUDY [transitive not in passive] British English to study a particular subject in a school or university: I did French for five years.doyear11cookFOOD [transitive] to cook a particular type of food: I was thinking of doing a casserole tonight.bethinkdo12do 10 miles/20 kms etc to achieve a particular distance, speed etc: We did 300 kilometres on the first day.dokilometreThe car can do 120 mph.13provide a serviceA SERVICE [transitive]DEAL WITH to provide a particular service or sell a particular product: They do interior and exterior design.We don’t do food after two o'clock.14perform a play [transitive] to perform a particular play, show etc: We did ‘Guys and Dolls’ last year.doguydoll15decorate [transitive] to paint or decorate a room, house etc: How are you going to do your living room?begolive16behave [intransitive] to behave in a particular way: In the evenings students are free to do as they please (=do what they want).eveningstudentbeI wish you’d do as you’re told (=do what you are told to do)!tell17somebody doesn’t do nice/funny/sensible etc spoken informal used humorously to say that someone cannot or does not behave in a particular way: Sensible? I don’t do sensible.18copy behaviourCOPY [transitive]COPY to copy someone’s behaviour or the way they talk, especially in order to entertain people: He does a brilliant George Bush (=copies him in a very funny way).do19do lunch/do a movie etc informal to have lunch, go to see a film etc with someone: Let’s do lunch next week.20drugs [transitive] informal to use an illegal drug: He says he’s never done hard drugs in his life.saydodrug21visitVISIT [transitive] to visit a particular place, especially as a tourist: Let’s do the Eiffel Tower today.22that’ll do! spokenSTOP DOING STH used to tell a child to stop behaving badly23that does it! spoken used to say angrily that you will not accept a situation any more: Right, that does it! I’m not going to listen to any more of this!dogo24that should do it (also that ought to do it) spoken used to say that you will have finished doing something if you just do one more thing: I’ve just got to prepare the dessert and that should do it.getshall25do it informalSEX/HAVE SEX WITH to have sex – used humorously or when you want to avoid saying the word ‘sex’26somebody would do well to do somethingADVISE used to advise someone that they should do something: Most people would do well to reduce the amount of salt in their diet.will27punishPUNISH [transitive]PUNISH British English spoken to punish or attack someone → be/get done at done2(8)28deceive [transitive] British English informal to deceive or trick someone → be done at done2(7)29HAPPENwhat’s doing ...? spokenHAPPEN used to ask what is happening: What’s doing at your place tonight?do30do or dieDETERMINED used to say that someone is determined to do something very brave or dangerous even if they die attempting it31how (are) you doing? spoken used when you meet someone to ask them if they are well, happy etc: Hi Bob, how you doing?do32what can I do you for? spoken used humorously to ask someone how you can help them, especially when you are trying to sell them something33do well by somebodyTREAT/BEHAVE TOWARDS to treat someone well: His relations always did pretty well by him.relationdo34do one spoken informal used to tell someone who is making you feel upset or angry to go away: Oh, just go and do one! → doing, → do your bit at bit2(8), → how do you do at how(11), → nothing doing at nothing1(14), → do somebody proud at proud(5), → do something to death at death(4), → can-doCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1do + NOUNdo a job/task On Saturdays I usually do a few jobs around the house.jobdo some/any/ no etc work She was feeling too tired to do any work.befeeltiredo the shopping/cleaning/ironing/cooking etc Who does the cooking in your family?docookdo the housework (=jobs in your home such as cleaning, washing clothes etc) I’ve been doing the housework all day.bedodo the dishes (also do the washing-up British English) (=wash the plates after a meal) Will anyone help me do the washing-up?washdo the laundry (also do the washing British English) (=wash dirty clothes) Ellie was doing the washing.bedowashdo your homework My parents don’t let me go out unless I’ve done my homework.parentdodo a calculation/sum (=use numbers to find out a figure, price etc) I did a quick calculation on a piece of paper.dodo business (=buy and sell goods, or provide services) The company does a lot of business in China.dodo something/nothing/anything He lay on the sofa and did nothing all day.liedoCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 3do + NOUNdo some/any/no good (=improve a situation) It might do some good if you talk to him about the problem. | The fresh air has done me good.havedodo somebody good (=make someone feel better)not do (somebody) any harm also do (somebody) no harm (=not have a bad effect on something or someone) One or two chocolate cookies won’t do you any harm.cookiewindo damage (to something/somebody) A mistake like that can do a lot of damage to your career.phrasesdo a lot for something (=have a good effect on something) The new leisure centre has done a lot for the town’s image.havedodo nothing for something (=not have a good effect on something) Being apart for so long did nothing for our relationship.bedodo nothing for somebody (=used to say that particular clothes, colours etc do not suit someone) I liked the dress but it did nothing for me.likedodo wonders for something (=have a very good effect on something) A new haircut can do wonders for your self-confidence.wonderdo more harm than good (=used to say that something had a bad effect rather than a good one) I followed his advice but it did more harm than good.followdoTHESAURUSdo to do something – used in the following phrases: do your work/homework etc: It usually takes me a couple of hours to do my homework.takehour | do the shopping/cooking/washing etc: She’s gone to the supermarket to do the shopping.goshop | do a test/experiment/some research: The doctor did some tests.dotest | Fraser spent some time in Egypt doing some archaeological research.spenddo | Scientists are doing research on two types of vaccine.scientistbedotype | do a course: Have you decided which course you want to do at university?decidemake to do something – used in the following phrases: make a speech: The Prince made a short speech.make | make a comment/suggestion/joke: Can I make a suggestion? | make a decision: The committee will meet to make their final decision. | make a mistake: I think someone has made a mistake.havemakegive to do something – used in the following phrases: give a talk/speech/lecture: They’ve asked him to give a talk.ask | give a performance: The band gave a brilliant performance.givetake to do something – used in the following phrases: take a test/exam: Kate’s taking her driving test tomorrow.takedrive | take a bath/shower: I think I’ll go and take a shower. | take a walk: Normally, he took a walk in the evenings.takeeveningcommit to do something that is a crime, especially a serious crime: commit a crime: The crime was committed in the early hours of the morning.becommithour | commit a robbery/murder etc: Dixon later admitted committing the robbery.lateadmitcommitcarry out something to do something – used in the following phrases: carry out your work: The violence is making it difficult for firefighters to carry out their work.bemakefirefighter | carry out a task/duty: He still managed to carry out his duties.manageduty | carry out a survey/test/some research: The hospital carries out research into skin diseases.carrydisease | carry out an operation: The operation was carried out at a hospital in Paris.becarry | carry out a threat/promise: They didn’t carry out their threat to kill the hostages.hostage | carry out sb’s orders/instructions/wishes: I’m sure I can rely on you to carry out my instructions.instructionperform to do something. Perform is more formal than carry out, and is used in the following phrases: perform a task/duty: The job mostly involves performing administrative tasks.involveperformtask | perform an operation: A team of surgeons performed the operation.surgeonperformconduct to do something – used in the following phrases: conduct a survey/study/experiment: They conducted a survey of approximately 2,000 people living in the area.conductlive | conduct an inquiry/investigation: The police are conducting an investigation into the cause of the fire.beconduct | conduct an interview: Knowing how to conduct a successful interview is a skill.knowbe | conduct a campaign: People were unimpressed by the way in which the election campaign was conducted.bebeconductgo about something to do your work or the things that you usually do, especially when something serious has happened: go about your work/business: The next day she went about her business as if nothing had happened.gohavehappenget on with something spoken especially British English to start doing something that you should have started already or to continue doing something that you stopped doing for a short time: I need to get on with my homework.be up to something spoken to be doing something that you think is probably bad, although you do not know exactly what it is: I’m sure they’re up to something. | What’s Jake up to? He’s been upstairs in his room all day.bedo away with somebody/something phrasal verb1GET RID OFto get rid of something or stop using it: People thought that the use of robots would do away with boring low-paid factory jobs.thinkrobotwillborepayjob2informalKILL to kill someonedo somebody ↔ down phrasal verb CRITICIZEto criticize someone, especially in an unfair way: I know you don’t like him, but there’s no need to keep doing him down in front of the boss.dodo for somebody/something phrasal verb KILL British English informal to kill someone or harm something or someone very badly: Working 100 hours a week nearly did for me.workhourdo → be done for at done2(3)do somebody in phrasal verb informal1KILLto kill someone: He was planning to do himself in.beplan2TIREDto make someone feel extremely tired: That walk really did me in.do → done in at done2(4)do something ↔ out phrasal verb British English1to make a room look nice by decorating it: The room was beautifully done out in pastel colours.bedocolour2informal to clean a room or cupboard thoroughlydo somebody out of something phrasal verb informal CHEATto dishonestly stop someone from getting or keeping something, especially something they have a right to have: Are you trying to do me out of a job?betrydo somebody/something over phrasal verb1do something ↔ over especially American English to make a place look attractive by decorating it: The whole apartment had been done over in an Art Deco style.havebedo2American EnglishAGAIN to do something again, especially because you did it wrong the first time: If you make too many mistakes, you’ll have to do it over.mistake3do something ↔ over British English spoken informalSTEAL to steal things from a building4ATTACK British English spoken informal to attack and injure someonedo up phrasal verb1TIEto fasten something, or to be fastened in a particular waydo something ↔ upDo up your coat or you’ll get cold.a skirt which does up at the backdo2do something ↔ up to repair an old building or car, or to improve its appearance: They did up an old cottage in the Scottish Highlands.do3do something ↔ up to decorate something in a particular way: The apartment was done up in Viennese style.bedo4do something ↔ up to wrap something in paper5do yourself up to make yourself look neat and attractive: Sue spent ages doing herself up.spendagedodo with something phrasal verb1could do with something spokenNEED to need or want something: I could have done with some help this morning.cando2have/be to do with somebody/somethingCONNECTED WITH to be about something, be related to something, or be involved with something: Their conversation had been largely to do with work.havebeI’m sorry about the accident, but it’s nothing to do with me (=I am not involved in any way).This question doesn’t have anything to do with the main topic of the survey.I’m sure her problems have something to do with what happened when she was a child.problemhappenbe3what to do with yourselfSPEND TIME how to spend your time: She didn’t know what to do with herself after she retired.retire4what somebody should do with something/what to do with something etc used to ask or talk about how someone should deal with something: What shall I do with these papers?paperI wouldn’t know what to do with a newborn baby.5what has somebody done with something? spoken used to ask where someone has put something: What have you done with the remote for the TV?do6what is somebody doing with something?ASK A QUESTION used to ask why someone has something: What are you doing with my diary?bedo7I can’t be doing with something British English spoken used to say that you are annoyed by something and do not want to have to think about it: I can’t be doing with all this right now.dodo without phrasal verb1do without (something)NEED to live or do something without a particular thing: I don’t have any sugar so you’ll have to do without.You can do without a carpet but you’ve got to have somewhere to sit.get2can do without somethingNEED used to say that something is annoying you or causing you problems: You can do without all that hassle.Those are the type of stupid remarks I can do without.beremark
donounCollocations from other entriesThesaurus 1Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesdodosdo'sdodo3 noun (plural dos or do’s) [countable]Word family1informal a party or other social event: We’re having a do to celebrate his 30th birthday.have2dos and don’ts (also do’s and don’ts)SHOULD/OUGHT TO things that you should and should not do in a particular situation: The booklet lists the dos and don’ts of caring for dogs.listdocaredog3American English informal a hairdoTHESAURUSparty a social event when a lot of people meet together to enjoy themselves by eating, drinking, dancing etc: We’re having a party for Sarah’s 40th birthday.have | I met my boyfriend at a party.meetget-together an informal party: Christmas is the perfect time for a family get-together.beball a large formal party where people dance: the end of term ballrave a large party which is held outside or in an empty building, where people dance to music and take illegal drugsreception a large formal party, especially one after a wedding or to welcome an important person: The wedding reception is at a nearby hotel.be | a reception for the Thai Foreign Minister | They attended a White House reception to mark the Queen’s visit.attendfunction a large formal or official party: He has been asked to play at many corporate functions (=an official party held by a company).havebeaskfunctioncelebration a party or special event that is organized in order to celebrate something: the country’s 50th anniversary celebrationscelebration | It was a 21st birthday celebration which Mary would never forget.bewillbash informal a party, especially a big one that a lot of famous people go to – used especially in journalism: the star’s birthday bash | a picture of him at a Hollywood bash | a showbiz bashdo British English informal a party: We’re having a do to celebrate Margaret’s birthday.havedinner party a party where people are invited to someone’s house for an evening meal: I met him at a dinner party.meethouse-warming (party) a party that you have when you move into a new house: We’re having a house-warming next week.havewarmcocktail party (also drinks party British English) a party that people go to in order to talk and have a drink together for a few hoursfancy-dress party British English, costume party American English a party where people dress in special clothes, for example to look like a famous person or a character in a storyhen party especially British English a social event just before a wedding, for a woman who is getting married and her female friendsstag night British English, bachelor party American English a social event just before a wedding, for a man who is getting married and his male friendsbaby/wedding shower American English an event at which people give presents to a woman who is going to have a baby or get married
donounCollocations from other entriesWord sets 1Phrases from other entriesdodosdo'sdodo4 /dəʊ $ doʊ/ noun [singular, uncountable] another spelling of doh
adjectiveLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: brun 1having the colour of earth, wood, or coffee:
dark brown hair2BEAUTIFUL/GOOD-LOOKINGhaving skin that has been turned brown by the sun: He’d been on vacation and looked very brown.belookHe was as brown as a berry after two weeks in the sun.beweekCOLLOCATIONStypes of brownlight/pale brown a light brown jacketdark/deep brown dark brown eyeseyewarm brown a warm brown shaderich brown a rich brown colourreddish brown The earth was reddish brown.begolden brown Cook until the cheese is golden brown.berusty brown (=an orange-brown colour) It was autumn and the leaves were already rusty brown.beleavebemuddy brown the muddy brown water of the riverchestnut brown (=a red-brown colour) a beautiful chestnut brown horsechocolate brown He was wearing a chocolate brown pullover.bewear
brownnounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1Phrases from other entriesCorpus examplesbrownbrownsbrownbrown2 noun [uncountable and countable] the colour of earth, wood, or coffee: This particular model is available in brown, white, or grey.bethe browns and greens of the landscapebrowngreen
brownverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesbrownbrownsbrownedbrowningbrownbrown3 verb [intransitive and transitive]Verb form1COOKto heat food so that it turns brown, or to become brown by being heated: First, brown the meat in a pan.2to become brown because of the sun’s heat, or to make something brown in this way: The children’s faces were browned by the sun.childfacebebrown3browned offANNOY British English informal annoyed or bored SYN fed up: They are getting browned off by the situation.begetbrown
adjective (comparative harder, superlative hardest)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: heard 1firm to touchHARD firm, stiff, and difficult to press down, break, or cut OPP soft:
a hard wooden chairthe hardest substance known to manhardknowAfter months without rain, the ground was too hard to plough.monthgrindbe2difficultDIFFICULT difficult to do or understand SYN difficult OPP easy: This year’s exam was much harder than last year’s.behardYou’ll have to make some hard decisions.decisionThey’re a hard team to beat.it is hard to believe/imagine/see/know etcIt was hard to see what else we could have done.becandoIt’s hard to believe that anyone would say something like that.willfind it hard to do somethingI was finding it hard to concentrate.befindPermanent jobs are hard to come by (=difficult to find or get).jobbebe hard for somebodyIt must be hard for her, bringing up three kids on her own.bringkidTelling my parents is going to be the hardest thing about it.tellparentbegohardhave a hard time doing something (=be difficult for someone to do something)You’ll have a hard time proving that.proveI had a hard time persuading him to accept the offer.havepersuadeSuch criticism was hard to take (=difficult to accept).be3TIREDwork/effort [usually before noun] using or involving a lot of mental or physical effort: To be successful in sport requires hard work and a great deal of determination.requireAfter a hard day at work, I just want to come home and put my feet up.foota hard day’s work/walking/skiing etcThere’s a sauna where you can relax after a hard day’s skiing.skiBecoming a doctor never interested him. It was too much like hard work (=it would involve too much work).becomeinterestbe4full of problemsPOORPROBLEM a situation or time that is hard is one in which you have a lot of problems, especially when you do not have enough money: She’s had a hard life.haveTimes were hard and they were forced to sell their house.timebebeforceHe had clearly fallen on hard times (=did not have much money).havefalltime5be hard on somebody a)to criticize someone in a way that is unfair, or to be too strict with them: Perhaps I’m too hard on her. b)to have a bad effect on someone: Divorce can be very hard on children.child6be hard on something to have a bad effect on something: Standing all day is very hard on the feet.standbefoot7LEARNdo something the hard way to learn, achieve, or do something after a bad experience or by making mistakes: He learned the hard way about the harsh reality of the boxing world.learnboxMake sure you put the baby’s diaper on before you start feeding her. I learned this lesson the hard way.feedlearnHe earned his promotion the hard way.earn8using forceSTRONG PERSON using a lot of force: Jane gave the door a good hard push.giveShe gave him a hard slap.give9TRUEhard evidence/facts/information etc facts that are definitely true and can be proved: There is no hard evidence to support this theory.be10unkindUNKINDCRUEL showing no sympathetic or gentle feelings: a hard faceHer voice was hard and cold.beYou’re a hard man, John.11hard going a)DIFFICULTdifficult to do and needing a lot of effort: A strong wind made the race very hard going.makego b)BORINGboring, or difficult to deal with, talk to etc: I find some of his friends pretty hard going.friendgo12FAILmake hard work of something to make something you are doing seem more difficult than it really is: Juventus were making hard work of what should have been an easy game.bemakeshallbe13BUSY/HAVE A LOT TO DObe hard at it/work informal to be very busy doing something: Sarah was hard at it on her computer.be14water hard water contains a lot of minerals, and does not mix easily with soap OPP soft15hard luck a)British English spoken used to tell someone that you feel sorry for them because they have not succeeded in what they were trying to do: ‘I failed my driving test.’ ‘Oh, hard luck!’faildrive b)when bad things happen to you that are not your fault: You’ve had your share of hard luck.havehard luck onIt was hard luck on you.be c)spoken (also hard cheese British English) used to say that you do not care if someone is having problems, does not like something etc: If you don’t like the idea then hard luck!16give somebody a hard time informal a)to treat someone badly or cause problems for them: Giving you a hard time, is she?givebeThey reached the border where officials gave them a hard time.reachofficialgive b)CRITICIZEto criticize someone a lot: Hostile critics have given Hartman a hard time.criticgive17have a hard time to have a lot of problems or bad experiences: I’m glad she’s happy at last – she’s had such a hard time.haveVegetarians still often have a hard time of it when it comes to eating out.vegetariancomeeat18drive/strike a hard bargain to demand a lot or refuse to give too much when you are making an agreement: The company is believed to have struck a hard bargain.bebelievestrike19hard feelings a)anger between people because of something that has happened: We’d known each other too long for hard feelings.knowfeelingI have no hard feelings towards Steve.feeling b)no hard feelings spoken used to tell someone that you do not want to be angry with them or for them to be angry with you: I’m sorry it didn’t work out, but no hard feelings, eh?feeling20THINK ABOUTtake a (long) hard look at something/somebody to think carefully about something, especially with the result that you change your opinions or behaviour: You should take a long hard look at the issues before committing yourself.shallissuecommit21hard line a strict way of dealing with someone or something: The president should abandon his hard line in the region.shalltake/adopt a hard line (on something)The school takes a very hard line on drugs.takedrug22hard news news stories that are about serious subjects or events: TV news programs seem to be more interested in gossip than in hard news.programinterest23STRONG PERSONnot frightened British English spoken strong, ready to fight, and not afraid of anyone or anything: He thinks he’s really hard.thinkJones was known as soccer’s hard man.beknow24EMOTIONAL(as) hard as nails someone who is hard as nails seems to have no feelings such as fear or sympathy25STRICTa hard taskmaster/master someone who makes people work too hard26HARDWEATHERa hard winter/frost a very cold winter or frost OPP mild27the hard left/right people who have extreme left-wing or right-wing political aims and ideas SYN far left/right, extreme: concerns about the re-emergence of the hard right in some areasconcernarea28light especially literary hard light is bright and unpleasant SYN harsh: the hard brilliance of the moonlight29DRINKDRUGalcohol [only before noun] informal very strong: hard liquorI never touch the hard stuff (=strong alcohol). → hard drugs30TURNa hard left/right a big turn to the left or right, for example when you are driving SYN sharp31pronunciation a hard ‘c’ is pronounced /k/ rather than /s/; a hard ‘g’ is pronounced /g/ rather than /dz/ → soft—hardnesshardnesseshardness noun [uncountable]: a material that would combine the flexibility of rubber with the hardness of glasswillTHESAURUShard difficult to press down, break, or cut, and not at all soft: I fell onto the hard stone floor.fall | The clay gets harder as it dries.getharddryfirm not completely hard, but not easy to press or bend – used especially when this seems a good thing: I like to sleep on a firm mattress. | exercises to make your stomach muscles nice and firmexercisemuscle | The pears were firm and juicy.pearbestiff difficult to bend and not changing shape: a piece of stiff cardboard | The collar of his shirt felt stiff and uncomfortable.feelsolid made of a thick hard material and not hollow: a solid oak door | The floor felt strong and solid beneath her feet.feelfootrigid /ˈrɪdʒəd, ˈrɪdʒɪd/ having a structure that is made of a material that is difficult or impossible to bend: The tent is supported by a rigid frame.besupport | Carry sandwiches in a rigid container.sandwichcrisp/crispy used about food that is pleasantly hard, so that it makes a noise when you bite it – often used about things that have been cooked in thin slices until they are brown: Bake the cookies until they are crisp and golden.cookiebe | crispy baconcrunchy food that is crunchy makes a noise when you bite on it – often used about things that are fresh, for example fruit, vegetables, and nuts: a crunchy breakfast cereal | The carrots were still nice and crunchy.carrotbe | a crunchy salad | crunchy peanut buttertough meat that is tough is too hard and is difficult to cut or eat: The meat was tough and flavourless.berubbery too hard and bending like rubber rather than breaking – used especially about meat: The chicken was all rubbery.beCOLLOCATIONS CHECKfirm bed/muscles/fruit/vegetables/groundstiff card/cardboard/collar/material/fingers/bodysolid wood/steel/concrete/floor/wallrigid frame/structurecrisp/crispy apple/bacon/toast/potato/lettucecrunchy cereal/vegetables/nuts/snacktough meatrubbery meat
hardadverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleshardhardhard2 S1 W2 adverb (comparative harder, superlative hardest)
Word family1using energy/effortTRY TO DO OR GET STH using a lot of effort, energy, or attention: She has worked hard all her life.haveworkHe had thought long and hard before getting involved with the project.havethinkgetinvolveShe tried her hardest to ignore what he’d said.tryhardsayElla was concentrating very hard.beconcentrateI couldn’t convince him no matter how hard I tried.try2with forceSTRONG PERSON with a lot of force: You need to hit the ball hard.He slammed the door hard behind him.slamIt was raining very hard.berain3become solid becoming solid, stiff, or firm: By now the cement had set hard.have4be hard hit/be hit hardHARM/BE BAD FOR to be badly affected by something that has happened: Sales were hard hit by high interest rates.saleberate5be hard put/pressed/pushed to do something informalDIFFICULT to have difficulty doing something: You’d be hard pressed to find anyone better for the job.presswell → hard-pressed6be/feel hard done by informalUNFAIR to be or feel unfairly treated: As a child I felt hard done by, living so far away from my friends.feeldolivefriend7take something hardUPSET to be very upset about something, especially bad news: Alan took his mother’s death particularly hard.take8hard upon/on something British English formal soon after something: His second major contract followed hard upon the first.follow9laugh/cry hardLOT/VERY MUCH to laugh, cry etc a lot → hard by, hard up, → play hard to get at play1(23)
verb
Word familyDate: 1600-1700Language: French
Origin: développer, from Old French voloper ‘to wrap’ Verb form1GROWgrow [intransitive and transitive]DEVELOPGROW/GET BIGGER to grow or change into something bigger, stronger, or more advanced, or to make someone or something do this → advance:
Knowledge in the field of genetics has been developing very rapidly.havebedevelopCorsica has developed its economy around the tourist industry.havedevelopdevelop intoChicago developed into a big city in the late 1800s.developdevelop fromIt’s hard to believe that a tree can develop from a small seed.exercises to develop muscle strengthexercise2PLAN/PRODUCTnew idea/product [transitive]DEVELOPINVENT to design or make a new idea, product, system etc over a period of time: Scientists are developing new drugs to treat arthritis.scientistbedevelopdrugShe should have developed her own style instead of copying him.shalldevelopcopyResearchers are developing technology for the US military.researcherbedevelop3feeling [transitive] to start to have a feeling or quality that then becomes stronger: He had developed a certain affection for me.havedevelopdevelop a sense/awareness/knowledge of somethingThe children are beginning to develop a sense of responsibility.childbebeginIt was in college that he developed a taste for (=started to like) rugby football.bedevelop4skill/ability [intransitive and transitive] if you develop a skill or ability, or if it develops, it becomes stronger or more advanced: The course is designed to help students develop their speaking skills.bedesignstudentspeakskill5disease [intransitive and transitive]GET if you develop a disease or illness, or if it develops, you start to have it: Some alcoholics develop liver disease.alcoholiclivePneumonia can develop very quickly.6fault/problem [transitive] to begin to have a physical fault: The oil tank had developed a small crack.havedevelopThe plane developed engine trouble and was forced to land.developbeforce7BECOME MORE ACTIVEproblem/difficulty [intransitive]INCREASE IN NUMBER OR AMOUNT if a problem or difficult situation develops, it begins to happen or exist, or it gets worse: Trouble is developing in the cities.bedevelopcitydevelop intoRegional clashes could develop into larger quarrels.clashcanlargequarrel8IDEA/ARGUMENTidea/argument [transitive]MORE THAN BEFORE to make an argument or idea clearer, by studying it more or by speaking or writing about it in more detail: We will develop a few of these points in the seminar.point9LANDland [transitive] to use land for the things that people need, for example by taking minerals out of it or by building on it: The land was developed for low-cost housing.bedevelophouse10PHOTOGRAPHYphotography [intransitive and transitive] to make a photograph out of a photographic film, using chemicals: Did you ever get the pictures developed?dopicturedevelopTHESAURUSmake used about things you make yourself, or things that are made in a factory: Diane makes all her own clothes.makeclothe | My camera was made in China.bemakeproduce to make something in large quantities to be sold, or to make something as the result of a natural process: The factory produces high-quality steel.produce | Japan produces some of the most advanced mobile phones.produceadvancephone | The pancreas is a gland in your body which produces hormones.beproducehormonecreate to make something new and original: Tarantino created a whole new style of films.createfilm | Many companies invest a lot of money in creating new products.companycreateproduct | Potter was famous for creating characters such as ‘Peter Rabbit’.becreatecharacter | This technique is used to create images of beautiful forests.beuseimageforestmanufacture to make machines, cars, equipment etc in factories: The company manufactures aircraft parts.manufacturepartmass-produce to make very large quantities of something in a factory: They developed a way to mass-produce the drug.developdevelop to design and make something new over a period of time: In 1962, Enders developed an effective vaccine against measles.develop | The company is developing new anti-virus software.bedevelopform to make something as the result of a natural process or chemical reaction: Hydrogen and oxygen combine to form water. | The research will help us understand how planets are formed.planetbeformgenerate to make something such as heat, electricity, or power: Wind can be used to generate electricity.use
noun (plural families)
Word familyDate: 1400-1500Origin: familia ‘people living in a house’, from famulus ‘servant’
1closely related group [countable] a group of people who are related to each other, especially a mother, a father, and their children: Do you know the family next door?The Webb family still has its farm over there.have[also + plural verb] British English: The family now live in London.This house isn’t big enough for a family of seven.2all your relations [C,U also + plural verb BrE]FAMILY all the people you are related to, including those who are now dead: I’m moving to Detroit because I have some family there.moveMy family come from Scotland originally.in sb’s familyThat painting has been in our family (=been owned by our family) for 200 years.painthavebeyearAsthma runs in the family (=is common in the family).run3children [countable]FAMILY children: Couples with young families wouldn’t want to live here.couplefamilyThey’re getting married next year, and hope to start a family (=have children) straight away.getmarrybring up/raise a familythe problems of bringing up a family on a very low incomeproblembring4family size/pack etc a container or package containing a large amount of a product5group of animals/things [countable] technicalGROUP OF THINGS a group of related animals, plants, languages etcthe cat/parrot/squirrel etc familyThe cat family includes lions and tigers.includeliontigerSpanish and Italian are part of the Romance language family.be6she’s/he’s family informal used to emphasize your connection with someone who is related to you7BABY/HAVE A BABYin the family way old-fashioned pregnantCOLLOCATIONSMeanings 1 & 2adjectivesthe whole family We invited the whole family round.inviteall the family This is a game which all the family can enjoy.besomebody's immediate family (=closest relations) What if one of your immediate family were disabled?bedisablesomebody's extended family (=including not only parents and children, but also grandparents, aunts etc) She gets a lot of help from her extended family.getextenda large/small family She came from a large family of seven children.comechilda one-parent/single-parent family One in seven families is a one-parent family.familybethe nuclear family (=a family consisting of a mother, a father, and their children) Not everyone lives in a typical nuclear family.liveclose/close-knit family (=spending a lot of time together and supporting each other) Laura's family are very close.bethe Royal family (=the king or queen and their family) The Royal Family have large estates in Scotland.estatethe Smith/Jones/Brown etc family The Smith family are living in temporary accommodation.belivefamily + NOUNa family member/a member of the family The event was attended by many of his family members, including his children and grandchildren.beattendmemberincludechildgrandchildsomebody's family background He comes from a stable family background.comea family history Is there a family history of heart disease?befamily life Some people believe that television is destroying family life.bedestroya family unit the breakup of the traditional family unitsomebody's family home (=where someone's family live and where they lived as a child) Her family home is in a village outside Derry.bea family business (=one run by members of a family) My parents expected me to join the family business.parentexpecta family car (=one designed for families with children) It's a practical family car that is also fun to drive.bea family holiday British English, a family vacation AmE: Most of our family holidays were spent in the south of France.holidaybespenda family resemblance (=when members of the same family look like each other) There's a strong family resemblance between all the sisters.sisterCOMMON ERRORS ► Do not say 'my family is five', 'my family is five members/people', or 'my family is of five members/people'. Say there are five people in my family.
number, nounLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: eahta 1the number 8:
It’s only eight days till Christmas.dayThey woke at eight (=eight o'clock).wakeMy parents died when I was eight (=eight years old).parentdiebe2[countable] a team of eight people who row a racing boat, or the boat that they row
noun [countable]
Date: 1200-1300Language: French
Origin: Latin figura, from fingere ‘to shape, make’ 1number a)[usually plural] a number representing an amount, especially an official numberunemployment/sales/trade figures
Ohio’s unemployment figures for DecemberfigureGovernment figures underestimate the problem.figureIt’s about 30,000 in round figures (=to the nearest 10, 20, 100 etc).figure b)a number from 0 to 9, written as a character rather than a word: the figure ‘2’executives with salaries in six figures (=more than £99,999)executivesalaryfigurea four/five/six figure number (=a number in the thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousands etc) → double figures, single figures2amount of money a particular amount of moneyfigure ofan estimated figure of $200 millionestimate3person a)someone who is important or famous in some waya leading/key/central figureSeveral leading figures resigned from the party.leadfigureresignthe outstanding political figure of his time b)someone with a particular type of appearance or character, especially when they are far away or difficult to see: a tall figure in a hatThrough the window I could see the commanding figure of Mrs Bradshaw.cancommand → cult figure at cult24woman’s body the shape of a woman’s body: She has a good figure.havekeep/lose your figure (=stay thin or become fat)Most women have to watch their figure (=be careful not to get fat).woman5father/mother/authority figure someone who is considered to be like a father etc, or to represent authority, because of their character or behaviour6figures [plural] British English the activity of adding, multiplying etc numbers SYN arithmetic: a natural ability with figuresfigurehave a head for figures (=be good at arithmetic)7mathematical shape a geometric shape: A hexagon is a six-sided figure.beside8painting/model a person in a painting or a model of a person: the figure in the background → figurine9drawing (written abbreviation fig.) a numbered drawing or a diagram in a book10put a figure on it/give an exact figureVALUE to say exactly how much something is worth, or how much or how many of something you are talking about: It’s worth a lot but I couldn’t put a figure on it.11a fine figure of a man/woman someone who is tall and has a good body12a figure of funSTUPID/NOT SENSIBLE someone who people laugh at13on ice a pattern or movement in figure skatingCOLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + figurehigh/low The figures are worryingly high.figurebesales figures We exceeded our target sales figures.exceedsalefigureunemployment figures There have been changes in the way the unemployment figures are calculated.bechangefigurebecalculatetrade figures (=showing the value of a country's exports compared to imports) Trade figures showed a slump last month.figureshowgovernment figures (=figures produced by the government) Government figures suggest a moderate recovery in consumer spending.figurespendofficial figures According to official figures, two million houses in England are inadequately heated.accordfigurehousebeheatthe latest figures The latest figures show that crimes are down by 0.2 percent.latefigurecrimebethe exact figure The government was unable to give the exact figure for the number of foreign workers in the country.benumbworkeran approximate/rough figure He gave us an approximate figure for the cost of the repairs.giverepaira ballpark figure informal (=one that is not exact) Can you give me a ballpark figure of the likely price?verbsreach double/six etc figures (=be 10 or more/100,000 or more etc) The death toll in the region has reached five figures.havereachfigureadd up the figures I must have made a mistake when I added up the figures.makeaddfigurerelease the figures (=make them public) The company will release the sales figures later this week.salefigurelatephrasesin single figures (=less than 10) Women heads of department are in single figures.womanheadbefigurein double figures (=between 10 and 99) Only two of the group had scores in double figures.havescorefigurein round figures (=to the nearest 10, 20, 100 etc) In round figures, about 20 million people emigrated from Europe during that period.figureemigrateaccording to the figures According to official figures, exam results have improved again this year.accordfigureresultimprovea four/five/six etc figure number (=a number in the thousands/ten thousands/hundred thousands etc) Choose a four figure number that you can easily remember.numbTHESAURUSbody the shape, size, and appearance of someone’s body: Many women are not happy with their bodies.womanbebody | His clothes emphasized his strong body.clotheemphasizefigure a woman’s figure is the shape of her body – used especially when it is attractive: She has a really nice figure.have | Freya had an enviably slim figure.havebuild the size and shape of someone’s body – used in the following phrases: Police described the man as tall and of medium build.describe | He was of heavy build.be | She has a very slight build.havephysique the size and appearance of someone’s body – used especially about men who look attractive: He was over 1.8 m tall with a muscular physique.be | Ben has a very athletic physique.have
figureverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesfigurefiguresfiguredfiguringfigurefigure2 S1 W3 verbVerb form1[intransitive]IMPORTANT to be an important part of a process, event, or situation, or to be included in somethingfigure in/amongSocial issues figured prominently in the talks.issuefiguretalkMy wishes didn’t figure among his considerations.wishconsiderationReform now figures high on the agenda.figure2[transitive] informalTHINK/HAVE THE OPINION THAT to form a particular opinion after thinking about a situationfigure (that)From the way he behaved, I figured that he was drunk.behavefigurebedrinkIt was worth the trouble, I figured.befigure3that figures/(it) figures spoken especially American English a)EXPECTused to say that something that happens is expected or typical, especially something bad: ‘It rained the whole weekend.’ ‘Oh, that figures.’rainfigure b)LOGICALused to say that something is reasonable or makes sense: It figures that she’d be mad at you, after what you did.figuredo4go figure American English spoken said to show that you think something is strange or difficult to explain: ‘He didn’t even leave a message.’ ‘Go figure.’5[transitive] American EnglishCOUNT/CALCULATE to calculate an amount SYN work out: I’m just figuring my expenses.figureexpensefigure on something phrasal verb informal especially American English to expect something or include it in your plans: She was younger than any of us had figured on.beyounghavefigurefigure somebody/something ↔ out phrasal verb1to think about a problem or situation until you find the answer or understand what has happened SYN work outfigure out how/what/why etcCan you figure out how to do it?If I have a map, I can figure it out.Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out (=find a way to solve the problem).2UNDERSTANDto understand why someone behaves in the way they do SYN work out: Women. I just can’t figure them out.woman
noun (plural armies)Date: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: armee, from Medieval Latin armata; → ARMADA 1the army [also + plural verb British English]ARMY the part of a country’s military force that is trained to fight on land in a war:
The army are helping to clear up after the floods.behelpfloodan army officerArmy units launched attacks on bases near Jounieh port.unitlaunchattackbasisHe joined the army when he was 17.joinbein the armyBoth my sons are in the army.sonbe2[countable]ARMY a large organized group of people trained to fight on land in a war: Rebel armies have taken control of the radio station.armytakeraise an army (=collect together and organize an army to fight a battle)The Slovenians say they can raise an army of 20,000 men.man3[countable]GROUP OF PEOPLE a large number of people involved in the same activityarmy ofThe village hall is maintained by an army of volunteers.bemaintainvolunteerCOLLOCATIONSverbsjoin the army At 18, I decided to join the army.decidego into the army When Dan left school, he went into the army.leavegoserve in the army He had served in the Indian army.haveserveleave the army Why did you leave the army?dobe discharged/dismissed from the army He developed epilepsy, a condition which led to him being discharged from the army.developleadbedischargeadjectivesthe British/French/Polish etc army a soldier in the Spanish armya regular/standing army (=permanent and existing whether there is a war or not) The regular army has about 5,000 troops.havetroopan invading army The towns were looted by the invading army.townbelootinvadean occupying army (=one that is in a foreign country which they control by force) There was constant resistance to the occupying army.beoccupya victorious army Two days later, the victorious German army entered Paris.daylateentera defeated army The survivors of his defeated army settled in Provence.survivordefeatsettlean advancing army (=moving forward in order to attack) The advancing Roman army was almost upon them.advancebea retreating army (=moving away after being defeated) Washington's troops pursued the retreating British army.trooppursueretreatarmy + NOUNan army base/camp the local army basean army unit The town was surrounded by army units.besurroundunitan army officer Both daughters married army officers.daughtermarryofficeran army recruit The army recruits must undergo basic training.recruittrainphrasesbe in command of the army He had gained respect and was placed in command of the army.havegainbeplaceTHESAURUSthe army the part of a country's military force that is trained to fight on land: Her son joined the army in 2002.join | an army commanderthe armed forces (also the military especially American English, the services British English, the service American English) the army, navy, and air force: He served in the armed forces for many years.servearmforceyear | Riley joined the military after graduating from high school.joingraduatepeople in an armysoldier someone who is in the army, especially someone who is not an officer: Three soldiers were killed in an hour-long gun battle.soldierbekilltroops soldiers, especially those who are taking part in a military attack: The government sent more troops to Iraq.sendtroopserviceman/servicewoman a man or woman who is in the army, air force, or navy: The hospital treats injured servicemen and women.treatinjureservicemanwomanofficer a high-ranking member of the army, air force, or navy who is in charge of a group of soldiers, sailors etc: an army officerjoin the armyjoin up British English, enlist American English to join the army: He joined up when he was 18.joinbebe called up British English, be drafted American English to be ordered to serve in the army by the government: He was drafted into the US army in 1943.bedraft | Reserve soldiers were being called up.soldierbebecallconscription (also the draft American English) a government policy of ordering people to serve in the army: Conscription was introduced in 1916.beintroduce | He had left the country to avoid the draft.haveleave
verb (past tense and past participle hit, present participle hitting)
Date: 1000-1100Language: Old Norse
Origin: hitta ‘to find, hit’ Verb form1touch somebody/something hard [transitive]HIT to touch someone or something quickly and hard with your hand, a stick etc:
He raised the hammer and hit the bell.raisehit somebody/something with somethingThe robbers hit him over the head with a baseball bat.robber2crash into something [transitive]HIT/BUMP INTO to move into something or someone quickly and with force: The tanks exploded as the plane hit the ground.tankexplodegrindHe was hit by a car.be3hurt yourself [transitive]HIT/BUMP INTO to move a part of your body quickly against something accidentally, causing pain SYN bang: The ceiling’s low, so be careful you don’t hit your head.hit something on/against somethingShe slipped and hit her head on the sidewalk.slip4sport [transitive] a)HITif you hit a ball or other object, you make it move forward quickly by hitting it with a bat, stick etc SYN strike: Hit the ball as hard as you can. b)SCOREto get points by hitting a ball in a game such as baseball or cricket: Last year, Griffey hit 49 home runs.run5press [transitive] informalPRESS to press a part in a machine, car, etc to make it work: Maria hit the brakes just in time.brake6attack [transitive] to attack something or wound someone with a bomb, bullet etc: Our ship was badly hit and sank within minutes.besinkminuteA second shot hit her in the back.shootThe bomb failed to hit its target.fail7affect badly [intransitive and transitive]EFFECT/INFLUENCE if something bad hits a place or a person, it suddenly happens and affects people badly: The village has been hit by a devastating drought.havebedevastateHurricane Louis is expected to hit at the weekend.beexpectbe badly/severely/hard hitThe company has been hard hit by the drop in consumer confidence.havebeThe south of the country is the worst hit by the recession.beill8have problems [transitive]PROBLEM to experience trouble, problems etchit a snag/problems/a bad patch etcMy father hit a bad patch, he had to sell the house.have9REACHreach a level/number [transitive] to reach a particular level or number: Sales have hit the 1 million mark.salehit a peak/an all-time high etcEarnings hit a peak in the early 1980s.hit rock-bottom/an all-time low etcOil prices have hit rock-bottom.price10realize [transitive]REALIZE if a fact hits you, you suddenly realize its importance and feel surprised or shocked: It’s impossible to pinpoint a moment when it hit me that I was ‘a success’.beHe was gone before they knew what had hit them (=realized what had happened).begoknowhave11smell/sight etc [transitive] if a smell or sight hits you, you suddenly smell or see it: The smell of stale smoke hit him as he entered.enter12arrive [transitive] informalARRIVE to arrive at a place: They hit the main road two kilometres further on.kilometrefarhit town American English: I’ll look for work as soon as I hit town.13hit the road/trail informalSTART DOING STH to begin a journey14hit the shops/streets if a product hits the shops, it becomes available to buy: I managed to get a copy of the book before it hit the shops.manageshop15hit the headlines to be reported widely on television, in newspapers etc: The couple hit the headlines last year when their relationship broke down.headlinebreak16hit the bottle informalDRUNK to start drinking too much alcohol regularly: After his marriage failed, he hit the bottle big time.fail17hit the dirt/the deck informalFALL to fall to the ground in order to avoid something dangerous: My first instinct was to hit the dirt.be18hit a (brick) wall informal to suddenly not be able to make any progress: I felt I’d hit a wall with my playing.feelplay19hit the buffers/skids informal if a plan, project etc hits the buffers, it fails: Croft’s comeback hit the skids yesterday when she lost in the quarter-finals.skidlosefinal20hit somebody when they are down informal to upset or harm someone when they are already defeated21hit somebody where it hurts informal to do something that you know will upset someone in the most damaging way: Hit your husband where it hurts – in his wallet!hurt22hit it off (with somebody) informalLIKE SB OR STH if two people hit it off, they like each other as soon as they meet: I knew you’d hit it off with Mike.know23hit the big time (also hit it big American English) informalFAMOUS to suddenly become very famous, successful, and rich: The 25-year-old painter hopes to hit it big in New York.hope24hit the ground runningSUCCESSFUL to start doing something successfully without any delay: Law graduates are expected to hit the ground running.graduatebeexpectgrindrun25hit the jackpot a)WINto win a lot of money b)SUCCEED IN DOING STHto have a big success: Owens hit the jackpot in his first professional game with the Cowboys.cowboy26hit the nail on the headCORRECT informal used to say that what someone has said is exactly right: You’ve hit the nail on the head there, David.27hit home a)if a remark, criticism etc about you hits home, you realize that it is true: Graham didn’t reply, but she could see her words had hit home.canwordhave b)if a blow or kick hits home, it hits the thing it is aimed at28GOOD/EXCELLENThit the spot informal to have exactly the good effect that you wanted, especially when you are hungry or thirsty29hit the roof/ceiling informalANGRY to be very angry: Ranieri returned, saw the mess, and hit the roof.returnsee30hit the sack (also hit the hay American English) informalSLEEP to go to bed → the shit hits the fan at shit2(17), → hit/strike paydirt at paydirtTHESAURUSto hit someonehit to hit someone quickly and hard with your hand, a stick etc: He hit him hard in the stomach. | I don’t like to see people hitting a dog.hitbeat to hit someone deliberately many times, especially very hard: The girl had been beaten to death.havebebeat | He was beating the donkey with a stick.bebeatstrike written to hit someone with your hand or a weapon. Strike is more formal than hit and is mainly used in written English: Her husband struck her twice across the face.strike | Police say that the man had been struck on the head.havebestrikepunch to hit someone hard with your closed hand, especially in a fight: I punched him on the nose.punch | She was screaming and punching him with her fists.bescreampunchfistthump /θʌmp/ informal to punch someone very hard: Sometimes I just want to thump him.beat somebody up to hurt someone badly in a violent attack, by hitting them many times: If I tell the police, they'll beat me up. | He had been beaten up and tortured with lighted cigarettes.havebebeattorturelightcigaretteslap to hit someone with your open hand, especially because you are angry with them: They had a big row and she ended up slapping him.haveendslapspank (also smack especially British English) to hit someone, especially a child, with your open hand in order to punish them: Should a parent ever smack a child?shall | I don’t agree with smacking.smack | In those days, children were spanked if they behaved badly.daychildbespankbehaveto hit somethinghit: Jack hit the ball and it flew over the fenceflyknock to hit a door or window with your closed hand in order to attract the attention of the people inside: Someone was knocking on the door.beknock | I knocked loudly but no one came.knockcomestrike written to hit a surface. Strike is more formal than hit and is mainly used in written English: The ball struck the side of the goal.strikewhack /wæk/ informal to hit something very hard: Edmonds whacked the ball into the air.whackbash to hit something hard, especially in a way that causes damage: The police had to bash the door down to get in.havetap to gently hit something with your fingers, often in order to attract someone’s attention: I tapped him on the shoulder.tap | I heard someone tapping on the window.heartaprap to knock quickly or hit something several times: He rapped the table with his pen to bring the meeting to order.rapmeet | Two police officers rapped on the door at 7 o'clock in the morning.officerrapbang to suddenly hit something hard, in a way that makes a loud noise: Her father banged his fist down on the table angrily.bang | The door suddenly banged shut.bangpound written to hit something many times with a lot of force: I could hear the sea pounding on the rocks.canpoundrock | She pounded on the door and shouted wildly.poundshouthammer written to hit something quickly many times making a loud continuous noise: The rain was hammering on the roof.behammer | A crowd of people were outside hammering on the door angrily.behammerto hit something accidentallyhit: I’ve got a bad bruise where I hit my leg against the table.get | The car hit a tree.bump to hit a part of your body against something, especially because you do not see or notice it: Careful you don’t bump your head – the ceiling’s very low.bang/bash to hit something hard, so that you hurt yourself or damage something: He banged into the car in front.bang | I bashed my knee climbing over a gate.bashclimb | She fell and bashed her chin on the ground.fallbashgrindstub to hit your toe against something and hurt it: I stubbed my toe on the piano leg.stubhit back phrasal verb ATTACKto attack or criticize a person or group that has attacked or criticized you SYN retaliatehit back atThe actress hit back at claims that she had threatened a member of staff.claimhavethreatenhit back withUnited were a goal down, but hit back with an equalizer.unitebehit back by doing somethingHe hit back by calling his critics ‘lazy’.callcritichit on somebody/something phrasal verb1(also hit upon something)IDEA to have an idea or discover something suddenly or unexpectedly SYN come up with: Then we hit on the idea of asking viewers to donate money over the Net.askviewer2SEXY American English informal to talk to someone in a way that shows you are sexually attracted to them: Dave has hit on most of the women in the department.havewomanhit out phrasal verb to try to hit someone: When he felt someone grab him, he hit out wildly.feelhit out at somebody/something phrasal verb (also hit out against somebody/something)DISAPPROVE to express strong disapproval of someone or something SYN attack: The bishop hit out at the government’s policy on the homeless.hit somebody up for something phrasal verb American English spoken ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STHto ask someone for money: Did he hit you up for cash again?dohit somebody with something phrasal verb informal1to tell someone something interesting, exciting, or shocking: The next morning, Steve hit me with the truth.2American English to punish or try to harm someone by doing something that will cause problems for them: The next day, we found they’d hit us with a lawsuit.find
hitnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleshithitshithit2 S3 W3 noun [countable]
1successful something such as a film, play, song etc that is very popular and successfula hit single/show/record etcthe hit musical ‘Phantom of the Opera’opusa big/smash/number 1 etc hitthe Beatles’ greatest hitsgreathitWhich band had a hit with ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’?havebe a hit with somebody (=be liked by them)It’s hoped the new museum will be a big hit with families.hopefamily2hit something an occasion when something that is aimed at something else touches it, reaches it, or damages it: Our ship took a direct hit and sank.takesink3computer a)an occasion when someone visits a website: The site had 2,000 hits in the first week.havehit b)a result of a computer search, especially on the Internet: thousands of irrelevant hitshit4take a hit to be badly affected in some way: The region's economy will take a hit if the airbase is closed.beclose5informal a feeling of pleasure obtained from taking an illegal drug6informal a murder that has been arranged to happen → hit manTHESAURUSsomething that is popularbestseller a book that a lot of people buy: His prize-winning book ‘A Year in Provence’ became an international bestseller.winbecomeblockbuster a film that a lot of people watch, especially an exciting film: a Hollywood blockbuster | a blockbuster moviehit something such as a song, show, or film which is very popular and successful: The band played all their old hits.playhit | The film was a box-office hit (=a lot of people went to see it at the cinema).be | She stars in ABC’s hit show ‘Desperate Housewives’.starhousewifesell-out a concert, sports event etc which so many people want to see that all the tickets are sold: The concert was a sell-out.be | the band’s sell-out tour of the UScult movie/band/figure etc a film, band, person etc that has become very popular and fashionable with a particular group of people: a cult TV programmecraze something that suddenly becomes popular, so that a lot of people do it, buy it etc: the latest dance craze that has been sweeping the USlatehavebesweep | the craze for ultra expensive designer jeansfad informal something that is very popular for a short time – used about something that you disapprove of, which you do not think will last for very long: Most diets are just fads.dietbefad | I think it’s a passing fad.pass
adjectiveWord familyDate: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: complet, from Latin, past participle of complere ‘to fill up’, from com- ( → COM-) + plere ‘to fill’ 1COMPLETELY[usually before noun] used to emphasize that a quality or situation is as great as it could possibly be SYN total:
The police were in complete control of the situation.beTheir engagement came as a complete surprise to me.comeThis is a complete waste of time.bea complete fool/idiot etcMeg realized she’d been a complete fool.realizebea complete strangerstrangeThe darkness was almost complete.be2COMPLETEincluding all parts, details, facts etc and with nothing missing SYN whole OPP incomplete: a complete set of chinaThe list below is not complete.bethe complete works of Shakespeare (=a book, CD etc containing everything Shakespeare wrote)work3[not before noun]FINISH DOING STH finished OPP incomplete: Work on the new building is nearly complete.buildbe4complete with somethingINCLUDE having particular equipment or features: The house comes complete with swimming pool and sauna.comeswim—completenesscompletenessescompleteness noun [uncountable]: For the sake of completeness I should mention one further argument.shallfarTHESAURUSfinished if something is finished, you have done all of it: She showed him the finished drawing.showfinishdraw | I was very pleased with the finished result.bepleasefinishdone [not before noun] finished - used especially in everyday English instead of finished: I can’t come out till my essay’s done.do | They promised the work would be done by April.promisewilldocomplete [not before noun] completely finished – used especially to emphasize that there is no more work to do: Six months later the job was complete.monthlatebe | The first stage of the project is now complete.beover finished – used about an event, activity, or period of time: Football practice is over at 4:30. Can you pick me up then?be | The summer was nearly over.bebe through informal to have finished doing something or using something: I probably won’t be through till about 6 o'clock.win | Are you through with those scissors?bescissor
completeverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5Other dictionary examplesCorpus examplescompletecompletescompletedcompletingcompletecomplete2 S2 W1 verb [transitive]Word familyVerb form1FINISH DOING STHto finish doing or making something, especially when it has taken a long time: Students must complete the course.studentThe building took two years to complete.buildtakeyear2COMPLETEto make something whole or perfect by adding what is missing: The child’s task was to complete the sentences.besentenceI need one more stamp to complete the set.3to write the information that is needed on a form SYN fill out: In all, more than 650 people completed the questionnaire.completeSend your completed form to the following address.completefollowTHESAURUSfinish to complete the last part of something that you are doing: Have you finished your homework?finish | The builders say they should have finished by Friday.buildershallfinishcomplete to finish making or doing something that has taken a long time to finish: The new bridge will be completed in two years’ time.completeyear | She has just completed her PhD.havecompletefinalize to do the last things that are necessary in order to settle a plan or agreement in a satisfactory way: A spokesman said that they were hoping to finalize an agreement in the near future.saybehopeconclude formal to officially finish something: The police have now concluded their investigations.concludeinvestigation | Ralph Ellis, Managing Director, concluded the conference with a review of the trading year.manageconcludetradewrap something up informal to finish something successfully – used especially about agreements or sports competitions: Negotiators are meeting on Friday to wrap up the deal.negotiatorbemeet | Liverpool had several chances to wrap up the game.havechanceround something off British English, round something out American English to do something as a way of ending a day, an evening, an event etc in an enjoyable or suitable way: They rounded off the day with a barbecue at the beach.round | A concert in the park is being organized to round off the programme of events.bebeorganizeeventget it over with/get it over and done with to do something that you have to do now, so that it is finished and you can stop worrying about it: Let’s go and do the shopping now and get it over with.shop | Just tell him how you feel and get it over and done with.dobe done/be through informal if you are done, you have finished – used especially when other people are waiting for you: We’re nearly done.do | We should be through in half an hour.shallbe through with something/be done with something informal to have finished using something – used especially when other people are waiting to use it: I’m done with the file.do | I’ll let you know when I’m through with it.tie up the loose ends to finish dealing with the final details of something, so that is all finished: ‘Is the talk ready?’ ‘I just need to tie up a few loose ends.’beend
prepositionDate: 1300-1400Origin: againes ‘against’ (11-16 centuries), from again 1a)AGAINST/OPPOSEused to say that someone opposes or disagrees with something:
Every council member voted against the proposal.votethose who are campaigning against the new roadbecampaignHe advised me against travelling.advisetravelMr Howard has declared that he is against all forms of racism.havedeclarebeformthe fight against terrorism b)AGAINST/OPPOSEused to say that an action is not wanted or approved of by someone: They got married against her parents’ wishes (=although they knew her parents did not want them to).getmarryparentwishShe has been kept in the house against her will (=she does not want to stay in the house).havebekeepThe use of certain drugs is against the law (=illegal).drugbeIt’s against my principles to borrow money (=I do not believe it is right).principle c)used to say that something is not allowed by a law or rule: There ought to be a law against it.2AGAINST SB IN A GAMEused to say who someone is competing with or trying to defeat in a game, battle etc: Gambotti was injured in last Saturday’s game against the Lions.beinjurelionWe’ll be competing against the best companies in Europe.competewellcompany3AGAINST/OPPOSEused to say who is harmed, threatened, or given a disadvantage: violence against elderly peoplecrimes against humanitycrimediscrimination against womenwomanThere had been death threats against prison staff.havebethreatYour lack of experience could count against you.canThe regulations tend to work against smaller companies.regulationsmallcompany4TOUCHused to say that something touches, hits, or rubs a surface: the sound of the rain drumming against my windowdrumThe car skidded and we could hear the crunch of metal against metal.skidcan5TOUCHnext to and touching an upright surface, especially for support: There was a ladder propped up against the wall.bepropThe younger policeman was leaning against the bureau with his arms folded.youngbeleanarmfold6OPPOSITE/FACEin the opposite direction to the movement or flow of something OPP with: sailing against the windsailShe dived down and swam out strongly against the current.diveswim7BEHINDseen with something else behind or as a background: He could see a line of figures silhouetted against the sky.canfiguresilhouetteIt is important to know what colours look good against your skin.becolour8CONNECTED WITHused to show that you are considering particular events in relation to other events that are happening at the same time: The reforms were introduced against a background of social unrest.reformbeintroduce9COMPAREused to say what you are comparing something with: The pound has fallen 10% against the dollar.havefallShe checked the contents of the box against the list.checkcontentThe cost of the proposed research needs to be balanced against its benefits.proposeneedbalancebenefit10PROTECTused to say who or what you are trying to protect someone or something from: insurance against accident and sicknessa cream to protect against sunburna vaccine which is effective against pneumoniabe11used to say who is said or shown to have done something wrong: He has always emphatically denied the allegations against him.havedenyallegationThe evidence against you is overwhelming.beoverwhelm12be/come up against somebody/somethingPROBLEM to have to deal with a difficult opponent or problem: You see, this is what we’re up against – the suppliers just aren’t reliable.besupplier13have something against somebody/somethingDON'T LIKE to dislike or disapprove of someone or something: I don’t have anything against babies. I just don’t feel very comfortable with them.baby
noun (plural industries)Word familyDate: 1400-1500Language: Old French
Origin: industrie ‘skill, work involving skill’, from Latin industria ‘willingness to work hard’ 1[uncountable] a)the large-scale production of goods or of substances such as coal and steel:
This type of software is widely used in industry.beuseworkers in manufacturing industryworkermanufacture b)the people who work in industry: an agreement that will be welcomed by both sides of industry (=employers and workers)welcomeside2[countable] businesses that produce a particular type of thing or provide a particular service: I work in the oil industry.Italy’s thriving tourist industrythrive3[uncountable] formal the fact of working hard: Gould is a man of great industry.be4[singular]WORK THAT SB DOES an area of work which has grown too large – used to show disapproval: another book from the Shakespeare industryCOLLOCATIONSMeanings 1 & 2 ADJECTIVES/NOUN + industryan important/major industry Agriculture is still a major industry in Scotland.bea thriving industry (=one that is doing very well) Software development soon became a thriving industry in the area.becomethrivea growing industry Tourism is a growing industry in the many parts of the developing world.begrowpartdevelopa declining industry (=one that is doing badly) Coal and steel are declining industries in Britain.bedeclineindustrymanufacturing industry (=industries in which goods are produced in factories) The last twenty years has seen a decline in manufacturing industry.yearhaveseemanufacturea service industry (=businesses that provide a service, such as banking and tourism) Most of the new jobs are in service industries.jobbeindustryheavy industry (=industries that involve the production of large goods) Shipbuilding and other heavy industry developed in the North of Britain.developlight industry (=industries that involve the production of small goods) Jobs in light industry are increasing.jobbeincreasemodern industry Modern industry needs to be in places where there are good transport links.needplacebelinka traditional industry (=an industry that has been in a particular area for a long time ) The shipyards, the traditional industry in the north east, had closed.shipyardhaveclosethe coal/car/textile etc industry The town was very dependant on the car industry.bethe agricultural/fishing industry There has been a decline in Britain’s fishing industry.havebefishthe tourist/travel industry The tourist industry earns billions of dollars per year.earndollarthe leisure/entertainment industry Computer technology has revolutionized the entertainment industry.haverevolutionizethe film/music industry (=the work of producing films or music) She would really like to work in the music industry.willverbsan industry grows/expands The clothing industry grew rapidly during the 1960s.clothegrowan industry declines (=becomes less successful) The shipping industry declined after World War II.shipdeclinedevelop an industry More investment is needed to develop new industries such as tourism.beneedindustrydamage an industry Financial scandals have damaged the industry in recent years.scandaldamageyearnationalize an industry (=make it owned by the state) The rail industry was nationalized in the 1950s, with disastrous results.benationalizeresultprivatize an industry (=make it privately owned, rather than owned by the state) The water industry was privatized in the 1980s.beprivatizeregulate an industry (=control an industry so that it does not make unfair profits) A new agency was created to regulate the telecommunications industry.becreateindustry + NOUNan industry leader (=one of the most successful companies in a particular industry) We are now a mature company and an industry leader.beindustry experts (=people who know a lot about a particular industry) Industry experts expect house prices to rise.expertpriceindustry analysts (=people who study a particular industry to see how it is developing) Industry analysts are expecting profits to improve in the second half of the year.analystbeexpectprofitphrasesa captain of industry (=someone who runs a large company and has a lot of influence) He rose to be a great captain of industry.risetrade and industry (=producing goods, and buying and selling them) He works for the Department of Trade and Industry.work
verb
Word familyDate: 1300-1400Language: Latin
Origin: addere, from ad- ‘to’ + -dere ‘to put’ Verb form1put with something elseADD [transitive] to put something with something else or with a group of other things:
If the mixture seems dry, add water.seemadd something to somethingDo you want to add your name to the list?Suzuki has added extra doors to its sports off-roader.haveadddoorsportMaterial about recent research has been added to this new edition.havebeadd2countCOUNT/CALCULATE [intransitive and transitive] if you add numbers or amounts together, you calculate their total → subtractadd something and something (together)Add 7 and 5 to make 12.For tax purposes, your pension and earnings are added together.purposebeaddadd something to somethingAdd £2.20 to the cost for postage.3increaseINCREASE IN NUMBER OR AMOUNT [intransitive and transitive] to increase the amount or cost of somethingadd (something) to somethingSpell-checking your document adds time to the process.checkaddSales tax adds to the price.saleadd4say more [transitive]SAY/STATE to say more about something that has just been said: ‘And I don’t care what you think,’ she added defiantly.addIs there anything you’d like to add, David?beadd thatEveryone will be invited to vote, he said, adding that voting is likely to be via the Web.invitesayaddvotebeI was refused accommodation – not, I hasten to add, on account of my appearance (=used to explain more about what you have just said).berefuseShe was trying to entertain us – unsuccessfully, I might add (=used to comment on what you have just said).betry5give a quality [transitive]ADD to give a particular quality to somethingadd something to somethingWe’ve added value to the information by organizing it.addorganizeadd a touch of glamour/class (to something)Champagne always adds a touch of glamour to the occasion.addColoured glass can be added for effect.colouradd6add(ed) to that/thisADD used to introduce another fact that supports your opinion: Our hospitals are short of cash. Add to that the long hours doctors work, and you have a recipe for disaster.hospitalbehourdoctor7add weight to something if something adds weight to an argument, idea etc, it makes it strongeradd weight to the suggestion/idea etcRecent research adds weight to the theory that the climate is changing.addbechange8to add insult to injuryWORSE to make a bad situation worse for someone who has already been treated badly: She not only deceived him but, to add insult to injury, allowed him to pay for her meal.deceiveallow9add fuel to the fire/flames to make an argument or disagreement worse: Rather than providing a solution, their statements merely added fuel to the fire.providestatementaddadd something ↔ in phrasal verb to include something with something else: Don’t forget to add in the cost of your time.add something ↔ on (also add something on somethingadd something on something) phrasal verb to include or put on something extra: proposals to add a penny on income taxproposaladd something ↔ on toThe private chapel was added on to the church much later.beaddlateadd to something phrasal verb to make a feeling or quality stronger and more noticeable: This show will no doubt add to his growing reputation.growadd up phrasal verb1COUNT/CALCULATEto calculate the total of several numbers: I can add up in my head quite easily.add something ↔ upSpecialized software adds up the statistics.specializeaddstatistic2not add up a)if a set of facts does not add up, it does not provide a reasonable explanation for a situation: He was troubled by a feeling that things just didn’t add up.betroublefeelthing b)if sums, numbers etc do not add up, there is a mistake in them: These figures don’t add up.figure3it all adds up informal used to say that lots of small amounts gradually make a large total: There are five of us using the phone so it all adds up.beuseaddadd up to something phrasal verb to produce a particular total or result: Rising prison population and overcrowding add up to a real crisis.riseovercrowd
ADDnounADDADDADD /ˌeɪ diː ˈdiː/
noun [uncountable] medical the abbreviation of attention-deficit disorder
noun [countable]Date: 1700-1800Language: Italian
Origin: firma ‘signature’, from Latin firmare ‘to show to be true’, from firmus; → FIRM2 COMPANYa business or company, especially a small oneelectronics/advertising/law etc firm
She works for an electronics firm.worka firm of accountants/solicitors/builders etcKevin is with a firm of accountants in Birmingham.beaccountantCOLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + firma large/big firm He is managing director of a large firm.bemanagea small firm He trained with a small firm in Cardiff.traina medium-sized firm The law will not effect medium-sized firms with less than 100 employees.sizefirmlittleemployeean engineering/building/electronics etc firm Fred worked for an electronics firm.worka law/accounting/advertising etc firm She was offered a job with a law firm.beoffera British/American Swiss etc firm British firms are competing with a number of foreign companies.firmbecompetenumbcompanya local firm The equipment was supplied by a local firm.besupplya foreign firm There has been renewed competition from foreign firms.haveberenewfirma family firm The business grew from a small family firm into a large company.growphrasesa firm of solicitors/accountants/surveyors etc Ms Shaw is a partner in a firm of solicitors.besolicitorverbswork for a firm Chris has been working for this firm for nearly 20 years.havebeworkyearjoin a firm He joined the firm when he was in his early twenties.joinbetwentyleave a firm She left the firm in 2007.leavea firm employs somebody The firm employs more than 200 people.employa firm produces something Our firm produces computer software for the business market.producea firm supplies something The firm supplies office furniture to local businesses.supplybusinessTHESAURUScompany an organization that makes or sells something, or provides a service: big oil companiescompany | telephone companiescompany | He runs a software company.runfirm a company, especially one that provides a service rather than producing goods: a law firm | a firm of accountantsaccountant | a security firmbusiness a company – often used when talking about a company that employs only a small number of people: She set up her own catering business.cater | small businessesbusiness | a family businesscorporation a large company that often includes several smaller companies: IBM is one of the biggest corporations in the world.bebigcorporationmultinational a very large company with offices in many different countries: American multinationals are establishing research and development facilities across the developing world.multinationalbeestablishfacilitydevelopconglomerate /kənˈɡlɒmərət, kənˈɡlɒmərɪt $ -ˈɡlɑː-/ a very large company that consists of several different companies which have joined together: The company was taken over by a German media conglomerate.betakemediumgiant a word used mainly by newspapers for a very large company: Their clients include the retail giant, Wal-Mart.clientsubsidiary a company that is owned by a larger company: The company runs its New York operations through a US subsidiary.runoperation
firmadjectiveCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesfirmfirmerfirmestfirmfirm2 S3 W2 adjective
Word familyDate: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: Latin firmus 1HARDnot completely hard, but not soft, and not easy to bend into a different shape OPP soft:
The sofa cushions are fairly firm.cushionbea firm green appleMost doctors recommend sleeping on a firm mattress.doctorsleep2ATTACHstrongly fixed in position, and not likely to move SYN secure: Make sure the ladder feels firm before you climb up.feelA concrete foundation was poured after digging down to firm ground.bepourdiggrindMount the tanks side by side on a firm base.tank3SUREnot likely to changefirm conviction/commitment/belief etcOur client hasn’t reached a firm decision on the matter yet.reachBlackpool remains a firm favourite with holiday makers from Northern Ireland.remainmakerCorey was always a firm believer in prayer.beThey made a firm offer (=offered to pay a particular amount) on the house over the weekend.makeDiana and Laura have been firm friends (=close friends) since their early teens.befriendteen4DETERMINEDshowing in the way that you behave or speak that you are the person in control and that you are not likely to change your answer, belief etc: Cal replied with a polite but firm ‘no’.replyWhat this country needs is firm leadership.needbebe firm with somebodyYou need to be firm with her or she’ll try to take advantage of you.5hand a firm grip/hold/grasp etcTIGHT if you have something in a firm grip etc, you are holding it tightly and strongly: He took a firm grip of my arm and marched me towards the door.takemarcha firm handshake6take a firm stand/lineDETERMINED to state your opinion clearly and not be persuaded to change it7stand/hold firmCHANGE YOUR MIND to not change your actions or opinionsstand/hold firm againstJones is urging Christians to stand firm against abortion.beurge8a firm hand a strict way of dealing with someone: These children need a firm hand.child9money [not before noun] if the value of a particular country’s money is firm, it does not fall in value SYN steadyfirm againstThe pound is still firm against the dollar.be—firmlyfirmly adverb—firmnessfirmnessesfirmness noun [uncountable]
firmverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1Phrases from other entriesCorpus examplesfirmfirmsfirmedfirmingfirmfirm3 verb [transitive]Verb form PRESSto press down on soil to make it harder or more solidfirm something ↔ up phrasal verb1CERTAINLY/DEFINITELYto make arrangements, ideas etc more definite and exact: We’re hoping to firm up the deal later this month.hopelate2EXERCISEto make a part of your body have more muscle and less fat by exercising
adjective [usually before noun]
Word familyDate: 1100-1200Language: French
Origin: Latin generalis ‘of the whole type’, from genus; → GENUS 1not detailedDETAIL describing or relating to only the main features or parts of something, not the details:
a general introduction to computingcomputeI skimmed through it to get a general impression of the text.skimI have a general idea of what I want to express.He spoke in general terms about greater competitiveness.speaktermgreat2in general a)usually or in most situations: In general, about 10% of the candidates are eventually offered positions.candidatebeofferposition b)used when talking about the whole of a situation, group, or thing, rather than specific parts of it: a feeling of dissatisfaction with life in generalfeelThese policies are unpopular with politicians and people in general.policybepoliticianWe’re trying to raise awareness about the environment in general and air pollution in particular.try3relating to wholeALL/EVERYTHING involving the whole of a situation, group, or thing, rather than specific parts of it: There has been a general decline in standards.havebestandardways to improve your general healthway4ordinaryORDINARY ordinary or usual: general cooking and cleaningcookcleanI hate paperwork as a general rule.5most peopleMOST shared by or affecting most people, or most of the people in a group: These courses are based around topics of general interest.coursebebasetopicHow soon can the drug be made available for general use?make6not limited not limited to one use, activity, subject etc: The next ten minutes passed in general conversation.minutepassIt’s a good general fertilizer.Watford General HospitalThis type of microphone is suitable for general use.be7approximate used to talk about an approximate area or direction: Pat and his friend were in the general area of the crime when it happened.behappenThey started walking in the general direction of the pub.startwalk8jobIN CHARGE OF used in the name of a job to show that the person who does it has complete responsibility: the general managerthe Attorney GeneralTHESAURUSin general used when saying that something is usually true in most situations, or about most people or things: In general, temporary jobs are less well-paid.jobbelittlepay | In general, the bigger a company becomes, the harder it is to maintain customer satisfaction.bigbecomehardbegenerally another way of saying ‘in general’, which is often used before a verb. Generally can also be used to say that most people have a particular opinion: Women generally live longer than men.womanlongman | Newton is generally regarded as the father of modern science.beregardgenerally speaking/as a rule other ways of saying ‘in general’: Generally speaking, large breeds of dog are becoming less popular.speakbreedbebecomelittle | He’s a singer who doesn’t do interviews, as a rule.interview | The graduates are, generally speaking, a confident and articulate group of young people.graduatebespeakmostly/mainly/largely used when saying that something is true about most people or things, or about most of something. Largely is slightly more formal than mostly or mainly: The disease mainly affects women.affectwoman | Their attempts were largely unsuccessful.attemptbe | The students were mostly French and German, but there were a few Japanese students too.studentbebestudentfor the most part used when saying that something is true in most cases, but not in every case: These problems have for the most part been resolved.problemberesolve | For the most part, the gangs were made up of boys aged between 11 and 16.gangbemakeboyageby and large/on the whole used for saying that something is true in most ways or in most cases: The project was, by and large, a success.be | On the whole, people were very friendly.be
generalnounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1 2Phrases from other entriesCorpus examplesgeneralgeneralsgeneralgeneral2 nounWord familyDate: 1500-1600Origin: general officer [countable] an officer of very high rank in the army or air force
verb (past tense and past participle led /led/)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: lædan Verb form1take somebody somewhere [intransitive and transitive]FIRST to take someone somewhere by going in front of them while they follow, or by pulling them gentlylead somebody to/into etc something
A nurse took her arm and led her to a chair.takeleadThe horses were led to safety.horsebeleadlead somebody away/down etcShe was led away from the courtroom in tears.beleadtearThe manager led the way through the office.lead2go in front [intransitive and transitive] to go in front of a line of people or vehicles: A firetruck was leading the parade.belead3be in charge [intransitive and transitive]IN CHARGE OF to be in charge of an organization, country, or team, or a group of people who are trying to do something: He has led the party for over twenty years.haveleadyearSome people say she is too old to lead the country (=be in charge of its government).beBeckham led his team to victory.leadlead an investigation/inquiry/campaignThe investigation will be led by Inspector Scarfe.leadThey are leading a campaign to warn teenagers about the dangers of drug abuse.beleadteenagerdangerlead a revolt/rebellion/coup etcThe rebellion was led by the King’s brother.beleadlead an attack/assaultNelson preferred to lead the attack himself from the front.prefera man who was born to leadbea communist-led strikelead4cause something to happen [intransitive and transitive]CAUSE to cause something to happen or cause someone to do somethinglead tothe events that led to the start of the First World WareventleadA degree in English could lead to a career in journalism.canlead somebody into somethingHer trusting nature often led her into trouble.trustleadlead somebody to do somethingWhat led him to kill his wife?leadlead to somebody doing somethingHis actions could lead to him losing his job.actioncanlose5cause somebody to believe something [transitive] to make someone believe something, especially something that is not truelead somebody to believe/expect/understand somethingHe had led everyone to believe that his family was very wealthy.haveleadbeThe hotel was terrible, and not at all what we had been led to expect.behavebeleadOur research led us to the conclusion that the present system is unfair.leadbe6influence [transitive] to influence someone to make them do something that is wronglead somebody into somethingHis brother led him into a life of crime.leadHe’s not a bad boy. He’s just easily led (=it is easy for other people to persuade him to do things that he should not do).lead7be more successful [transitive]BEST to be more successful than other people, companies, or countries in a particular activitylead the world/market/pack/fieldUS companies lead the world in biotechnology.companylead the way (=be the first to do something, and show other people how to do it)The Swedes have led the way in data protection.swedeleaddatum → leading1(1)8be winning [intransitive and transitive]WIN to be winning a game, competition etc OPP lose: At half-time, Brazil led 1–0.leadWith 15 laps to go, Schumacher led the race.lapleadThe polls showed Clinton leading Bush 55 percent to 34 percent.pollshowleadlead by ten points/two goals etcNadal was leading by two sets.beleadset9path/door etc [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition]JOIN STH TOGETHER used to say where a path, wire etc goes or what place is on the other side of a doorlead to/towardsThe path led down to a small lake.leadlead from/out ofthe major artery leading from the heartleadlead intothe door leading into the hallwayleadlead somebody to/into somethingThe riverside path leads visitors to a small chapel.leadvisitor10lifeLIFE [transitive] if you lead a particular kind of life, that is what your life is likelead a normal/quiet/busy etc lifeIf the operation succeeds, Carly will be able to lead a normal life.succeedHe has led a charmed life (=been very fortunate).haveleadcharmlead a life of luxury/poverty etclead the life of a ...She now leads the life of a recluse.leadlead a double life (=deceive people by keeping different parts of your life separate and not letting anyone know the whole truth)Joe had been leading a double life, seeing an ex-model while his wife believed he was on business.havebeleadseebelievebeThey lead a nomadic existence.11discussion etc [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to control the way a discussion, conversation etc develops: I tried to lead the conversation back to the subject of money.try12lead somebody up the garden path informal to deliberately deceive someone13lead somebody astray a)to encourage someone to do bad or immoral things which they would not normally do b)to make someone believe something that is not true14lead nowhere/not lead anywhere to not produce any useful result: So far police investigations seem to have led nowhere.investigationlead15lead by example to show the people you are in charge of what you want them to do by doing it yourself: The best managers lead by example.wellmanager16lead somebody by the nose to influence someone so much that you can completely control everything that they do: Politicians think they can easily lead people by the nose.politician17this/that leads (me) to something used to introduce a new subject that is connected to the previous one: That leads me to my final point. Where are we going to get the money?leadbego18somebody has their own life to lead used to say that someone wants to be able to live their life independently, without having to do things that other people want them to do19lead somebody a merry old dance/a right old dance British English to cause a lot of problems or worries for someone20market-led/export-led etcEFFECT/INFLUENCE most influenced by the market, by exports etc: an export-led economic recoverylead21lead the eye if a picture, view etc leads the eye in a particular direction, it makes you look in that direction: marble columns that lead the eye upwardcolumn22card game [intransitive and transitive] to play a particular card as your first card in one part of a card gameTHESAURUSlead to take a person or animal somewhere by going in front of them while they follow, or by pulling them gently: Rachel led Jo into the kitchen.lead | She was leading a horse, which seemed to have a bad leg.beleadseemtake to take someone somewhere with you when you have the transport, know the way, are paying etc: I took her to see a film.take | Matt’s taking me in his car.takeguide to take someone through or to a place you know, showing them the way: Ali guided us through the streets to his house on the edge of the town.guidestreetshow to take someone to a place such as a table in a restaurant or a hotel room and leave them there: A waitress showed us to our table.show | We were shown to our seats near the front of the theatre.beshowseatpoint to show someone which direction to go using your hand or a sign: The sign back there pointed this way.pointescort to take someone somewhere, protecting them, guarding them, or showing them the way: He was escorted from the court by police.beescort | The President’s car will be escorted by a military convoy.escortusher to show someone the way to a room or building nearby, usually as part of your job: His housekeeper ushered us into the living room.usherliveshepherd to carefully take someone somewhere – used especially about a group of people: The police shepherded thousands of people to safety in the cathedral.shepherddirect formal to tell someone where to go or how to get somewhere: He directed us to a cafe a few blocks away.directblock | Can you direct me to the station?lead off phrasal verb1START DOING STHto start a meeting, discussion, performance etc by saying or doing something: I’d like to lead off by thanking Rick for coming.thankcomelead off withThe French team led off with two quick goals in the first five minutes.leadgoalminutelead something ↔ offHal led the evening off with some folk songs.leadevensong2JOIN STH TOGETHERlead off (something) if a road, room etc leads off a place, you can go directly from that place along that road, into that room etclead off from somethingHe pointed down a street leading off from the square.pointleada large room, with doors leading off it in all directionsdoorleaddirection3to be the first player to try to hit the ball in an inning (=period of play) in a game of baseballlead somebody on phrasal verb to deceive someone, especially to make them think you love them: He thought she loved him, but in fact she was just leading him on.thinklovebeleadlead on to something (also lead onto somethinglead onto something) phrasal verb especially British English to cause something to develop or become possible at a later time: Alan Turing’s work led onto the development of modern computers.leadcomputerlead with something phrasal verb1if a newspaper or television programme leads with a particular story, that story is the main one: The Washington Post leads with the latest news from Israel.leadlate2to use a particular hand to begin an attack in boxing, or a particular foot to begin a dance: Adam led with his left and punched his opponent on the jaw.leadleavepunchlead up to something phrasal verb [not in passive]1BEFOREif a series of events or a period of time leads up to an event, it comes before it or causes it: the weeks that led up to her deathweekleadthe events leading up to his dismissaleventlead2INTRODUCEto gradually introduce an embarrassing, upsetting, or surprising subject into a conversation: She had already guessed what he was leading up to.haveguessbelead
leadnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3Word sets 1 2 3 4 5Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesleadleadsleadlead2 S2 W2 noun1the leadWIN the first position in a race or competition: She was in the lead from start to finish.beThe Canadians went into the lead after only 30 seconds.gosecondThe goal put Holland into the lead.The Bears took the lead for the first time this season.beartake2[singular] the amount or distance by which one competitor is ahead of another: The Chicago Bulls had a narrow lead (=were winning by a small number of points).bullhavelead overThe Socialists now have a commanding lead over their opponents.socialistcommandopponent3[singular]EXAMPLE if someone follows someone else’s lead, they do the same as the other person has done: Other countries are likely to follow the U.S.'s lead.countrybeThe Government should give industry a lead in tackling racism (=show what other people should do).shalltackleThe black population in the 1960s looked to Ali for a lead (=looked to him to show them what they should do).look4take the lead (in doing something) to be the first to start doing something or be most active in doing something: The U.S. took the lead in declaring war on terrorism.takedeclare5[countable]INFORMATION a piece of information that may help you to solve a crime or mystery SYN clue: The police have checked out dozens of leads, but have yet to find the killer.checklead6[countable] the main acting part in a play, film etc, or the main actorplay the lead/the lead roleHe will play the lead role in Hamlet.Powers was cast in the lead role (=he was chosen to play it).powerbethe male/female leadThey were having trouble casting the female lead.behavecastthe film’s romantic lead7lead singer/guitarist etc the main singer, guitarist etc in a grouplead singer/guitarist etc of/withthe lead singer of Nirvana8[countable] British English a piece of rope, leather, or chain for holding or controlling a dog SYN leashon a leadAll dogs must be kept on a lead.dogkeep9[countable] British English a wire used to connect a piece of electrical equipment to the power supply SYN cord American English → jump leadsCOLLOCATIONSverbsbe in the lead He was in the lead after the first lap of the race.behave the lead He has a one-shot lead in the golf tournament.haveshoottake the lead (=start being in the lead instead of someone else) Lewis Hamilton has just taken the lead in the Monaco Grand Prix.havetakeput somebody in the lead (=make someone be in the lead) Ronaldo’s goal put Portugal in the lead.give somebody the lead (=make someone be in the lead) A goal in the 10th minute gave England the lead.giveextend/increase/stretch sb’s lead (=make the lead bigger) The Australian rugby team extended its lead with a try from Stirling Mortlock.extendthrow away a lead (=to lose the lead) Arsenal threw away a two-goal lead.throwblow a lead informal (=to lose the lead) They managed to blow a 22-point lead.manageshare the lead (=when more than one player or team is in the lead ) At the end of the first round, two golfers share the lead.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + lead a big lead The Bruins had a big lead at half-time.bruinhavea clear lead The ruling Labour Party has a clear lead in the opinion polls.rulehavepolla comfortable lead (=a big lead) The Wildcats had a comfortable lead in the first half.wildcathavea commanding lead (=a big lead) Alonso raced into a commanding lead.racecommandan early lead (=a lead early in a game, election etc) Liverpool took an early lead with a goal from Steven Gerrard.takea one-shot/two-goal/three point etc lead (=a lead of a specific amount) Goals by Keane and Lennon gave Tottenham a two-goal lead.goalgive
leadnounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplesleadleadsleadlead3 /led/ noun
1 [uncountable] a soft heavy grey metal that melts easily and is poisonous, used to cover roofs, or in the past, for water pipes. It is a chemical element: symbol Pb2[uncountable and countable] the central part of a pencil that makes the marks when you write3go down like a lead balloon informalDON'T LIKE if a suggestion or joke goes down like a lead balloon, people do not like it at all4[uncountable] American English old-fashionedSHOOT bullets: They filled him full of lead.fill5leads [plural] a)sheets of lead used for covering a roof b)narrow pieces of lead used for holding small pieces of glass together to form a window
verb (past tense and past participle kept /kept/)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: cepan Verb form1not change [linking verb, transitive]CONTINUE/NOT STOP to stay in a particular state, condition, or position, or to make someone or something do thiskeep (somebody/something) warm/safe/dry etc
We huddled around the fire to keep warm.huddlekeep calm/awake/sane etcI was struggling to keep awake.bestrugglekeep something clean/tidyKeep your room tidy.keep somebody busy/amused/occupiedsome toys to keep the kids amusedtoykidamuseYou won’t be able to keep it secret for ever.winPeter cycles to work to keep fit.cycleDon’t keep us in suspense any longer!longkeep (somebody/something) away/back/off/out etcThe police put up barriers to keep the crowds back.barriercrowdIf I were you, I’d keep away from that area at night.bea sign saying ‘Danger: Keep Out’sayThe little boy kept close to his mother.keepkeep (somebody) out of somethingKeep him out of trouble.You keep out of this, Mother (=do not get involved). It’s no concern of yours.How can I cut your hair if you won’t keep still!winkeep left/right (=stay to the left or right of a path or road as you move)keep somebody/something doing somethingJane kept the engine running.keeprun2continue doing something [intransitive] (also keep on)KEEP DOING STH to continue doing something or to do the same thing many timeskeep (on) doing somethingI keep thinking about Joe, all alone in that place.thinkI keep telling you, but you won’t listen!tellwinShe pretended not to hear, and kept on walking.pretendkeepwalk ► Do not say ‘keep up doing something'. Say keep doing something or keep on doing something.3not give back [transitive]KEEP/CONTINUE TO HAVE to have something and not give it back to the person who had it before: You can keep it. I don’t need it anymore.4not lose [transitive]KEEP/CONTINUE TO HAVE to continue to have something and not lose it or get rid of it: We decided to keep our old car instead of selling it.decidesellI kept his letters for years.keepletteryearIn spite of everything, Robyn’s managed to keep her sense of humor.manage5store something [transitive always + adverb/preposition]KEEP/STORE to leave something in one particular place so that you can find it easily: Where do you keep your teabags?teabagGeorge kept a bottle of whiskey under his bed.keep6make somebody stay in a place [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to make someone stay in a place, especially a prison or hospital: He was kept in prison for a week without charge.bekeep7delay somebody [transitive]DELAY to delay someone: He should be here by now. What’s keeping him?shallkeep8do what you promised [transitive]PROMISE to do what you have promised or agreed to dokeep your word/promiseHow do I know you’ll keep your word?patients who fail to keep their appointmentspatientappointment9keep a secretTELL A SECRET to not tell anyone about a secret that you know: Can I trust you to keep a secret?10keep something quiet/keep quiet (about something) to not say anything in order to avoid telling a secret or causing problems11keep a record/account/diary etcREGULAR to regularly record written information somewhere12keep going a)keep (somebody) going to have or to give someone enough hope and emotional strength to continue living and doing things in a bad situation: That woman’s been through such a lot – I don’t know how she keeps going.bekeepgoHer letters were the only thing that kept me going while I was in prison.letterbekeepgobe b)keep (something) going if you keep a business, institution, regular event etc going, you keep it open or make it continue to happen: The library costs £5 million a year to run, and the council can’t afford to keep it going.costgo c)keep going to continue doing something difficult: Persevere and keep going until you reach your ideal weight.go d)keep somebody going if something keeps you going, it is enough to satisfy your need while you are waiting to get something bigger or better: I’ll have a biscuit to keep me going until dinner time.go13food [intransitive]LAST FOR A PERIOD OF TIMESAME if food keeps, it stays fresh enough to be eaten: Eat the salmon because it won’t keep till tomorrow.win14animals [transitive]OWN to own and look after animals: We keep chickens and a couple of pigs.chickenpig15stop other people from using something [transitive] to stop other people from using something, so that it is available for someone SYN save: Will you keep a seat for me?16keep somebody waiting to make someone wait before you meet them or see them: Sorry to keep you waiting – I got stuck in a meeting.waitgetstickmeet17keep guard/watchPROTECTCAREFUL to guard a place or watch around you all the time18shop [transitive] British English old-fashionedOWN to own a small business and work in it19provide somebody with things [transitive]LOOK AFTER SB to provide someone with money, food etc: He did not earn enough to keep a wife and children.dochildkeep somebody in somethingThere’s enough money there to keep you in champagne for a year!20protect [transitive] formalPROTECT to guard or protect someone: The Lord bless you and keep you.His only thought was to keep the child from harm.thinkbe21keep goal/wicket to be the player in a team whose job is to protect the goal or wicket → goalkeeper, wicket keeperSPOKEN PHRASES22QUIETkeep quiet used to tell someone not to say anything or make any noise: Keep quiet! I’m trying to watch the game.try23HEALTHYhow are you keeping? used to ask if someone is well: ‘Hi, Mark! How are you keeping?’ ‘Oh, not so bad.’bekeep24CALMkeep your hair/shirt on! used to tell someone to be more calm, patient etc25somebody can keep something used to say that you do not want or are not interested in something: She can keep her wild parties and posh friends – I like the quiet life.partyfriend26WAITit’ll keep used to say that you can tell someone something or do something later: ‘I don’t have time to listen now.’ ‘Don’t worry, it’ll keep.’THESAURUSMeaning 5keep to leave something in one particular place so that you can find it easily: Where do you keep the scissors?scissor | The keys are kept in my office.keybekeepstore to put things away and keep them until you need them: Villagers have begun storing wood for the winter.villagerbeginstoresave to keep something so that you can use or enjoy it in the future: He had been saving the bottle of champagne for a special occasion.havebesave | We can save the rest of the pie for later.latefile to store papers or information in a particular order or a particular place: All the contracts are filed alphabetically.contractbefilecollect to get and keep objects of the same type because you think they are attractive or interesting: Kate collects old postcards.collectpostcardhold to keep something to be used when it is needed, especially something that many different people may need to use: Medical records are now usually held on computers.recordbeholdcomputerreserve formal to keep part of something for use at a later time during a process such as cooking: Reserve some of the chocolate so that you can use it for decorating the cake.decoratehoard to keep large amounts of food, money etc because you think you may not be able to get them in the future – used when you do not approve of people doing this because it is not necessary or not fair to other people: People have been hoarding food and fuel in case there is another attack.behoardbe | Rationing of basic food products was introduced to prevent hoarding.rationproductbeintroducehoardkeep at something phrasal verb1keep at it spokenCONTINUE/NOT STOP to continue to do something, although it is difficult or hard work: I know it’s hard, but keep at it! Don’t give up!2keep somebody at somethingWORK HARD to force someone to continue to work hard and not let them stopkeep back phrasal verb1TELL A SECRETkeep something ↔ back to deliberately not tell someone all that you know about something: I got the feeling he was keeping something back.getfeelbekeep2keep something ↔ back to not show your feelings, even though you want to very much: She was struggling to keep back the tears.bestruggletear3keep somebody ↔ back to prevent someone from being as successful as they could be SYN hold back: Fear and stereotypes have kept women back for centuries.stereotypekeepwomancentury4keep something ↔ back especially British EnglishSAVE STH TO USE LATER to not give or pay something that you were going to give: They kept back some of his wages to pay for the damage.keepwagekeep somebody/something ↔ down phrasal verb1PREVENTto prevent the size, cost, or quantity of something from increasing or being too great: We need to keep costs down.cost2SICK/VOMITto succeed in keeping food in your stomach, instead of bringing it up again out of your mouth, when you are ill: I could hardly keep anything down for about three days.canday3used to ask someone to make less noise: Keep your voice down – she’ll hear you!Can you keep it down – I’m trying to work.try4to prevent a group of people from becoming as successful and powerful as the other people in a society: Plantation owners kept slaves down by refusing them an education.ownerkeepslaverefusekeep from phrasal verb1keep (somebody/something) from somethingPREVENT to prevent someone from doing something or prevent something from happeningkeep somebody from (doing) somethingHis ex-wife had kept him from seeing his children.havekeepseechildI hope I haven’t kept you from your work.keepkeep something from doing somethingPut the pizza in the bottom of the oven to keep the cheese from burning.burnkeep (yourself) from doing somethingThe play was so boring I could hardly keep myself from falling asleep.beborecanfall2keep something from somebodyTELL A SECRET to prevent someone from knowing something, by deliberately not telling them about it SYN withhold: The government had wanted to keep this information from the public.havewantkeep somebody in phrasal verb1to make someone stay in hospital because they are too ill to go home: They kept her in overnight for observation.keep2KEEP SB IN A PLACE British English to force someone to stay inside, especially as a punishment in schoolkeep in with somebody phrasal verb British English FRIENDLYto try to stay friendly with someone, especially because this helps you: It’s a good idea to keep in with the boss.keep off phrasal verb1keep something ↔ offPREVENT to prevent something from touching or harming something: She held an old piece of cloth over them both to keep the rain off.holdkeep something off somethingHow are we going to keep the flies off this food?begofly2keep your hands off somebody/something used to tell someone not to touch someone or something: Keep your hands off me!hand3keep (somebody) off something to not eat, drink, or take something that is bad for you, or to stop someone else from eating, drinking, or taking it: Keep off fatty foods.fooda programme aimed at keeping teenagers off drugsaimkeepteenagerdrug4keep off something especially British English to avoid talking about a particular subject, especially so that you do not upset someone SYN avoid, stay off5keep something ↔ off if you keep weight off, you do not get heavier again after you have lost weight6NOT DO STH British English if rain keeps off, it does not fallkeep on phrasal verb1CONTINUE/NOT STOPto continue doing something, or to do something many timeskeep on doing somethingYou just have to keep on trying.try2keep somebody ↔ onKEEP/CONTINUE TO HAVE to continue to employ someone, especially for longer than you had planned: If you’re good, they might keep you on after Christmas.3British English informalTALK TO SB to talk continuously about something or repeat something many times, in a way that is annoying SYN go onkeep on aboutThere’s no need to keep on and on about it!keep on atIf I didn’t keep on at the children, they’d never do their homework.childkeep to something phrasal verb1STAY/NOT LEAVEto stay on a particular road, course, piece of ground etc: It’s best to keep to the paths.wellpath2OBEYto do what has been decided in an agreement or plan, or what is demanded by law: Keep to the speed limits.limit3keep to the point/subject etc to talk or write only about the subject you are supposed to be talking about4keep something to somethingPREVENT to prevent an amount, degree, or level from becoming higher than it should: Costs must be kept to a minimum.costkeep5keep something to yourself to not tell anyone about something: I’d appreciate it if you kept it to yourself.keep6keep to yourself (also keep yourself to yourself British English)TELL A SECRET to live a very quiet private life and not do many things that involve other peoplekeep up phrasal verb1keep something ↔ upCONTINUE/NOT STOP to continue doing something: I don’t think I can keep this up any longer.longkeep up the good work! (=continue to work hard and well)2if a situation keeps up, it continues without stopping or changing SYN continue: How long can the economic boom keep up?3FAST/QUICKto go as quickly as someone elsekeep up withI had to walk fast to keep up with him.have4to manage to do as much or as well as other people OPP fall behindkeep up withJack’s having trouble keeping up with the rest of the class.havekeepkeep up with the Joneses (=try to have the same new impressive possessions that other people have)5LEARNto continue to read and learn about a particular subject, so that you always know about the most recent facts, products etckeep up withEmployees need to keep up with the latest technical developments.employeelatedevelopment6keep something ↔ up to make something continue at its present level or amount, instead of letting it decrease: NATO kept up the pressure on the Serbs to get out of Kosovo.keep7UPif one process keeps up with another, it increases at the same speed and by the same amountkeep up withFood production is not keeping up with population growth.bekeep8keep something ↔ up to continue to practise a skill so that you do not lose it: I used to speak French, but I haven’t kept it up.usekeep9keep somebody up informalSLEEP to prevent someone from going to bed: I hope I’m not keeping you up.keep10keep your spirits/strength/morale etc upCONTINUE/NOT STOP to stay happy, strong, confident etc by making an effort: We sang as we marched, to keep our spirits up.singmarchspirit11keep up appearancesPRETEND to pretend that everything in your life is normal and happy even though you are in trouble, especially financial troublekeep up with somebody phrasal verb to write to, telephone, or meet a friend regularly, so that you do not forget each other
keepnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus exampleskeepkeepskeepkeep2 nounWord family1sb’s keepEARN the cost of providing food and a home for someoneearn your keep (=do things in return for the things that are provided for you)It’s time you got a job and started earning your keep.getstartearn2for keeps informalALWAYS/EVERY TIME forever: Marriage ought to be for keeps.keep3[countable] a large strong tower, usually in the centre of a castle
verb (past tense and past participle felt /felt/)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: felan Verb form1feeling/emotion [linking verb, transitive]FEEL HAPPY/FRIGHTENED/BORED ETC to experience a particular physical feeling or emotion:
Do you still feel hungry?You can never tell what he’s feeling.feelStop exercising if you feel any pain.exercisefeel fine/good/comfortable etcI’m feeling a little better today.feelwellMarie immediately felt guilty.feelfeel as if/as thoughWhen his dad left, he felt as though his world had turned upside-down.leavefeelhaveturnI felt like I’d really achieved something.feelachieve2notice [transitive not in progressive]NOTICE to notice something that is happening to you, especially something that is touching you: She felt his warm breath on her cheek.feelThe earthquake was felt as far south as San Diego.befeelfeel somebody/something do somethingShe felt his arms go round her.feelarmfeel yourself doing somethingI felt myself blushing.feelblush3feel smooth/dry etc [linking verb]FEEL HOT/COLD/TIRED ETC to give you a particular physical feeling, especially when you touch or hold somethingfeel smooth/cold/damp etcHer hands felt rough.handfeelThe house felt hot and stuffy.feelfeel as if/as thoughMy leg feels as if it’s broken.feelbreakIt’s nice fabric – it feels like velvet.feel4feel good/strange/exciting etcFEEL HAPPY/FRIGHTENED/BORED ETC [linking verb] if a situation, event etc feels good, strange etc, that is the emotion or feeling that it gives you: After twenty years, seeing him again felt very strange.yearseefeelfeel ... to be/do somethingIt felt wonderful to be wearing clean clothes again.feelwearclotheHow does it feel to be 40?doIt’s been a year since her daughter died, but to her, it still feels like yesterday.bediefeel5have an opinion [transitive not usually in progressive]THINK/HAVE THE OPINION THAT to have a particular opinion, especially one that is based on your feelings, not on factsfeel (that)Some of the parents felt the school wasn’t doing enough about bullying.parentfeeldobullyfeel aboutHow would you feel about working with Nicole for a while?willworkThe experience of rape can change how a woman feels about her body.feelfeel sure/certain (=think that something is definitely true)She felt sure she’d made the right decision.feelmake6feel like (doing) something spokenWANT to want to have something or do something: He didn’t feel like going to work.goDo you feel like another drink?7touch [transitive]TOUCH to touch something with your fingers to find out about it: She felt his forehead. Perhaps he had a temperature.feelhaveMum, feel this stone. Isn’t it smooth?feel how hard/soft/rough etc something isHe could feel how damp his shirt was against his chest.canbe8feel around/on/in etc something (for something)LOOK FOR to search for something with your fingers: She felt in her bag for a pencil.feel9feel the force/effects/benefits etc of somethingKNOW STH to experience the good or bad results of something: The local economy is beginning to feel the effects of the recession.bebegineffect10feel the need to do somethingKNOW STH to believe that you need to do something: Children who can talk to their parents feel less need to try drugs.childparentlittledrug11feel your way a)CAREFULto move carefully, with your hands out in front of you, because you cannot see properly: Silently, she felt her way across the room.feel b)CAREFULto do things slowly and carefully, because you are not completely sure about a new situationfeel your way towardsThe European Union is still feeling its way towards common policies.befeelpolicy12feel free spokenYES used to tell someone that they can do something if they want to: ‘Could I use your phone for a minute?’ ‘Feel free.’canfeel free to do somethingPlease feel free to make suggestions.suggestion13I know (just/exactly) how you feel spokenKNOW STH used to express sympathy with someone or with a remark they have just made: I know how you feel, Mark, but maybe it’s better not to confront him.well14not feel yourself spokenILL to not feel as healthy or happy as usual: I don’t know what’s wrong. I just don’t feel quite myself.15feel your ageFEEL HOT/COLD/TIRED ETC to realize that you are not as young or active as you used to be: Looking at his grandson made him really feel his age.lookmake16feel the cold/heatFEEL HOT/COLD/TIRED ETC to suffer because of cold or hot weather: Old people tend to feel the cold more.17feel a death/a loss etcFEEL HAPPY/FRIGHTENED/BORED ETC to react very strongly to a bad event, especially someone’s death: Susan felt her grandmother’s death more than the others.feelfeel for somebody phrasal verb SYMPATHIZEto feel sympathy for someone: At the Center, the other mothers know what it’s like, and they really feel for you.motherfeel somebody ↔ out phrasal verb American English informal ASK A QUESTIONto find out what someone’s opinions or feelings are, without asking them directly: I thought I’d feel out some of my colleagues before the meeting.thinkcolleaguemeetfeel somebody ↔ up phrasal verb informal to touch someone sexually, without their permissionfeel up to something phrasal verb [usually in questions and negatives] informal to have the strength, energy etc to do something: I just didn’t feel up to going.go
feelnounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesfeelfeelsfeelfeel2 nounWord family1IDEA[singular] a quality that something has that makes you feel or think a particular way about it: Despite their age, the photographs have a modern feel.photographfeel aboutThe restaurant has a nice relaxed feel about it.haverelax2TOUCH[singular] the way that something feels when you touch itfeel ofI like the feel of this cloth.a soft feathery feel3have/get/give a feel for something informalUNDERSTAND to have or develop an understanding of something and skill in doing it: exercises that give a child a feel for numbersexercisenumber4[uncountable] when you use your hands, body etc to feel something SYN touchby feelShe found the light switch by feel.find
adjective (comparative worse /wɜːs $ wɜːrs/, superlative worst /wɜːst $ wɜːrst/)
Date: 1200-1300Origin: Perhaps from Old English bæddel ‘male homosexual’ 1not goodHARMFULUNPLEASANT unpleasant or likely to cause problems OPP good:
I have some bad news for you.I thought things couldn’t possibly get any worse.thinkthingillThe plane was delayed for several hours by bad weather.bedelayhourIt’s difficult to break bad habits.habita bad smell2low qualityLOW QUALITYBAD low in quality or below an acceptable standard OPP good: The failure of the company was due to bad management.beYour handwriting is so bad I can hardly read it.beThat was the worst movie I’ve ever seen.beillsee3not sensible [usually before noun] not sensible, or not suitable in a particular situation OPP good: Cutting spending at this time is a bad idea.cutspendbeMaking big changes in your diet all at once is a bad thing to do.makechangebe4morally wrongWRONGBAD PERSON morally wrong or evil OPP good: He’s a bad man – keep away from him. → bad guy5wrong behaviourBAD PERSON spoken doing something you should not do, or behaving in a wrong way – used especially about children or pets SYN naughty: Katie was very bad today!bebad girl/dog etcBad cat! Get off the table!6seriousSERIOUSSERIOUS SITUATION serious or severe: He was in a bad accident.beThe pain in my side is worse than it was yesterday.beillbe7a bad time/moment etcDIFFICULT a time that is not suitable or causes problems: It’s a bad time to have to borrow money, with interest rates so high.rateYou’ve come at the worst possible moment. I have a meeting in five minutes.illmeetminute8harmfulHARM/BE BAD FOR damaging or harmful: Pollution is having a bad effect on fish stocks.behavestockbad forSmoking is bad for your health.smokebeToo much salt can be bad for you.It is bad for kids to be on their own so much.bekid9foodFOODDECAY food that is bad is not safe to eat because it has decayed: bad fishThis milk has gone bad.havego10no skillBAD AT having no skill or ability in a particular activitybad at (doing) somethingI’m really bad at chess.They have got to be the worst band on the planet.getill11bad heart/leg/back etcCONDITION/STATE OF STH a heart, leg etc that is injured or does not work correctly: I haven’t been able to do much because of my bad back.be12languageSWEARINGSWEAR bad language is rude or offensive: We were shocked to hear the little boy using bad language in front of his mother.beshockuseJacky said a bad word!say13be in a bad mood (also be in a bad temper British English)BAD-TEMPERED to feel annoyed or angry: The boss is in a bad mood.be14GUILTYfeel bad a)GUILTY/FEEL GUILTYto feel ashamed or sorry about somethingfeel bad about (doing) somethingI felt bad about not being able to come last night.feelbefeel bad forI feel bad for Ann – she studied so hard for that test and she still didn’t pass.study b)to feel ill15not bad spokenGOOD ENOUGH used to say that something is good, or better than you expected: ‘How are you?’ ‘Oh, not bad.’beThat’s not a bad idea.16not too/so bad spoken used to say that something is not as bad as expected: The exams weren’t so bad.exam17too bad spoken a)DON'T CAREused to say that you do not care that something bad happens to someone: ‘I’m going to be late now!’ ‘Too bad – you should have gotten up earlier.’goshallgetearly b)PITY/IT'S A PITYused to say that you are sorry that something bad has happened to someone: It’s too bad that you couldn’t come to the party last night.18go from bad to worseWORSE to become even more unpleasant or difficult: The schools have gone from bad to worse in this area.schoolgoill19be in a bad way informalSERIOUS SITUATION to be very ill, unhappy, or injured, or not in a good condition: She was in a bad way after the funeral.be20a bad nameBAD if something has a bad name, people do not respect or trust ithave/get a bad nameThe bar had a bad name and was avoided by all the locals.havebeavoidlocalgive somebody/something a bad nameThese annoying tourists give all Americans a bad name.annoytourist21bad lot/sort/type British English old-fashionedBAD PERSON someone who is morally bad or cannot be trusted22bad penny British EnglishDIFFICULT someone or something that causes trouble and is difficult to avoid: Sure enough, Steve turned up like the proverbial bad penny (=suddenly appeared).turn23be taken bad British English informalILL to become ill: He was taken bad in the middle of the night.betake24in bad faithDISHONEST if someone does something in bad faith, they are behaving dishonestly and have no intention of keeping a promise: In order to sue, you have to prove that the company was acting in bad faith.beact25bad news spoken informalBAD PERSON someone or something that always causes trouble: I’d avoid her if I were you. She’s bad news.be26bad form British English old-fashionedBAD BEHAVIOUR OR ACTIONS socially unacceptable behaviour: It’s bad form to argue with the umpire.27bad bloodAGAINST/OPPOSE angry or bitter feelings between peoplebad blood betweenThere’s too much bad blood between them.28not have a bad word to say about/against somebody if no one has a bad word to say about a particular person, everyone likes and respects that person29it’s bad enough ...DIFFICULT spoken used to say that you already have one problem, so that you do not want to worry about or deal with another one: It’s bad enough having to bring up three kids on your own, without having to worry about money as well!havekidhave30something can’t be bad spokenGOOD ENOUGH used to persuade someone that something is good or worth doing: You only pay £10 deposit and no interest – that can’t be bad, can it?31 (comparative badder, superlative baddest) especially American English spoken informal a)used when you think something is very good: Now that’s a bad car! b)someone who is bad is very determined and does not always obey rules – used to show approval—badnessbadnessesbadness noun [uncountable]THESAURUSbad not good: a bad idea | His behaviour is getting worse.begetillpoor not as good as it could be or should be: A poor diet can lead to ill health. | his poor performance at schoolnot very good not good – often used instead of saying directly that something was ‘bad’, especially when you were disappointed by it: The film wasn’t very good.disappointing not as good as you hoped or expected: Her exam results were disappointing.resultbedisappoint | a disappointing start to the campaigndisappointnegative bad – used when talking about the bad result or effect of something: All the publicity had a negative impact on sales.havesale | the negative effects of climate changeeffectundesirable formal bad and not wanted: The policy had some undesirable consequences.haveconsequence | drug abuse and other undesirable behaviourunfavourable formal unfavourable conditions are not good for doing something: The boat race was cancelled because of unfavourable weather.becancelvery badawful/terrible/dreadful especially British English very bad: The movie was awful.be | Her house is in a terrible state.be | a dreadful crimehorrible very bad, especially in a way that shocks or upsets you: He describes prison as ‘a horrible place’.describe | It was a horrible exprerience.bedisgusting smelling or tasting very bad: The food was disgusting.bedisgust | The fish smelled disgusting.smelldisgustlousy /ˈlaʊzi/ informal very bad or disappointing: The weather has been lousy all week.havebe | I’m fed up with this lousy job.feedghastly /ˈɡɑːstli $ ˈɡæstli/ British English informal very bad: I’ve had a ghastly day.have | a ghastly mistakesevere severe problems, injuries, illnesses etc are very bad and serious: The country faces severe economic problems.faceproblem | severe delaysdelay | He suffered severe head injuries in a car crash.sufferinjuryatrocious/appalling/horrendous extremely bad in a way that is shocking: Her behaviour has been absolutely atrocious.havebe | The country has an appalling human rights record.haveappalrightabysmal /əˈbɪzməl/ very bad and of a very low standard: The team’s performance was abysmal.be | the abysmal conditions in some prisonsconditionprison
badnounCollocations from other entriesPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplesbadbadsbadbad2 noun1to the bad British English informalPOOR if you are a particular amount to the bad, you are that much poorer or you owe that much: Thanks to your mistake, I’m £500 to the bad!thank2my bad! American English spoken informal used to say that you have made a mistake or that something is your fault3go to the bad British English old-fashionedBAD BEHAVIOUR OR ACTIONS to begin living in a wrong or immoral way
badadverbCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesbadbadbad3 adverb spoken a word used to mean ‘badly’ that many people think is incorrect: I need that money bad.
adjective (comparative later, superlative latest)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: læt 1after expected timeLATE arriving, happening, or done after the time that was expected, agreed, or arranged OPP early:
Sorry I’m late – I overslept.oversleepten minutes/two hours etc lateYou’re half an hour late.The train was even later than usual.belateWe apologize for the late departure of flight AZ709.There are penalties if loan repayments are late.bepenaltyrepaymentbelate forCheryl was late for school.belate withWe’ve never been late with the rent.berend2near the end [only before noun]END used to refer to the part near the end of a period of time OPP early: a late eighteenth century buildingbuildPaul’s in his late forties.in the late 1980sBy late afternoon, she had done 10 drawings.havedodrawing3be too late to arrive or do something after the time when something could or should have been done: He shouted a warning but it was too late.shoutwarnbetoo late to do somethingAre we too late to get tickets?beticketIt was too late to turn back.be4after usual timeLATE happening or done after the usual or normal time: a late breakfastThe harvest was late this year because of the rain.beShe looked tired – too many late nights (=nights when she went to bed after the normal time).looktirenight5evening near the end of a day: the late movieIt’s late – I’d better go home.well6deadDEAD [only before noun] deadlate husband/wifeMrs. Moore’s late husband7late developer/bloomer a)a child who develops socially, emotionally, or physically at a later age than other children b)someone who does not become successful until they are older8it’s (a little/bit) late in the day (to do something)LATE used to show disapproval because someone has done something too late: It’s a bit late in the day to start having objections.bitehaveobjection9late of something formalLEAVE YOUR HOME/COUNTRY used about someone who has died fairly recently: Billy Hicks, late of this parishhick—latenesslatenesseslateness noun [uncountable]: penalties for lateness at workpenaltydespite the lateness of the hourTHESAURUSlate arriving or happening after the time that was expected or arranged: Sorry I’m late. | The bus was late.be | Spring seems to be very late this year.seemnot on time not arriving or doing something at the time that was expected or arranged: He never hands his homework in on time.hand | If we don’t leave on time, we’ll miss the flight.overdue not done or happening by the expected time – used especially about payments that are late or library books that should have been returned: Your rent is three weeks overdue.rendbeweek | I had to pay a £3 fine on some overdue library books.havebookbe behind with something British English, be behind on something American English to be late in doing something that you have to do: I can’t come out because I’m behind with my English essay.be held up to be made late for a meeting, appointment etc by something that happens, especially by bad traffic: I was held up by a traffic jam.beholdbe delayed to be prevented from arriving, leaving, or happening at the expected time – often used about public transport: The flight was delayed by bad weather.bedelaybelated /bɪˈleɪtəd, bɪˈleɪtɪd/ given or done late – used especially about something that someone has forgotten or failed to do: a belated birthday card | I’m still hoping for a belated apology from him.hopetardy especially American English formal arriving or happening late: a habitually tardy person | a tardy decisionbe in arrears /əˈrɪəz $ əˈrɪrz/ formal to have not made one or more regular payments at the time when you should: One in eight mortgage payers are in arrears.payerbe
lateadverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleslatelatelate2 S2 W3 adverb (comparative later, superlative no superlative)1LATEafter the usual time: The stores are open later on Thursdays.storebelateEllen has to work late tonight.haveCan you stay late?2LATEafter the arranged or expected time OPP earlyten minutes/two hours etc lateThe bus came ten minutes late.comeminute3too late after the time when something could or should have been done: The advice came too late.come4ENDnear to the end of a period of time or an eventlate inThe wedding took place late in May.takeIt was not a place to walk in late at night.be5as late as somethingRECENTLY used to express surprise that something considered old-fashioned was still happening so recently: Capital punishment was still used in Britain as late as the 1950s.beuse6of late formalRECENTLY recently: Birth rates have gone down of late.ratego7late in lifeLATE if you do something late in life, you do it at an older age than most people do it8LATEbetter late than never used to say that you are glad someone has done something, or to say that they should do something even though they are late → run late at run1(39)
adverbLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: efne, from efen; → EVEN2 1used to emphasize something that is unexpected or surprising in what you are saying:
Most companies have suffered a drop in their profits, even very large companies.companysufferprofitcompanyIt was quite difficult to see, even with the light on.beHe became quite successful and even appeared on a television show once.becomeappearShe did not even bother to phone us.doHe never even acknowledged my letter.acknowledge2even bigger/better/brighter etcEMPHASIZE used to emphasize that someone or something is bigger, better etc: This will make our job even more difficult.The news was even worse than we expected.beillexpectThe new version is even better than the old one.bewell3EXACTused to add a stronger, more exact word to what you are saying: Some patients become depressed, even suicidal.patientdepress4even so spokenBUT used to introduce something that is true although it is different from something that you have just said: I know he’s only a child, but even so he should have known that what he was doing was wrong.shallknowbedobe5even ifIF used to emphasize that something will still be true if another thing happens: She’s going to have problems finding a job even if she gets her A levels.goproblemfindgetlevel6even thoughALTHOUGH used to emphasize that something is true although something else has happened or is true: Even though he’s 24 now, he’s still like a little child.I can still remember, even though it was so long ago.be7even now/thenDESPITE in spite of what has happened: Even now I find it hard to believe that he lied.lieThey invested in new machinery and equipment, but even then the business was still losing money.investbelose8even asTIME/AT THE SAME TIME used to emphasize that something happens at the same moment as something else: He realized, even as he spoke, that no one would ever believe him.realizespeakwillGrammarEven usually goes before the word or phrase that you want to emphasize because it is surprising: Even young students were aware of how things had changed.studentbethinghavechangeThere is wildlife even in the centre of town.beWith a verb, even goes after the first auxiliary, if there is one: I have even offered to pay for everything.offerHe can’t even spell his own name.Even is not used to introduce another clause. Use even if, even though, or even when: Even if it’s raining (NOT Even it’s raining), we go for a walk every day.rainrainThey feel anxious even when things are going well.thingbego ► You can use still in a main clause after a clause beginning with one of these expressions, but do not use 'but' or 'yet': Even though we’re completely different, we’re still great friends (NOT but/yet we’re great friends).friendfriend
evenadjectiveCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesevenevenerevenesteveneven2 adjective
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: efen 1levelFLAT flat and level, with no parts that are higher than other parts OPP uneven:
The floor must be completely even before we lay the tiles.lietileYou need a flat, even surface to work on.He had lovely white, even teeth.havetooth2not changingSAME an even rate, speed, or temperature is steady and does not change: The room is kept at an even temperature.bekeepWood burns at a fairly even rate.burn3divided equallyEQUAL divided equally, so that there is the same amount of something in each place, for each person etc: Divide the dough into three even amounts.amountan even distribution of wealth4number an even number can be divided exactly by two OPP odd: 2, 4, 6 and 8 are even numbers.benumber5competitionEQUAL having teams or competitors that are equally good so that everyone has a chance of winning: The first half was very even, and neither side scored.bescorean even contest6scores if the score in a game is even, two teams or players have the same number of points: At the end of the first half the score is even.be7be even informalOWE to no longer owe someone something, especially money: If you give me $5, we’ll be even.8calm calm and controlled, and not extreme: He read most of the speech in an even tone.9an even chancePOSSIBLE a situation in which it is just as likely that something will happen as not happen: I think we have an even chance of winning.winWe knew there was an even chance that the operation would fail.knowbewill10get even (with somebody) informalREVENGE to do something unpleasant to someone to punish them for something that they did to you SYN get revenge (on somebody): I’ll get even with him one day.11break even to neither make a profit nor lose money: We’re hoping that we’ll at least break even, and perhaps make a small profit.hopelittle → even-tempered—evennessevennessesevenness noun [uncountable]THESAURUSflat on one level, without any holes or raised areas, and not sloping or curving: a flat roof | a flat screen | Before you lay the tiles, make sure that the ground is completely flat.lietilegrindbelevel not sloping in any direction, so that every part is at the same height: Is the top of this picture level?be | After four hours coming down the mountain, I was glad to be back on level ground.hourcomebegrindsmooth without any holes or raised areas – used especially when saying how something feels when you touch it: her lovely smooth skin | I ran my hand across the animal’s smooth fur.runeven without any holes or raised areas: Apply the paint to an even surface. | Be careful – the path is not very even here.behorizontal going straight across and not sloping: a horizontal line | Raise both arms to a horizontal position.arm
evenverbCollocations from other entriesActivator 1Phrases from other entriesevenevensevenedeveningeveneven3 verbVerb formeven out phrasal verb EQUALif things even out, or if you even them out, the differences between them become smaller SYN level out: The differences in their income should even out over time.differenceshalleven something ↔ outUse a brush to even out the variations in colour.variationeven something ↔ up phrasal verb FAIRto make a situation or competition more equal: We put on a couple of more experienced players to even things up a bit.experienceplayerthingbite
adverbLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: ealmæst, from eall ‘all’ + mæst ‘mostly’ ALMOSTnearly, but not completely or not quite:
Have you almost finished?finishSupper’s almost ready.It was almost midnight.beAlmost nothing was done to improve the situation.bedoThe story is almost certainly true.beHe’s almost as old as I am.bealmost all/every/everythingMarsha visits her son almost every day.visitTHESAURUSalmost not completely or not quite: I’ve almost finished my essay.finish | It's almost lunchtime.nearly almost. Nearly is more commonly used in British English than American English: I’ve been a teacher for nearly 10 years now.beyear | It’s very nearly time to go home.not quite almost, but not yet: ‘Is he 60?’ ‘Not quite!’be | It’s not quite time to go yet. | I’m not quite ready yet.practically/virtually very nearly: The room was practically empty.be | practically all/everything/everyone etc: The frost killed practically every plant in the garden.kill | Virtually everyone had gone home.havegomore or less/just about/pretty much especially spoken very nearly – use this when saying that the difference is not important: All the rooms are more or less the same size.roombelittle | His jacket was pretty much the same colour as his trousers.betrouser | The policy will benefit just about everyone.getting on for British English informal, getting on toward especially American English informal almost a particular time, age, or period of time – used especially when you are not sure of the exact time, age etc: It’s getting on for 10 years since we last saw each other.getyearsee | ‘How old’s Diane?’ ‘She must be getting on toward 50.’getclose to almost a particular number, amount, or time – used especially when the number or amount is surprisingly large or the time is very late: It was close to midnight by the time we arrived.bearrive | They’ve spent close to $1.3 billion on the project.spendapproaching/nearing almost – used when a number or amount is still increasing or a time is getting nearer: The unemployment rate was nearing 20%.benearbe on the verge of (doing) something to be very close to doing something: She was on the verge of tears (=almost crying).betear | I was on the verge of giving up.begive | They were on the verge of making a decision.bemakebe on the brink of something to be very close to an extremely bad situation: The two countries are on the brink of war.countrybe | The company was on the brink of bankruptcy.be
adverbLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: ongean ‘opposite, back’ 1AGAINone more time – used when something has happened or been done before:
Can you say that again? I didn’t hear.I’ll never go there again.Mr Khan’s busy. Can you try again later?lateonce again/yet again (=used to emphasize that something has happened several or many times before)In 1997, the family moved house yet again.moveOnce again, Drew was under arrest.drawbe2AGAINback to the same state or situation that you were in before: She stayed and nursed him back to health again.staynurseIt’s great to have you home again.3all over againAGAIN if you do something all over again, you repeat it from the beginning: I had to write the essay all over again.have4as much/as many/the same againADD the same amount or number as you have just had, said etc: What a fantastic lunch. I could eat the same again.canNearly as many again died from pneumonia.dieThe amount of crime is about half as much again (=the same in addition to half that amount) as it was in 1973.bebe‘Another drink?’ ‘Yes, same again (=the same drink again), please.’5EXPLAIN spoken used to give a fact or opinion that explains or adds to something you have just said: And again, these workshops will benefit the community widely.workshop6then/there again spoken used to introduce an idea or fact that is different from something you have just said, or makes it seem less likely to be true: She says she’s thirty-five. But then again she might be lying.saylie7again and again/time and (time) again/over and over againOFTEN very often – used in order to show disapproval: I’ve told you again and again, don’t do that!tell8spokenREPEAT used when you want someone to repeat information that they have already given you: What did you say your name was again?dobe → now and again at now1(5)
suffix [in adjectives]Language: Old EnglishOrigin: -leas, from leas ‘lacking, false’ 1NOT HAVEwithout something:
I felt powerless.feela childless coupletasteless food2not doing or using something: You’re too careless.It’s perfectly harmless.3not possible to treat or affect in a particular way: on countless occasionsoccasionShe’s tireless.
lessadverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleslesslessless1 S1 W1 /les/
adverb1LESSnot so much or to a smaller degree OPP more: Maybe he would worry less if he understood the situation.willlittleunderstandIn recent years she has appeared in public less frequently.yearhaveappearlittleless (...) thanTickets were less expensive than I had expected.ticketbelittlehaveexpectmuch/a lot/far lessSocial class matters a lot less than it used to.matterlittleusenot ... any the less/no less (=not less)Your second point is no less important.belittleIt’s a common problem but this doesn’t make it any the less disturbing.littledisturbI know he’s done a dreadful thing, but I don’t love him any the less.dolittlebe less a ... than a ... (=be not so much like one thing as another)‘Will you please come with me?’ It was less a request than a command.belittle2less than helpful/honest/enthusiastic etc not at all helpful, honest etc: He was less than enthusiastic about the idea.belittle3less and lessLESS used to say that a quality, situation etc gradually decreases OPP more and more: As the years went by, he seemed to care less and less about his reputation.yeargoseemlittlelittleSmoking in the workplace is becoming less and less acceptable.smokebebecomelittlelittle4much/still lessNOT used to say that a greater thing is even less true, likely, or possible than the thing you have just mentioned: These people can scarcely afford to buy food, still less luxury goods like perfume.littlegoodI didn’t think Dave would ever read a book, much less write one himself.willlittle
lessdeterminerCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entrieslesslessless2 S1 W1 determiner, pronoun1LESSa smaller amount or not as much OPP more: Doctors recommend eating less salt.doctoreatlittlePeople today seem to have less time for each other.littleMost of us got £4 an hour, but some received even less.getreceivelittleless ofThe map covered less of the area than I’d thought.coverlittlethinkFlying is less of a risk than driving.flybelittledriveless (...) thanShe knows less than I do about it.knowlittleless than 10/100 etca distance of less than 100 metreslittlemetremuch/a lot lessIt costs much less to go by bus.costlittleGrammarLess, not 'fewer', should be used before an uncountable noun: Less electricity is used.littlebeuse ► Sometimes people use less before a plural noun, but many people think that this is incorrect, so it is better to use fewer, especially in writing: There are fewer delays (NOT less delays).bedelaylittledelay2EMPHASIZEIMPORTANTno less a)used to emphasize that an amount or number is largeno less thanBy 1977, the USA was importing no less than 45% of its oil.beimportlittle b)used to emphasize that the person or thing you are talking about is important or impressive: Our awards were presented by the mayor, no less.awardbepresentlittleThe message came from no less a person than the prime minister.comelittle3nothing less than somethingEMPHASIZEIMPORTANT used to emphasize how important, serious, or impressive something is: His appearance in the show was nothing less than a sensation.belittle4less and less a decreasing amount of something OPP more and more: They began spending less and less time together.beginspendlittlelittleless and less ofThe band was doing less and less of that kind of music.bedolittlelittle5in less than no timeFAST/QUICKSOON very quickly or very soon: In less than no time they found that they owed over $10,000.littlefindowe6less of something British English spokenSTOP DOING STH used to tell a child to stop doing something: Less of that noise, please!little
lessprepositionCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6Phrases from other entrieslesslessless3 preposition formal COUNT/CALCULATEtaking away or not including a particular amount SYN minus: What is 121 less 36?belittleHe gave us our money back, less the $2 service charge.givelittle
verb (past tense beat, past participle beaten /ˈbiːtn/)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: beatan Verb form1competition/election [transitive]BEAT/DEFEAT to get the most points, votes etc in a game, race, or competition SYN defeat:
Brazil were beaten 2–1.bebeatLabour easily beat the Conservatives in the last election.conservativebeat somebody at/in somethingI beat him more often at pool than he beats me.beatbeat somebody hollow British English beat the pants off somebody American English (=defeat them easily)2hit [transitive]HIT to hit someone or something many times with your hand, a stick etc: photographs of rioters beating a policemanphotographbeatHe was questioned and beaten.bequestionbeatThe woman had been beaten to death by her husband.havebebeatTwo prisoners were beaten unconscious.prisonerbebeatbeat somebody black and blue (=hit someone until it makes marks on their body)beat the living daylights out of somebody (=beat someone very hard)3hit against [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]HIT to hit against something many times or continuouslybeat on/against/at etcWaves beat against the cliffs.wavecliffrain beating on the windowsbeatwindowSid beat on the door with his hand.4do betterBETTER [transitive] to do something better, faster etc than what was best beforebeat a record/score etcThe record set by Kierson in '84 has yet to be beaten.havebeatThe company’s profits are unlikely to beat last year’s £10 million.profitbe5be better [transitive not in progressive] especially spokenBETTER to be much better and more enjoyable than something else: Fresh milk beats powdered milk any time.beatpowderbeat doing something‘Well,’ said Culley, ‘it beats going to the office.’saybeatgoYou can’t beat swimming as a good all-body exercise.swimNothing beats homemade cake.beatyou can’t beat something (for something)For excitement, you just can’t beat college basketball.6food [intransitive and transitive]MIX to mix things together quickly with a fork or special kitchen machine: Beat the eggs, then add the milk.eggbeat something inGradually beat in the sugar.beat something togetherBeat the butter and sugar together until fluffy.7control/deal with [transitive] to successfully deal with a problem that you have been struggling with SYN conquer: advice on how to beat depressionthe government’s long fight to beat inflation8heart [intransitive] when your heart beats, it moves in a regular rhythm as it pumps your blood: The average person’s heart beats 70 times a minute.beattimeJennifer’s heart was beating fast.bebeat9drums [intransitive and transitive] if you beat drums, or if drums beat, they make a regular continuous sound10wings [intransitive and transitive] if a bird beats its wings, or if its wings beat, they move up and down quickly and regularly SYN flap11take some beatingBEAT/DEFEAT if something or someone will take some beating, it will be difficult for anyone or anything to be or do better: Raikkonen has 42 points, which will take some beating.havepointbeatFlorida takes some beating as a vacation destination.takebeat12EARLYavoid [transitive] to avoid situations in which a lot of people are trying to do something, usually by doing something early: We left at four a.m. to beat the traffic.leaveShopping by mail order lets you beat the queues.shopletqueueShop now and beat the Christmas rush!13do before somebody else [transitive] informalLOSE A GAME, COMPETITION, OR WAR to get or do something before someone else, especially if you are both trying to do it firstbeat somebody to somethingJohn had beaten me to the breakfast table.havebeatI wanted the last piece of pie, but somebody beat me to it.wantThey wanted to make it into a film, but another studio beat them to the punch.want14beat about/around the bushDELAY to avoid or delay talking about something embarrassing or unpleasant: Don’t beat around the bush. Ask for your account to be paid, and paid quickly.paypay15beat the systemDISOBEY to find ways of avoiding or breaking the rules of an organization, system etc, in order to achieve what you want: Accountants know a few ways to beat the system.accountantway16beat a path to sb’s door (also beat down sb’s door)GO if people beat a path to your door, they are interested in something you are selling, a service you are providing etc: The new design was supposed to have consumers beating a path to their door.besupposeconsumerbeat17beat a (hasty) retreat to leave somewhere or stop doing something very quickly, in order to avoid a bad situation: He beat a hasty retreat when he spotted me.spot18beat the clock to finish something very quickly, especially before a particular time: The company managed to beat the clock on delivering its new system.managedeliverSPOKEN PHRASES19(it) beats meUNDERSTAND used to say that you do not know something, or cannot understand or explain it: Beats me why he wants such a big car.beatwant‘What’s he saying?’ ‘Beats me.’saybeat20beat it!LEAVE A PLACE used to tell someone to leave at once, because they are annoying you or should not be there21can you beat that/it?SURPRISEDANNOY used to show that you are surprised or annoyed by something: They’ve got eight children! Can you beat that?getchild22beat your brains outTHINK ABOUT to think about something very hard and for a long time: I’ve been beating my brains out all week trying to finish this essay.bebeatbraintry23if you can’t beat 'em, join 'emTAKE PART/BE INVOLVED used when you decide to take part in something even though you disapprove of it, because everyone else is doing it and you cannot stop them24beat the rapAVOID American English informal to avoid being punished for something you have done25beat time to make regular movements or sounds to show the speed at which music should be played: a conductor beating time with his batonbeat26beat a path/track to make a path by walking over an area of land27to beat the bandLOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT American English informal in large amounts or with great force: It’s raining to beat the band.rain28beat the heatCOLD American English informal to make yourself cooler: Fresh lemonade is a great way to beat the heat.be29metal (also beat out) [transitive] to hit metal with a hammer in order to shape it or make it thinner30hunting [intransitive and transitive] to force wild birds and animals out of bushes, long grass etc so that they can be shot for sport31beat your breast literaryUPSET to show clearly that you are very upset or sorry about something → beaten, beatingCOLLOCATIONSadverbseasily beat somebody Jason easily beats me at chess every time we play.beatnarrowly beat somebody (=by only a few points, votes etc) New Zealand narrowly beat the Springboks in South Africa.springbokcomfortably beat somebody (=by more than a few points, votes etc) He comfortably beat the second placed candidate.placesoundly beat somebody (=by a lot of points, votes etc) In each event she soundly beat her opponents.opponentbeat somebody hands down (=beat someone very easily) He should be able to beat them all hands down.shallhandcomprehensively beat somebody (=by a lot of points, votes etc) There’s no point trying to offer excuses as to why we were so comprehensively beaten.tryexcusebebeatconvincingly beat somebody (=in a way that clearly shows somebody deserves to win) Mexico convincingly beat Brazil 2–0.phrasesbeat somebody into second/third etc place He was beaten into second place in the Monaco Grand Prix.bebeatTHESAURUSbeat to get more points, votes etc than someone. Beat is used especially in spoken English: We should have beaten them easily.shallbeat | I always beat my brother at tennis.defeat to beat someone. Defeat is more formal than beat and is used especially in writing: England were defeated by 2 goals to 1.bedefeatgoal | Bush defeated Kerry in the election.defeattrounce /traʊns/ to defeat someone completely in a game: They were trounced 20–0 by Kuwait.betrouncethrash British English informal, cream American English informal to beat someone very easily in a game: Of course, they totally creamed the other team.cream | I hope we thrash them!wipe the floor with somebody informal to beat someone completely in a game or argument: She wiped the floor with her opponent in the debate.wipe | They won a £1,000 prize after wiping the floor with the opposition in a bowling competition.winwipebowlbeat down phrasal verb1if the sun beats down, it shines very brightly and the weather is hot2if the rain beats down, it is raining very hard3beat the door down to hit a door so hard that it falls down4beat somebody down British EnglishCHEAP to persuade someone to reduce a pricebeat somebody down toHe wanted £4,500 for the car, but I beat him down to £3,850.want5beat somebody ↔ down to make someone feel defeated, so they no longer respect themselves: The women seemed beaten down.womanseembeatbeat off phrasal verb1beat somebody/something ↔ offPREVENT to succeed in defeating someone who is attacking, opposing, or competing with you: McConnell beat off a challenge for his Senate seat.2American English informal not polite if a man beats off, he masturbatesbeat somebody/something ↔ out phrasal verb1if a drum or something else beats out a rhythm, or if you beat out a rhythm on a drum, it makes a continuous regular sound2especially American EnglishBEAT/DEFEAT to defeat someone in a competition: Lockheed beat out a rival company to win the contract.beat somebody/something ↔ out forRoberts beat out Tony Gwynn for the Most Valuable Player Award.3STOP STH THAT IS HAPPENINGto put out a fire by hitting it many times with something such as a clothbeat up phrasal verb1beat somebody ↔ upHIT to hurt someone badly by hitting them: Her boyfriend got drunk and beat her up.getdrink2beat up on somebody American EnglishHIT to hit someone and harm them, especially someone younger or weaker than yourself3BLAMEbeat yourself up (also beat up on yourself American English) informal to blame yourself too much for something: If you do your best and you lose, you can’t beat yourself up about it.well
beatnounCollocations from other entriesThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6Word sets 1 2 3Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesbeatbeatsbeatbeat2 S3 nounWord family1[countable]HIT one of a series of regular movements or hitting actions: a heart rate of 80 beats a minutebeatthe steady beat of the drum2[singular]SOUND a regular repeated noise SYN rhythmbeat ofthe beat of marching feetmarchfoot3[countable] the main rhythm that a piece of music or a poem has: a song with a beat you can dance to4[singular] a subject or area of a city that someone is responsible for as their job: journalists covering the Washington beatjournalistcoveron the beatPeople like to see police officers on the beat.officer5[countable] one of the notes in a piece of music that sounds stronger than the other notesTHESAURUSpreparing foodgrate to cut cheese, carrot etc into small pieces by rubbing it against a special tool: Grate the cheese and sprinkle it over the top of the pasta.melt to make butter, chocolate etc become liquid: Melt the butter, chocolate, and 1 teaspoon of cream over a low heat.sieve British English, sift American English to put flour or other powders through a sieve (=tool like a net made of wire, which you use for removing larger grains or pieces): Sift the flour and cocoa before adding to the rest of the mixture.addchop to cut something into pieces, especially using a big knife: Chop up the vegetables.vegetabledice to cut vegetables or meat into small square pieces: Dice the carrots and then fry them in butter.carrotseason to add salt, pepper etc to food: Season the meat before grilling.grillcrush to use a lot of force to break something such as seeds into very small pieces or into a powder: Add one clove of crushed garlic.cleavecrushmix to combine different foods together: Mix together all the ingredients in one bowl.ingredientbeat/whisk to mix food together quickly with a fork or other tool: Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks.whitepeakstir to turn food around with a spoon: Stir the sauce gently to prevent burning.burnfold something in to gently mix another substance into a mixture: Fold in the beaten egg whites.beatwhiteknead to press dough (=a mixture of flour and water) many times with your hands when you are making bread: Knead the dough for ten minutes, until smooth.minutedrizzle to slowly pour a small amount of a liquid onto something: Drizzle with olive oil.let something stand to leave something somewhere, before you do something else with it: Let the mixture stand for a couple of hours so that it cools naturally.hourcoolserve to put different foods together as part of a meal: Serve with rice and a salad. | Serve the aubergines on a bed of lettuce.aubergine
beatadjectiveCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6Phrases from other entriesbeatbeatbeat3 adjective [not before noun] informalTIRED very tired SYN exhausted: I’m beat.Come and sit down – you must be dead beat.THESAURUStired feeling that you want to sleep or rest: I was really tired the next day.betire | the tired faces of the childrentirefacechildexhausted extremely tired: I was exhausted after the long trip home.beexhaust | He sat down, exhausted.sitexhaust | She immediately fell into an exhausted sleep.fallexhaustworn out [not before noun] very tired because you have been working hard: With three small children to care for, she was always worn out.childbewearweary /ˈwɪəri $ ˈwɪr-/ written tired because you have been travelling, worrying, or doing something for a long time: weary travellerstraveller | a weary sigh | He looks tired and weary after 20 years in office.looktireyearfatigued formal very tired: They were too fatigued to continue with the climb.befatigue | Because of her illness, she often became fatigued.becomefatiguedrained [not before noun] very tired and feeling as if all your energy has gone: Afterwards, he felt drained, both physically and mentally.feeldrainbushed/beat [not before noun] informal very tired: I’m bushed. I think I’ll go to bed early. | I’m beat. I don’t think I’ll go for a run tonight.knackered British English, pooped American English [not before noun] informal very tired. Knackered is a very informal use - do not use it in polite conversation: By the time I got home I was absolutely knackered.getbeknackershattered [not before noun] British English informal extremely tired: When I first started teaching, I came home shattered every night.startteachcomeshatterdead spoken extremely tired, so that you cannot do anything but sleep: I was absolutely dead by the time I got home.beget
adjectiveWord familyDate: 1300-1400Language: French
Origin: humain, from Latin humanus 1PERSON/PEOPLEbelonging to or relating to people, especially as opposed to machines or animals:
There are many different cell types in the human body.betypethe power of the human mindThe desire for joy lies deep within the human spirit.lieInfra-red light is invisible to the human eye.betheories of human behaviourtheorydifferent areas of human experiencearearespect for the absolute value of human lifeThe accident was the result of human error.beThe meat was declared unfit for human consumption.bedeclare2NORMALhuman weaknesses, emotions etc are those that are typical of people: He was also a person with very obvious human failings.befailing3somebody is only humanBLAME used to say that someone should not be blamed for what they have done4NORMALSAMEhaving the same feelings and emotions as ordinary people: He’s really not so bad. When you get to know him he seems quite human.seem5a/the human touchFRIENDLY someone, especially someone in authority, who has the human touch deals with people in a kind friendly way and is able to understand their feelings and problems: The president has been accused of lacking the human touch.havebeaccuselack6human interest a quality that makes a story interesting because it is about people’s feelings, lives, relationships etc7the human condition the experiences, emotions, needs etc that all people share, especially considered as a situation from which it is impossible to escape8human chain a line of people: Firefighters formed a human chain to carry the brothers to safety.firefighterformbrother9put a human face on something (also give something a human face) to make an important event or principle understandable to ordinary people by directing their attention to the way it affects a particular person: Anne Frank was the girl whose diary put a human face on the Holocaust.be10capitalism/communism/socialism etc with a human face a capitalist etc economic and political system that does not ignore people’s needsCOLLOCATIONSnounsthe human body The diagram shows all the organs in the human body.showorganthe human mind/brain Distances in space are too great for the human mind to comprehend.distancebethe human spirit Our capacity for forgiveness is a triumph of the human spirit.bethe human eye (=used especially when saying that something cannot be seen by people) These creatures are too small for the human eye to see.creaturebehuman life I firmly believe in the sanctity of all human life.human health Toxic waste is a risk to human health and the environment.behuman behaviour British English, human behavior American English We study the aspects of human behaviour that result from our social upbringing.aspecthuman activity Our research measured the impact of human activity on this particular eco-system.measurehuman relationships Trust is an essential ingredient in all human relationships.berelationshiphuman society In every human society there is a struggle for power.bethe human population The UN estimates that the human population will reach 9.1 billion by 2050.estimatehuman error Investigators concluded that the crash was caused by human error.investigatorconcludebecausehuman needs (=the things people need to have in order to live a normal healthy comfortable life) The islanders meet the universal basic human needs of food and shelter in unexpected ways.islanderneedwayhuman remains (=the body of someone who has died) The police found human remains in the basement.findremainphrasesfor human consumption/habitation (=to be eaten/lived in by people) This meat is not fit for human consumption.be
humannounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Phrases from other entriesCorpus exampleshumanhumanshumanhuman2 W3 (also ˌhuman ˈbeinghuman beingshuman being) noun [countable]Word family PERSON/PEOPLEa personTHESAURUShuman/human being a person: The monkeys show no fear of humans.monkeyhuman | It was thought that the disease could not be passed to human beings.bethinkcanpassbeingthe human race all the people in the world, considered as one group: War and aggression threaten the future of the whole human race.humanity people in general – used especially when you are talking about people’s rights, or their suffering etc: The general was accused of committing crimes against humanity.beaccusecommitcrime | 30% of humanity live in conditions of terrible poverty.conditionmankind/humankind people in general – used especially when talking about their history and development. Some people prefer not to use mankind because it sounds like it does not include women: Travelling into space was a great advance for mankind.travelbe | The greatest threat to humankind is poverty.greatbeman people in general – used especially when you are talking about people compared to nature. Some people prefer not to use man because it sounds like it does not include women: The grandeur of the mountains is a constant reminder of man’s insignificance.mountainbe
verbWord familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: belefan, from lyfan, lefan ‘to allow, believe’ Verb form1BE SURE STH IS TRUE[transitive not in progressive]BELIEVE to be sure that something is true or that someone is telling the truth:
You shouldn’t believe everything you read.I believed him, even though his story sounded unlikely.believesoundbelieve (that)I don’t believe he’s only 25.I don’t believe a word of it (=I think it is completely untrue).2HAVE AN OPINION[transitive not in progressive]BELIEVE to think that something is true or possible, although you are not completely surebelieve (that)Detectives believe that the victim knew his killer.detectiveknowit is believed (that)It is believed that the house was built in 1735.bebelievebebuildbelieve so (=think that something is true)‘Have they arrived yet?’ ‘Yes, I believe so.’arrivebe believed to be somethingAt 115, Mrs Jackson is believed to be the oldest person in the country.bebelieveoldThe four men are widely believed (=believed by a lot of people) to have been killed by their captors.manbebelievebekillcaptorDid you honestly believe that I’d be stupid enough to do that?doI firmly believe that the business will be a success.3it’s difficult/hard to believe (that) used when you are surprised that something is true: Sometimes, it’s hard to believe we’ve been married for 50 years.bemarryyearSPOKEN PHRASES4can’t/don’t believe somethingSURPRISED used when you are very surprised or shocked by something: I can’t believe he’s expecting us to work on Sunday!expectI couldn’t believe it when he told me what had happened.tellhavehappencan hardly/scarcely believe somethingI could scarcely believe my luck.can5believe it or notBELIEVE used when you are saying something that is true but surprising: He enjoys school, believe it or not.enjoy6would you believe it! (also I don’t believe it!)SURPRISED used when you are surprised or angry about something: And then he just walked out. Would you believe it!walkwill7believe (you) meTRUE used to emphasize that something is definitely true: There’ll be trouble when they find out about this, believe you me!8TRUEyou’d better believe it! used to emphasize that something is true9UNTRUEdon’t you believe it! used to emphasize that something is definitely not true10can’t believe your eyes/earsSURPRISED used to say that someone is very surprised by something they see or hear11if you believe that, you’ll believe anythingBELIEVE used to say that something is definitely not true, and that anyone who believes it must be stupid12seeing is believing (also I’ll believe it when I see it)BELIEVE used to say that you will only believe that something happens or exists when you actually see it13RELIGION[intransitive]RELIGION to have a religious faith: She says those who believe will go to heaven.say → make believe at make1(19)THESAURUSto believe somethingbelieve to be sure that something is true or that someone is telling the truth: I believed her when she said that she loved me.believesaylove | Don’t believe anything he tells you.tellaccept to believe that something is true, especially because someone has persuaded you to believe it: His wife accepted his explanation for why he was late.acceptbe | Leah had slowly come to accept her brother’s version of events.haveeventtake sb’s word for it especially spoken to believe what someone says is true, even though you have no proof or experience of it: I don’t know anything about him, so I’ll just have to take your word for it. | You don’t have to take my word for it – go and see for yourself. | ‘Cakes are very easy to make.’ ‘I’ll take your word for it.’cakebegive somebody the benefit of the doubt to believe what someone says, even though you think it might not be true: Unless you have proof, you should give him the benefit of the doubt.shallto believe something that is untruebe taken in (also fall for something informal) to be tricked into believing something that is not true: A lot of people were taken in by these claims.betakeclaim | I can’t believe she fell for that old excuse!fallswallow informal to believe a story or explanation that is not true, especially when this makes you seem silly: His aunt had swallowed his story unquestioningly.haveswallow | Police refused to swallow his story, and put him in a cell.refusebelieve in somebody/something phrasal verb1BELIEVEto be sure that someone or something exists: Do you believe in God?2APPROVEto think that something is effective or right: I don’t believe in these diets.dietbelieve in doing somethingThe school believes in letting children learn at their own pace.believeletchild3BELIEVEto trust someone and be confident that they will be successful: The people want a president they can believe in.Believe in yourself, or you’ll never succeed.
verb (past tense and past participle left /left/)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: læfan Verb form1go away [intransitive and transitive]LEAVE A PLACE to go away from a place or a person:
My baby gets upset when I leave the room.getBefore leaving the train, make sure you have all your belongings with you.leaveLeave the motorway at Junction 7.leave atThe plane leaves at 12.30.leaveleave forI tried calling him, but he’d already left for work.trycallleaveleave (something/somebody) soon/now/later etcIf he left immediately, he’d catch the 7.30 train.leaveleave (something/somebody) to do somethingFrances left work early to meet her mother.leaveleave somebody doing somethingNever leave children playing near water unattended.childplayleave somebody to somethingI’ll leave you to it (=go away and let you continue with what you are doing).My youngest boy has not left my side (=has stayed near me) since his daddy was killed.younghaveleavebekillleave somebody in peace (=go away from someone so that they can think, work etc alone)Just a few more questions, then we’ll leave you in peace.question2stop [intransitive and transitive] if you leave your job, home, school etc, you permanently stop doing that job, living at home etc: Over the past two years, 20 staffers have left.yearstafferleaveleave home/school/college etcHow old were you when you left home (=your parents’ home)?beleaveMy daughter got a job after she left school.getleaveThe lawsuit will be postponed until the president leaves office.postponeleaveleave a job/country/Spain etcMany missionaries were forced to leave the country.missionarybeforceIt seems that Tony has left the band for good (=permanently).seemhaveleaveleave (somebody/something) to do somethingLaura left her native England to live in France.leave3leave somebody/something alone a)INTERFEREto stop annoying or upsetting someone: Oh, just leave me alone, will you?Leave the boy alone, he can make up his own mind. b)to go away from someone so that they are on their own: Six-year-old Gemma had been left alone in the house.havebeleave c)to stop touching something: Leave that alone. You’ll break it. d)(also leave well (enough) alone) to stop being involved in or trying to change a situation: Why can’t they just leave well alone and let us concentrate on teaching?teach4let something/somebody stay [transitive always + adverb/preposition]REMAIN/BE LEFT to make or allow something or someone to stay in a place when you go awayleave something/somebody in/with/behind etcAre you leaving the kids with Grandma on Saturday?beleavekidAs soon as I’d shut the door, I realized I’d left the keys inside.realizeleavekeyDid anybody leave a jacket behind last night?doShe left her son in the care of a friend.leaveleave somebody to do somethingHe left Ruth to find her own way home.leaveStudents were left to their own devices (=left alone and allowed to do whatever they wanted) for long periods.studentbeleavedeviceperiodleave somebody for deadThe girl had been attacked and left for dead.havebeattackleave5not change/move something [transitive]ARRANGE A GROUP OF THINGS OR PEOPLE to let something remain in a particular state, position, or conditionleave something on/off/out etcYou’ve left your lights on.leavelightShe must have left the phone off the hook.leaveleave something open/empty/untidy etcI wish you’d stop leaving the door open.leaveThe trial left many questions unanswered.leavequestionleave a space/gap etcLeave the next two lines blank for the tutor’s comments.linecommentDrivers should always leave room for cyclists.drivershallcyclistleave something doing somethingI’ll just leave the engine running while I go in.runDon’t leave tools lying about.toollieleave something to do somethingLeave the pots to soak overnight.pot6result of accident/illness/event [transitive]CAUSE if an event, accident, illness etc leaves you in a particular condition, you are in that condition because of it: An explosion at a chemical plant has left one worker dead and four injured.haveleaveinjureleave somebody with somethingAlthough the infection cleared up, he was left with a persistent cough.clearbeleaveleave somebody doing somethingThe incident left her feeling confused and hurt.leavefeelconfuseThe announcement has left shareholders nursing huge losses.haveleaveshareholdernurseloss7be left (also have something left)REMAIN/BE LEFT if something is left, it remains after everything else has gone, been taken away, or used: I’ve only got a few dollars left.getdollarleaveThere were a couple of seats left at the back.beseatleaveWe don’t have much time left.leaveHe pointed to what was left of the house (=used when very little is left).pointbeleaveAll that was left was a pile of bones.beleavebebonebe left overAfter we’ve paid the bills, there’s never much left over.paybillleaveThey ate some bread rolls left over from the night before.eatrollleave8letter/message/thing [transitive]PUT to deliver a message, note, package etc for someone or put it somewhere so that they will get it later: She left a message on his answerphone.leaveleave somebody somethingCan you leave me some money for the bus?leave something with somebodyIan left this note with me.leaveleave something for somebodyA guy left these flowers for you.leaveflower9delay [transitive]NOT DO STH to not do something or to do it later than you intended: Leave the dishes. I’ll do them later.dishlateSo much had been left undone.havebeleaveundoleave something until the last minute/until lastIf you leave your preparation until the last minute, you’ll reduce your chances of passing.chancepassI left the best bit until last.leavewellbiteI want to think about it. Can I leave it for now?I’m afraid you’ve left it too late to change your ticket.leaveleave it at that (=used to say that you will not do any more of something, because you have done enough)Let’s leave it at that for today.10let somebody decide/be responsible [transitive]RESPONSIBLE to let someone else decide something or be responsible for somethingleave something to somebodyLeave it to me. I’ll make sure it gets posted.getpostThe choice of specialist subject is left entirely to the students.specialbeleavestudentleave it (up) to somebody to do somethingI’ll leave it up to you to decide.She leaves it to the reader to draw their own conclusions.leaveconclusionleave doing something to somebodyIs it okay if I leave writing the results to you?bewriteresultleave something with somebodyLeave it with me, I’ll fix it for you.He’s not the sort to leave things to chance (=take no action and just wait to see what happens).thingleave somebody with no choice/option (=force someone to take a particular action)You leave me with no choice but to fire you.leave somebody to do something British English: Clive moved to London, leaving Edward to run the Manchester office.moveleave11husband/wife etc [intransitive and transitive] to stop living with or having a relationship with your husband, partner etc: Martha was always threatening to leave, but I never believed her.bethreatenbelieveleave somebody for somebodyMr Rushworth left his partner of 10 years for a younger woman.leaveyearyoung12when you die [transitive] a)to arrange for someone to receive your money, property etc after you die SYN bequeath: Aunt Alice died, leaving almost $5 million.dieleaveleave somebody somethingHugo left me his mother’s ring.leaveIn his will, he had left all his children a small sum of money.haveleavechildleave something to somebody/somethingHave you thought of leaving a gift to charity after you die?thinkleave b)leave a wife/children etc used when someone dies before their wife, children etc: PC Davis leaves a wife and three small children.leavechild13mark [transitive] to make a mark that remains afterwardsleave a mark/stain/scar etcThe wine had left a permanent mark on the tablecloth.haveleaveHe staggered to the door, leaving a trail of blood.staggerleaveMake sure that you don’t leave any footprints.footprint14not eat/drink [transitive]EATDRINK if you leave food or drink that you have been given, you do not eat or drink it: ‘I’m really hungry now.’ ‘That’s because you left half your lunch.’leaveHe rose from the table, leaving his brandy untouched.riseleave15leave somebody/something standing (also leave somebody/something in the dust American English) informalBETTERFAST/QUICK to be much better, quicker, more successful etc than someone or something else: In terms of fitness, he discovered that Kate left him standing.termdiscoverleavestand16leave a lot/something/much to be desiredGOOD ENOUGH to be very unsatisfactory: Inspectors say health and safety procedures at the factory leave a lot to be desired.inspectorproceduredesire17mathematics [transitive] in a sum, to have a particular amount remaining: Three from seven leaves four.leave18leave something aside/to one sideIGNORE to not think about or consider one part of something for a time, so that you can consider another part of it: Leaving aside for a moment the question of expense, what would your view be of the suggested changes?leavewillsuggestchange19leave somebody/something be old-fashioned to not upset, speak to, or annoy someone or to not touch something20leave go/hold of something British English spoken informalHOLD to stop holding something21leave it to somebody (to do something) American English spoken informal used to say that no one should be surprised that someone does something, because it is typical or expected of them: Leave it to you to have the whole day planned out!plan22Elvis/somebody/something has left the building especially American English informal used humorously to emphasize that something is definitely over or that someone has gone and will not return → somebody can take it or leave it at take1(21), → be left holding the baby/bag at hold1(26)THESAURUSto leave a placeleave: Just as I was leaving the house, the phone rang.beleavering | We left early to avoid the traffic.leavego especially spoken to leave somewhere: Come on, boys, it’s time to go.boy | When does the next bus go?doset off especially British English to leave somewhere and begin a journey: The following day we set off for Vienna.followtake off if a plane takes off, it leaves the ground at the beginning of a flight: Our plane took off late because of the fog.takeemigrate to leave your own country in order to live permanently in another country: In 2002, his family emigrated to New Zealand.emigratedepart formal to leave – used especially about trains, buses, planes etc: Coaches depart for the airport every 30 minutes.coachminuteto leave school/college etcleave especially British English to finish studying at school or college, usually at the age or time when people normally finish: When James left school, he worked for a while with his father.leavework | She found it hard to get a job after leaving university.findleavegraduate to successfully finish your studies at a college or university, or at an American high school: Kelly graduated from Harvard with a degree in East Asian Studies.graduatestudy | Approximately 80% of Americans graduate from high school.drop out to leave school, college, or university before your course of study has finished, because you do not want to continue with it: I failed my first year exams and decided to drop out and get a job.failexamdecidequit American English to leave school without finishing your course of study: He quit school at fourteen to work and help support his family.leave your jobleave: I left my last job because the salary was so low.leavebe | Why don’t you just leave?quit to leave your job permanently because you are not happy with it: After enduring months of harassment, Mrs Collins decided to quit her job.enduremonthdecide | I’ve told them I’m quitting.tellquitresign to officially announce that you have decided to leave your job: The company director was forced to resign over the scandal.beforcehand in your notice/resignation to write an official letter to your employer saying that you are going to leave your job on a particular date: You have to hand in your notice at least four weeks before you leave.littleweekretire to leave your job in order to stop working permanently, usually because you have reached the age when most people stop working: After forty years of working for the bank, Karl retired in May.yearworkretire | He had to retire because of ill health.haveleave somebody/something ↔ behind phrasal verb1FORGETto not take someone or something with you when you leave a place: I think I might have left my wallet behind.leaveHe departed for Washington, leaving the children behind with their mother.departleavechild2PROGRESSif a person, country, or organization is left behind, they do not develop as quickly or make as much progress as other people, countries etc: In class, a child with poor eyesight can soon get left behind.leavea fear of being left behind by better-organized rivalsbeleavewellorganizerival3(also leave somebody/something behind you)STAY/NOT LEAVE to permanently stop being involved with a person, place or situation: It’s time to leave the past behind.Although Armstrong overcame the circumstances of his birth, he never really left New Orleans behind.overcomecircumstanceleave4(also leave somebody/something behind you)FAST/QUICK to move away from someone or something: They had left the city behind and were heading into open country.haveleavebeheadSarah, with her long legs, soon left the rest of us far behind.legleave5(also leave something behind you) to produce a thing or situation that remains after you have gone: He drove off, leaving behind him a trail of blue smoke.driveleavethe mess the previous government left behindleaveleave off phrasal verb1STOP DOING STHto stop doing somethingtake up/pick up/continue (something) etc where somebody left off (=continue something that has stopped for a short time)Barry took up the story where Justine had left off.takehaveleaveleave off doing something British English informal: ‘Will you leave off nagging?’ he snarled.nagsnarl2leave somebody/something off (something) to not include something such as someone’s name in a list or other document: Why was her name left off the list?beleaveleave somebody/something ↔ out phrasal verb1INCLUDEto not include someone or something: She outlined the case to him, being careful not to leave anything out.outlinebeleave somebody/something out of somethingKidd has been left out of the team.havebeleave2be/feel left outREJECT/NOT ACCEPT to feel that you are not accepted or welcome in a situation: New fathers often feel left out when baby arrives.fatherleavearrive3leave it out! British English spokenBELIEVE used to tell someone to stop lying, pretending, or being annoying
leavenounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesleaveleavesleaveleave2 S3 W2 noun
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: læf 1holiday [uncountable] time that you are allowed to spend away from your work, especially in the armed forces:
I’ve applied for three days’ leave.applydayon leavenavy officers home on leaveofficerYour basic annual leave is 20 days.beday2maternity/sick/compassionate leave time that you are allowed to spend away from work because you have had a baby, because you are ill, or because of a personal problem such as the death of a relative3leave of absence a period of time that you are allowed to spend away from work for a particular purpose: She’s been given leave of absence to attend a computer course.begive4permission [uncountable] formalLET/ALLOW permission to do something: All this was done entirely without my leave.bedoleave to do somethinga petition for leave to appeal to the European courtgrant/obtain/ask/seek etc leave (to do something)He asked leave to speak to her in private.ask5without so much as a by your leave old-fashionedRUDE/IMPOLITE without asking permission, in a way that seems very rude: He marched into my office without so much as a by your leave.march6take leave of your sensesCRAZY to suddenly start behaving in a strange way: You want to marry him? Have you taken leave of your senses?takesense7take leave of somebody/take your leave formalGOODBYE to say goodbye to someoneCOLLOCATIONSMeanings 1 & 2ADJECTIVES/NOUN + leave annual leave (=an amount of time that you are allowed away from work for holidays etc) Annual leave is 22 days plus public holidays.bedayholidaymaternity leave (=time that a mother is allowed away from work to have and take care of a new baby) Two teachers were off on maternity leave.teacherbepaternity leave (=time that a father is allowed away from work to take care of a new baby) He got five days’ paternity leave.getdayparental leave (=time that a parent is allowed away from work to take care of a child) Parental leave is often unpaid.besick leave (also medical leave American English) (=time that you are allowed away from work because you are ill) The form must be filled in as soon as you return from sick leave.fillcompassionate leave (=time that you are allowed away from work because someone in your family is very ill or has died) Eileen was given compassionate leave to go to the funeral.begivepaid/unpaid leave She took three days unpaid leave in order to help her daughter.takedayhome leave (=time that you are allowed to spend at home from a job that is far away, for example in the army, or from prison) Roberts had failed to return from home leave, and there was a warrant out for his arrest.havefailbeshore leave (=time that a sailor is allowed to spend on land and away from work) Hong Kong was a popular place for shore leave.bespecial leave (=time that you are allowed away from work for a special reason) Some firms grant special leave when you move house.firmstudy leave British English (=time that you are allowed away from work because you are taking a course) The company offers study leave for staff development.offersabbatical leave (=time that a teacher is allowed away from work to study or travel) Headteachers can take sabbatical leave every five years.yearindefinite leave (=leave without a time limit) She has gone on indefinite leave, suffering from exhaustion.havegosuffernounsleave entitlement (=the amount of time that you are allowed to spend away from work on holidays etc) The normal paid leave entitlement is 20 days.paybedayverbshave/get leave How much annual leave do you get?be entitled to leave (=be allowed to have as leave) After five years, employees are entitled to 25 days’ leave.yearemployeebeentitledaygo on leave (=start your time away from work) I’ll get the report to you before you go on leave.take leave (=use the time you are allowed) I don’t think I’ll be able to take any leave in January because we’re too busy.use (up) leave I used all my leave in the summertime.usegive/grant somebody leave He was given compassionate leave.begivecancel sb’s leave (=stop people taking leave) The Police Department cancelled all leave because of the emergency.cancelTHESAURUSvacation especially American English, holiday especially British English time you spend away from school or work: Are you taking a vacation this summer?betake | We met on holiday in Cyprus.meet | What are you doing in the school holidays?bedoholidayholiday a day that is set by law, when no one has to go to work or school: the Thanksgiving holiday | New Year's Day is a national holiday.be | In 2002, there was an extra public holiday to mark the Queen's golden jubilee.be | the August bank holiday (=day when all the banks and shops are closed – used in British English)break a time when you stop working or studying in order to rest, or a short vacation from school: a ten-minute coffee break | Lots of college kids come to the beaches during the spring break.lotkidbeachleave a time when you are allowed not to work: We get four weeks' annual leave (=paid time off work each year).week | He has been taking a lot of sick leave (=time off work because you are ill) recently.havebetake | Angela is on maternity leave (= time off work when having a baby).be | He was given compassionate leave (=time off work because someone close to you has died, is very ill etc) to go to his father's funeral.begivesabbatical [usually singular] a period when someone, especially a teacher, stops doing their usual work in order to study or travel: She was on sabbatical for six months.bemonth | I'm thinking of taking a sabbatical.thinktakefurlough a period of time when a soldier or someone working in another country can return to their own country as a holiday: While on furlough, he and his girlfriend got married.getmarryR & R (rest and relaxation) a holiday, especially one given to people in the army, navy etc after a long period of hard work or during a war: Soldiers in Vietnam were taken to Hawaii for R & R.soldierbetake
noun [countable]Language: Old EnglishOrigin: duru ‘door’ and dor ‘gate’
1 the large flat piece of wood, glass etc that you move when you go into or out of a building, room, vehicle etc, or when you open a cupboard → gate: Could you open the door for me?canThe door flew open and Ruth stormed in.flystormDon’t forget to lock the garage door. → fire door, French doors, revolving door(1), sliding door, stage door, swing door, trapdoor2the space made by an open door SYN doorwayin/out (of)/through the doorRick turned and ran out of the door.turnrunI glanced through the open door.glance3at the doorARRIVE if someone is at the door, they are waiting for you to open the door of a building so they can come inside: There’s somebody at the front door.4out of doorsOUT/OUTSIDE outside SYN outdoors: I prefer working out of doors.workdoor5show/see somebody to the doorGOODBYE to take someone to the main way out of a building: My secretary will show you to the door.6two/three etc doors away/down/upNEAR used to say how many houses or buildings there are between your house, office etc and another buildingtwo/three etc doors away/down/up fromPatrick lived two doors away from me.livedoor7(from) door to door a)TRAVEL especially British English from one place to another: How long is the journey, door to door?be b)going to each house in a street or area to sell something, collect money, or ask for votes: Joe sold vacuum cleaners door to door for years.sellcleaneryear → door-to-door8be on the door to work at the entrance to a theatre, club etc, collecting tickets9shut/close the door on somethingIMPOSSIBLE to make something impossible: The accident shut the door on her ballet career. → at death’s door at death(7), → behind closed doors at closed(5), → get in through the back door at back door(2), → lay something at sb’s door at lay2(19), → open doors (for somebody) at open2(16), → open-door policy, → open the door to something at open2(16), → show somebody the door at show1(20)COLLOCATIONSverbsopen/close/shut the door I opened the door and Dad was standing there.openbestand | Can you close the door as you go out?slam/bang the door (=shut it loudly, usually because you are angry) He strode from the room, slamming the door behind him.strideslamanswer the door (=open it for someone who has knocked or pressed the bell) Lucy ran downstairs to answer the door.runa door leads somewhere (=used to say what place is on the other side of a door) This door leads into the garden.leada door opens/closes/shuts We were still waiting for the train doors to open.bewaitdoora door slams/bangs (shut) (=shuts loudly) I heard the front door slam.heara door flies/bursts open (=opens very suddenly and quickly) Then the door burst open and two men with guns came in.manguncomea door swings open/shut (=moves forward to open or backwards to shut) The door swung shut behind me.swinga door slides open/shut (=moves smoothly to the side or back again) The lift doors slid open and we got in.doorslidegetlock/unlock the door I locked the door and turned out the lights.lockturnlightbolt the door (=slide a metal bar across to fasten it) Once inside, he bolted the door.boltknock on/at the door (=hit it with your hand to make someone open it) Who's that knocking at the door?knockbang/hammer on the door (=hit it very loudly and urgently) A policeman was banging on the door across the road.bebangtap on/at the door (=hit it very gently) I tapped on the door and opened it.tapopenget the door (=open or close it for someone) Could you get the door for me?canADJECTIVES/NOUN + doorthe front/back/side door (=of a house) I heard someone knocking at the front door.hearknock | Use the back door if your boots are muddy.bootbethe main door (=the door into a building that most people use) The main door to the hotel is on Queen Street.bethe kitchen/bedroom/bathroom etc door The kitchen door opened and Jake walked in.openwalkthe cupboard door British English, the closet door AmE: Both the cupboard doors were locked.doorbelockthe fridge/oven door Steam came out as I opened the oven door.comeopena car door She heard a car door slamming.hearslamthe passenger door (=for the person in a car who sits beside the driver) The taxi driver was holding open the passenger door.beholda rear door (=a door at the back of a vehicle) The kids opened the rear doors and climbed in.kidopendoorclimbdoor + NOUNa door handle (=that you move up or down to open a door) Ella reached for the door handle.reacha door knob (=that you turn to open a door) I turned the door knob and went into the room.turngoa door knocker (=a metal object on a door that you use to knock with) There was a brass door knocker in the shape of a lion's head.bea door bell (=that you press to make it ring) Adam walked up the path and rang the door bell.walkringa door key She was looking in her bag for her door key.belook
doorverbCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entriesdoordoorsdooreddooringdoordoor2 verb [transitive]Verb form to hit someone with a car door when they are riding past on a bicycle: I nearly got doored as I went past the flats in Camden Street.getdoorgoflat
noun [countable]1TRY TO DO OR GET STHan act of trying to do something, especially something difficultattempt to do somethingAll attempts to control inflation have failed.attemptfailattempt at (doing) somethingher feeble attempts at humourattemptat the first/second etc attemptShe passed her driving test at the first attempt.passdrive2make no attempt to do something to not try to do something at all: He made no attempt to hide his anger.make3an attempt on sb’s life an occasion when someone tries to kill a famous or important person: She has already survived two attempts on her life.havesurviveattemptCOLLOCATIONSverbsmake an attempt She made several attempts to escape.makeattemptabandon/give up an attempt They had to abandon their attempt to climb the mountain.havefail/succeed in your attempt He failed in his attempt to set a new Olympic record.failfoil/thwart an attempt formal (=make it fail) Troops loyal to the general foiled the assassination attempt.troopfoilan attempt fails/succeeds All attempts to find a cure have failed.attemptfailadjectiveson the first/second etc attempt (also at the first/second etc attempt British English) The car started at the second attempt.starta vain attempt (=one that does not succeed) They worked through the night in a vain attempt to finish on schedule.worka desperate attempt (=that involves a lot of effort) Doctors made a desperate attempt to save his life.doctormakea deliberate/conscious attempt His question was a deliberate attempt to humiliate her.bea serious/genuine attempt This is the first serious attempt to tackle the problem.bean unsuccessful/a successful attempt an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the governmentan abortive attempt formal (=unsuccessful) They made an abortive attempt to keep the company going.makegoa futile attempt (= certain to fail and not worth doing) I jumped up and down in a futile attempt to keep warm.jumpa doomed attempt (=certain to fail, and causing something very bad to happen) His attempt to reach the Pole was doomed from the beginning.bedoombegina brave/bold/gallant/valiant attempt approving (=one that you admire, but that is unsuccessful) The previous government made a brave attempt to tackle the problem.make | She made a valiant attempt to continue playing, but the pain was too much.makeplaybea blatant attempt disapproving (=when someone openly tries to do something bad) It was a blatant attempt to hide the truth.bea final/last attempt They made one final attempt to make their marriage work.makea last-ditch attempt (=a final attempt to achieve something before it is too late) Negotiators are making a last-ditch attempt to save the agreement.negotiatorbemakeNOUN + attempta rescue attempt Two firefighters were hurt in the rescue attempt.firefighterbean assassination attempt (=an attempt to kill a leader) De Gaulle survived an assassination attempt in 1961.survivea suicide attempt (=an attempt to kill yourself) He was admitted to hospital after a suicide attempt.beadmita coup attempt (=an attempt to change the government, usually by force) The US helped to crush the coup attempt.help
attemptverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesattemptattemptsattemptedattemptingattemptattempt2 S2 W2 verb [transitive]Date: 1300-1400Language: Latin
Origin: attemptare, from ad- ‘to’ + temptare ‘to touch, try’ Verb form1TRY TO DO OR GET STHto try to do something, especially something difficultattempt to do something
In this chapter I will attempt to explain what led up to the revolution.leadWeather conditions prevented them from attempting the jump.conditionpreventattempt2attempted murder/suicide/rape etc an act of trying to kill or harm someone, kill yourself etc: He pleaded guilty to attempted murder.pleadattemptTHESAURUStry to take action in order to do something that you may not be able to do: I tried to explain what was wrong.trybe | He tries hard in class, but he’s finding the work difficult.tryfindattempt to try to do something, especially something difficult. Attempt is more formal than try and is used especially in written English: Any prisoner who attempts to escape will be shot.attemptshoot | He was attempting to climb one of the world’s highest mountains.beattempthighmountaindo your best to try as hard as you can to do something: We will do our best to help them.wellmake an effort to do something to try to do something, when you find this difficult: It is worth making an effort to master these skills.bemakeskill | She made a big effort to be nice to him.makestruggle to try very hard to do something that is very difficult, especially for a long time: She’s still struggling to give up smoking.strugglesmoke | Many of these families are struggling to survive.familybestrugglestrive formal to try very hard to achieve something: The company must constantly strive for greater efficiency.greatendeavour British English, endeavor American English /ɪnˈdevə $ -ər/ formal to try hard to do something: Each employee shall endeavour to provide customers with the best service possible.customerwellhave a go/try informal to try to do something, especially when you are not sure that you will succeed: I’m not very good at fixing taps, but I’ll have a go.fixtap | Do you want to have another try?see if you can do something spoken to try to do something – used when offering to do something, or suggesting that someone should do something: I’ll see if I can get you a ticket. | See if you can persuade her to come.
noun (plural children /ˈtʃɪldrən/) [countable]
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: cild
1young personCHILD someone who is not yet an adult SYN kid: The hotel is ideal for families with young children.befamilychildThe film is not suitable for children under 12.bechildI was very happy as a child (=when I was a child).bea child of five/eight etcFor a child of five this was a terrifying experience.beterrifya famous writer of children’s bookschildbookchild victims of warvictim2son/daughterBABY/HAVE A BABY a son or daughter of any age: I have five children, all happily married.childmarryShe lives with her husband, Paul, and three grown-up children.livegrowchildAnnie had always wanted to get married and have children.havewantmarrychildAlex is an only child (=he has no brothers or sisters).beOur youngest child, Sam, has just started university.younghavestarteldest child especially BrE, oldest child especially American Englishthe decision to bring a child into the world (=have a baby)3somebody influenced by an ideaEFFECT/INFLUENCE someone who is very strongly influenced by the ideas and attitudes of a particular period of historychild ofa real child of the sixties4somebody who is like a childEXPERIENCED someone who behaves like a child and is not sensible or responsible – used to show disapproval: She’s such a child!5something is child’s play used to say that something is very easy to do: I’ve cooked for 200 people before now. So, tonight is child’s play by comparison.cookbe6children should be seen and not heardAPPROVE an expression meaning that children should be quiet and not talk – used when you disapprove of the way a child is behaving7be with child old useBABY/HAVE A BABY to be pregnant8be heavy/great with child old useBABY/HAVE A BABY to be nearly ready to give birthCOLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + childa four-year-old/ten-year-old etc child A four-year-old child should not be left on their own.shallleavea young child Young children are naturally curious about the world.childbea small child (=a young one) My family lived in France when I was a small child.livebea newborn child He was holding the newborn child in his arms.beholdarman unborn child (=a baby that is still inside its mother) Smoking can damage your unborn child.smokea spoilt/spoiled child (=allowed to do or have whatever he or she wants, and behaving badly) He’s behaving like a spoilt child.behavespoila gifted child (=extremely intelligent) a special school for gifted childrengiftchilda bright child (=intelligent) He was a bright child – always asking questions.beaskquestiona good/bad child Be a good child and sit down!a naughty child (=doing things that are not allowed) He's behaving like a naughty child.behavean easy/difficult child (=easy or difficult to deal with) Marcus was a very happy, easy child.bea problem child (=very difficult to deal with) Problem children may need to be removed from the classroom.childremovean adopted child (=legally made part of a family that he or she was not born into) I didn’t find out that I was an adopted child until years later.beadoptyearlatestreet children (=living on the streets because they have no homes) The organization aims to help street children in Latin America.aimchildverbsbring up a child especially British English, raise a child especially American English The cost of bringing up a child has risen rapidly.bringhaverisea child is born Most children at born in hospital.childa child grows up One in four children is growing up in poverty.childbegrowchild + NOUNchild abuse (=treating children in a very bad way, especially sexually) He was arrested on suspicion of child abuse.bearrestchild development She’s an expert in child development.child labour British English, child labor American English (=the use of children as workers) The garments were made using child labour.garmentbemakeuseTHESAURUSchild someone who is not yet an adult. You don’t usually use child to talk about babies or teenagers: Many children are scared of the dark.childbescare | He’s just a child.kid informal a child. Kid is the usual word to use in everyday spoken English: We left the kids in the car.leavekidlittle boy/little girl a young male or female child: I lived there when I was a little girl.livebe | Little boys love dinosaurs.boydinosaurteenager someone between the ages of 13 and 19: There’s not much for teenagers to do around here.teenageradolescent a young person who is developing into an adult – used especially when talking about the problems these people have: He changed from a cheerful child to a confused adolescent.changeconfuseyouth especially disapproving a teenage boy – especially one who is violent and commits crimes: He was attacked by a gang of youths.beattackyouth | a youth courtyoungster a child or young person – used especially by old people: You youngsters have got your whole life ahead of you.youngsterget | He’s a bright youngster with a good sense of humour.minor law someone who is not yet legally an adult: It is illegal to sell alcohol to a minor.be
determiner, pronoun1at least a)LIMITnot less than a particular number or amount: It will take you at least 20 minutes to get there.littleminuteHe had at least £100,000 in savings.havelittlesavingat the (very) least (=not less than and probably much more than)It would cost $1 million at the very least.willlittle b)GOOD POINT OR CHARACTERISTICeven if something better is not true or is not done: At least he didn’t lie to me.littleI don’t expect you to pay me, but you could at least cover my expenses.canlittleexpenseThe house still needed a lot of work, but at least the kitchen was finished.needlittlebefinish c)BUTused when you are correcting or changing something that you have just said: They all knew I was on their side. At least, that’s what they said.knowbelittlesayI made everything perfectly clear – or at least I thought I did.makelittlethinkdo2 at the (very) least used when mentioning the least extreme thing that happens, is needed etc: Computer viruses are at the very least annoying and often actually destructive.virusbelittleannoy3LEASTthe least a)the smallest amount: Women work in those sectors of the job market which pay the least.womansectorlittleWhich method causes the least damage to the environment?causelittle b)used to emphasize how small something is, especially when it hardly exists at all: I haven’t the least idea what you are talking about.littlebetalkHe used to wake at the least noise.uselittle c)used when you are saying what someone should do in a situation, and suggesting that they should really do more: The least you could do is give me her phone number.littlecanbenumbThe least they could have given her is some money towards the rent.littlecangiveberend4not the least/not in the least/not the least bitNOT none at all, or not at all: I tried to convince them, but they weren’t the least interested.trylittleinterestI’m not in the least afraid of you any more.littleHis voice was alert, not the least bit sleepy.belittlebite5to say the leastEMPHASIZE used to show that something is worse or more serious than you are actually saying: His teaching methods were strange, to say the least.teachmethodbelittle6the least of sb’s worries/problems/troubles/concernsWORRIED something that someone is not worried about because there are other more important problems: What I looked like was the least of my problems.lookbelittleproblem7it’s the least I can do spoken used to say that you are very willing to do something or to reply to someone’s thanks: I’ll look after them – it’s the least I can do.little → last but not least at last2(3)
leastadverbCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesleastleastleast2 adverb1LESSless than anything or anyone else OPP most: The journey would impose extra expense on those least able to afford it.willlittleIt is quite amazing what turns up when you are least expecting it.beamazeturnbelittleexpectHe’s my least favourite member of staff.little2least of all especially not a particular person or thing: She hardly ever lost her temper – least of all with Anne.loselittle3not least formal used to emphasize that something is important: My mother was upset about his appearance here, not least because she felt it was invading her privacy.belittlefeelbeinvade
noun
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: cuppe, from Late Latin cuppa, from Latin cupa ‘barrel’
1for drinking [countable] a small round container, usually with a handle, that you use to drink tea, coffee etc → saucer: Mathew picked up the cup and sipped his coffee.picksipShe put her cup and saucer down on the table.tea/coffee cupHelen took the coffee cups into the kitchen.takecuppaper/plastic/china etc cupThey drank cheap wine from plastic cups.drinkcup2drink [countable] the liquid contained inside a cupcup ofLet’s go and have a cup of coffee.Will you stay for a cup of tea?Would you like another cup?will3amount of liquid/food [countable] a)a unit used in the US for measuring food or liquid in cooking, equal to eight fluid ounces or 237 millilitres: Mix the butter with one cup of powdered sugar until light and fluffy.powder b)(also cupful /ˈkʌpfʊl/) the amount of liquid or food that a cup can hold: Breakfast consisted of half a cup of milk and a dry biscuit.consist4sport competition a)[countable]WIN a specially shaped silver container, often with two handles, that is given as a prize in a competition, especially a sports competition: The president of the club came to present the cup to the winners.comewinner b)[singular] a sports competition in which a cup is given as a prize: They’ve won the European Cup twice.winGermany’s World Cup team5round thing [countable] something round and hollow that is shaped like a cup: The flowers’ white petals contrast handsomely with their lemon-yellow cups.flowerpetalcupacorn cupscupcup ofShe held it in the cup of her hand.hold6golf [countable] American English a hole in the ground that you have to try to hit the ball into in the game of golf7clothing [countable] a)the part of a bra that covers a woman’s breast b)American English a jockstrap8alcohol [uncountable and countable] British English a mixed alcoholic drink: He’s gone to get me some fruit cup.go9not be your cup of tea spokenDON'T LIKE to not be the type of thing that you like: Jazz just isn’t my cup of tea – I prefer classical music.10in your cups British English old-fashionedDRUNK drunk, or when drunk: By the time Anthony arrived, Richard was already deep in his cups.arrivebecup → eggcupCOLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + cup full The cup was full of hot tea.beempty A girl was clearing away the empty cups.beclearcupa paper/plastic/china cup (=one made of paper etc) All they had to drink was warm beer in plastic cups.havebecupa coffee cup He picked up the coffee cups and took them into the kitchen.pickcuptakea tea cup (also teacup) Mum put a tea cup and saucer on the table.verbsfill a cup Angie filled the cup and handed it to him.fillhanddrain/empty a cup (=drink all the coffee, tea etc in it) He lifted his cup of coffee and drained it.liftdrainphrasesa cup and saucer Do you prefer a mug or a cup and saucer?a set of cups a set of beautiful blue coffee cupscup
cupverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplescupcupscuppedcuppingcupcup2 verb (past tense and past participle cupped, present participle cupping) [transitive]Verb form1HOLDto hold something in your hands, so that your hands form part of a circle around it: He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.cuphandkissLuke was sitting at his desk, one hand cupping his chin.besitcup2cup your hand(s) to make a shape like a cup with your hand or hands: He struck a match and cupped his hand around the flame.strikecup
adverb, preposition, adjective
1to a lower positionDOWN to or towards a lower place or position OPP up: David bent down to tie his shoelace.bendGet down off the table.Tears were streaming down my face.tearbestreamThe sun was going down and it would soon be dark.begowillThey came running down the stairs.comerunstairShe stood on a balcony looking down into the courtyard.standlookGlancing down the list of runners, I noticed a familiar name.glancerunnernoticeHer hair came down to her waist.comeKen fell asleep face down (=with his face towards the ground) on the couch.fall2UNDER/BELOWin a lower place in a lower place or position OPP up: We heard the sound of laughter down below.hearThe bathroom is down those stairs.bestairHalfway down the page, there was the item I was looking for.bebelook3LIE DOWNto lie/sit into a sitting or lying position: Please sit down.I think I’ll go and lie down for a while.4NEXT TOalong at or to a place that is further along something such as a road or path: A young man came hurrying down the street.comehurryShe looked down the road to see if anyone was coming.lookbecomeThere is a pleasant little cafe bar a hundred yards down the road.beyardThe bus stop is a bit further down on the left-hand side.bebitefarleave5DOWNsouth in or towards the south OPP up: They drove all the way down from Boston to Miami.driveThey sailed down the east coast of Africa.sailNow he’s bought a villa down south.buya trip down Mexico way6somewhere local at or to a place that is not far away: She’s just gone down to the shops.goshopI saw her down at the station this morning.see7river away from the place where a river starts OPP up: Chunks of ice came floating down the river.chunkcomefloat8TIGHTfastened to a surface used with verbs that mean ‘fasten’ to show that something is fastened firmly to the surface or object below it: The coffin lid had been nailed down.havebenail9LESSless at or towards a level or amount that is less OPP up: Keep your speed down.House prices have come down in recent months.pricemonthTurn the radio down.down toSharif cut his report down to only three pages.page10IN A GAMElosing losing to an opponent by a certain number of pointstwo goals down/three points down etcSwindon were six points down at one stage.bepoint11writtenWRITE used with verbs that mean ‘write’ to show that you write something on paper or in a book: I’ll write down the address for you.Start by jotting down a few ideas.jotideaLet’s put you down as self-employed.employ12LISTon a list if you are down for something, your name is on a list of people who want to do something or are intended to do somethingdown forPurvis is down for the 200 metre freestyle event.beWe’ve already put his name down for nursery school.down to do somethingI’ve got you down to do the table decorations.getdecoration13FAMILYto later times from an earlier time in history to a later time or to people who are born in later times: a person whose words and actions have inspired millions of people down the centurieswordactioninspirecenturyThis knowledge was handed down in the family from father to son.behandThe story has been passed down the generations for a thousand years.havebepassgenerationyeardown totraditions that have come down to us from medieval timestraditiontime14paid immediately paid to someone immediately: A top quality freezer for only £20 down and £5 a week for a year.15DOWNevery part from top to bottom: I want you to wash my car down.16swallowed in or into your stomach as a result of swallowing: Meg’s been very ill and can’t keep her food down.beHe gulped down the coffee.gulp17SADSAD/UNHAPPYsad unhappy or sad: Tim’s been feeling down.befeel18COMPUTERcomputer if a computer is down, it is not working OPP up19be down to somebodyRESPONSIBLE if an action or decision is down to you, it is your responsibility: It’s down to me to make sure that everyone is happy.be → be down on your luck at luck1(17)
downverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesdowndownsdowneddowningdowndown2 verb [transitive]Sense 1-2:Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old Norse
Origin: dúnnSense 3, 5:
Date: 1800-1900
Origin: → DOWN2Sense 4:
Language: Old English
Origin: dun ‘hill’ Verb form1EATto drink or eat something quickly:
He downed the coffee in one gulp.down2HITto knock or force someone to the ground: O'Malley downed his opponent in the first round.down3down tools British English to stop working, especially because you are taking part in a strike (=protest about pay or conditions by stopping work)
downnounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesdowndownsdowndown3 noun1[uncountable] soft hair like a baby’s2[uncountable] the soft fine feathers of a bird3[countable] one of the four chances that an American football team has to move forward when it is their turn to have the ball4the downs low round hills covered with grass, as in the south of England5have a down on somebodyDISAPPROVE British English informal to dislike or have a bad opinion of someone: For some reason, Malcolm had a down on the whole teaching profession.haveteach → ups and downs at up2(1)
verb [transitive]
Date: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: allouer, from Medieval Latin allocare ( → ALLOCATE) and from Latin adlaudare, from ad- ‘to’ + laudare ‘to praise’ Verb form1LET/ALLOWcan do something to let someone do or have something, or let something happen SYN permitallow somebody/something to do something
My parents wouldn’t allow me to go to the party.parentWomen are not allowed to enter the mosque.womanbeallowDon’t allow your problems to dominate your life.problemallow somebody somethingPassengers are allowed one item of hand luggage each.passengerbeallowHow much time are we allowed?beallowallow somebody in/out/up etcI don’t allow the cat in the bedroom.The audience is not allowed backstage.beallowsomething is (not) allowed (=something is or is not officially permitted)Are dictionaries allowed in the exam?bedictionaryallowWe don’t allow diving in the pool.dive2LET/ALLOWmake something possible to make it possible for something to happen or for someone to do something, especially something helpful or useful SYN permit: This adjustment of the figures allows a fairer comparison.figureallowfairallow forOur new system will allow for more efficient use of resources.resourceallow somebody to do somethingA 24-hour ceasefire allowed the two armies to reach an agreement.allowarmyallow somebody somethinga seat belt that allows the driver greater freedom of movementallowgreat3ENOUGHhave enough of something to be sure that you have enough time, money, food etc available for a particular purposeallow somebody somethingAllow yourselves plenty of time to get to the airport.allow something for somebody/somethingI’ve allowed half a bottle of wine for each person.allow4LET/ALLOWcorrect/permitted formal to accept that something is correct or true, or that something is acceptable according to the rules or lawallow thatI allow that there may have been a mistake.beThe judge allowed the evidence.allow5allow me formal used as a polite way of offering to help someone do something: ‘Allow me,’ the waiter said, opening the door.sayopen →, forbid(1)THESAURUSallow to say that someone can do something – used about parents, teachers, or people in authority: They don’t allow students to chew gum in the classroom.student | I’m not allowed to stay out after ten o'clock.allowlet [not in passive] to allow someone to do something. Let is not used in the passive, and is much more commonly used in everyday English than allow: Will your Mum let you come to the party? | I’ll borrow John’s bicycle, if he’ll let me.permit formal if something is permitted, it is allowed according to the rules - used especially on written notices and announcements: Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the building.smokebepermitbuildgive somebody permission used when someone in an important official position decides to allow someone to do something: He was given special permission to leave school early.begive | The Home Office has given him permission to stay in Britain indefinitely.havegivegive your consent to say that you will allow someone to do something that will affect you personally, or a member of your family, when you have a legal right to say ‘no’: Her parents have given their consent to the marriage.parentgive | You can’t build on someone’s land without the owner’s consent.give something the go-ahead to officially allow a planned project or activity to happen: The government finally gave the go-ahead for a new terminal at Heathrow airport.give | A new nuclear plant has been given the go-ahead.havebegiveauthorize to officially or legally allow someone to do something - used about laws or people: The UN resolution would authorize the use of force.will | I never authorized them to give information about me to other banks.authorizebankentitle to give someone the right to do or have something: The pass entitles you to travel on any bus, at any time, in Norwich.entitle | If the goods are faulty, the customer is entitled to a refund.goodbebeentitlesanction formal to give official approval and support for something: The Truman administration refused to sanction a military attack.refuse | The advertisements were sanctioned by the candidate himself.advertisementbesanctionallow for somebody/something phrasal verb PREPAREto consider the possible facts, problems, costs etc involved in something when making a plan, calculation, or judgment: Allowing for inflation, the cost of the project will be $2 million.allowYou should always allow for the possibility that it might rain.shallallow of something phrasal verb formal to make it possible for something to happen or be accepted: The facts allow of only one interpretation.fact
noun (plural histories)
Word familyDate: 1400-1500Language: Latin
Origin: historia, from Greek, from histor ‘knowing, learned’ 1past events [uncountable] all the things that happened in the past, especially the political, social, or economic development of a nation:
Throughout history the achievements of women have been largely ignored.achievementwomanbeignorehistory ofthe post-war history of EuropeNo man in recent history has done more to rebuild the Democratic Party.havedothe early history of ScotlandOther meteor storms have occurred in recorded history.stormoccurrecorda museum devoted to local historydevoteone of the darkest episodes in American historydarkepisodean interesting period in Egyptian historyinteresta decision that changed the course of historychangea college steeped in historysteepHistory shows that the usual response to violent protest is repression.showbe2development of something [singular, uncountable] the events that took place from the beginning and during the development of a particular place, activity, institution etchistory ofthe worst disaster in the history of space travelilllong/brief/75-year etc historyThe 1970s were the most successful in the theater’s long history.be3subject [uncountable] the study of past events as a subject in school or universityEuropean/art/economic etc historya degree in European historyancient/modern historya history lesson4account [countable] an account of past eventshistory ofa history of World War IIa potted history (=very short) of Gielgud’s life (BrE)pot5past life [uncountable and countable]PAST a record of something that has affected someone or been done by them in the pastmedical/employment/career etc historyYour doctor will ask for your medical history.history ofIs there any history of heart disease in your family?beThe defendant had a history of violent assaults on women.haveassaultwoman6make historyIMPORTANT to do something important that will be recorded and remembered: Lindbergh made history when he flew across the Atlantic.makefly7something will go down in historyIMPORTANT used to say that something is important enough to be remembered and recorded: This day will go down in history as the start of a new era in South Africa.8history repeats itselfHAPPEN used to say that things often happen in the same way as they did before9the history books the record of past events: Mozart’s genius earned him a place in the history books.earnbook10... and the rest is history informalKNOW STH used to say that everyone knows the rest of a story you have been telling11that’s (past/ancient) history spoken informalUNIMPORTANT used to say that something is not important any more → natural history, case historyCOLLOCATIONSMeanings 1 & 2adjectives recent/modern/contemporary history The country’s recent history is powerfully told in this film.betellearly/ancient history He had studied ancient Roman history.havestudyrecorded history (=history since people have written things down) These were the worst floods in recorded history.beillfloodrecordlocal history (=the history of events in a particular local area) The building is now a museum of local history.buildbeAmerican/Chinese/British etc history It was one of the worst peacetime disasters in American history.beilldisasterhuman history (=the history of people rather than the world itself) World War I was the most destructive war in human history up to that time.bepolitical/social etc history the political history of Germanyoral history (=history that is told by speaking and that often consists of personal memories) Smith recorded the conversation for oral history.recordrich history (=an interesting and important history) Greece has a very rich history.havelong history The 1970s were the most successful in the theatre's long history.beverbshistory shows/tells (that) History shows that the usual response to violent protests is repression.showprotestbego down in history (=be remembered for many years) She will go down in history as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.greatplayermake history (=do something important that will be recorded and remembered) Ordinary Berliners made history when they tore down the wall.maketearrewrite history (=change what we believe are the facts about the past) They're trying to rewrite history to exaggerate their role in the war.trytrace the history of something (=find out what the history of something is) James traces the history of modern cricket back to its beginnings in the late 1700s.tracebeginningshape history (=influence events that are recorded) He is one of the politicians who shaped 20th century history.bepoliticianshapephrasesa period of/in history a glorious period in English historythe first time in history (=the first time something has ever happened) For the first time in history, an American president resigned his office.resignchange the course of history (=do something that has many important effects) Roosevelt and Churchill helped to change the course of history.helpbe steeped in history (=be closely connected with important events in history) Cambridge is steeped in history and tradition.besteepconsign something to the dustbin of history (=to forget about something that existed in the past – used especially when saying that you will feel glad when people have got rid of something) One day nuclear weapons will be consigned to the dustbin of history.weaponconsign
noun
Word familyDate: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: Latin effectus, past participle of efficere ‘to cause to happen’ 1change/result [uncountable and countable]RESULT a change that is caused by an event, action etceffect on
My parents’ divorce had a big effect on me.parenthaveeffect ofthe harmful effects of modern farming practiceseffectfarmpracticethe long-term effects of the drugeffectI could feel the effects of the thin mountain air.caneffectThis ingredient also has the effect of making your skin look younger.havemakeyoungA system failure has a knock-on effect throughout the whole hotel.havethe cumulative effect of human activities on the global environmentactivityA much lower dose of the painkiller can still produce the desired effect.lowdesireIn mental illness, there is a complex relationship between cause and effect.be → greenhouse effect, side effect ► Do not confuse with the verb affect (=to have an effect on something).2put/bring something into effectEFFECT/INFLUENCE to make a plan or idea happen: It won’t be easy to put the changes into effect.winchange3take effect to start to produce results: The morphine was starting to take effect and the pain eased.bestartease4law/rule a)take effect/come into effect if a law, rule, or system takes effect or comes into effect, it officially starts b)be in effect if a law, rule, or system is in effect, it is being used now5with immediate effect/with effect fromSTART TO HAPPEN, EXIST ETC formal starting to happen immediately, or from a particular date: Hoskins is appointed manager, with immediate effect.beappoint6in effectIN FACT used when you are describing what you see as the real facts of a situation SYN effectively: In effect, we’ll be earning less than we were last year.earnlittlebe7to good/great/no etc effectEFFECTIVE used to show how successful an action is: We tried to wake him, but to no effect.try8to this/that/the effectMEANING used when you are giving the general meaning of something, rather than the exact words: Jim told me to go away, or words to that effect.tellwordThe letter said something to the effect that she was no longer needed.saybelongneed9idea/feeling [countable usually singular]SEEM an idea or feeling that an artist, speaker, book etc tries to make you think of or to feel SYN impressioneffect ofTurner’s paintings give an effect of light.painting10for effect if someone does something for effect, they do it in order to make people notice: She paused for effect, then carried on speaking.pausecarryspeak11personal possessions effects [plural] formalOWN the things that someone owns SYN belongings: Don’s few personal effects were in a suitcase under the bed.effectbe12film [countable usually plural] an unusual or impressive sound or image that is artificially produced for a film, play, or radio programme → sound effects, special effectCOLLOCATIONSverbshave an effect on something/somebody Eating junk food will eventually have an effect on your health.eathave the effect of doing something The news had the effect of making everyone feel better.havemakewellproduce an effect formal If we combine these sounds, they produce an effect that is almost jazzy.soundbefeel an effect (=notice it) Small companies will feel the effect of the recession first.companylessen/reduce an effect (=make an effect smaller or less severe) The government must take action to reduce the effects of pollution.effectcushion the effect of something (=make it less bad) Lower mortgage rates will cushion the effect of rising house prices.lowraterisepricean effect lasts (=continues) The effect of the drug lasts about six hours.lasthouran effect wears off (=gradually stops) The effect of the anaesthetic was beginning to wear off.bebeginadjectivesbig/major The teachers’ strike had a big effect on many schools.teacherhaveschoolsignificant/substantial/marked (=quite big) Global warming could have a significant effect on agriculture in many parts of the world.warmcanpartprofound/powerful (=very big, in a way that changes someone or something significantly ) My father’s death had a profound effect on me.havedramatic (=very big and sudden) Taking the new drug had a dramatic effect on his health.takehavesmall The drugs have a relatively small effect on a lot of patients.drugpatientnegligible/minimal formal (=very small) The advertising campaign had a negligible effect on demand.advertisehaveimmediate (=quick and sudden) The announcement had an immediate effect on stock prices.havepricegood Inflation can sometimes have some good effects on the economy.effectpositive/beneficial (=good, or helping someone or something in some way) The incident had a very positive effect on his career.havebad Working too hard was beginning to have a bad effect on my health.workbebeginnegative/detrimental (=bad or harmful) the negative effects of low rainfalleffectharmful/damaging (=causing harm or damage to something or someone) the harmful effects of drinking too much alcoholeffectdrink | Some of the effects can be quite damaging.effectdamagevisible/noticeable (=an effect that you can clearly see) He drank five beers, but they did not seem to have any visible effect on him.drinkbeerdothe adverse effects formal (=the bad effects) No one told them about the adverse effects of smoking marijuana.telleffectsmokethe long-term/short-term effect (=having an effect for a long or short time) Many boxers suffer with the long-term effects of punches to the head.boxereffectpuncha knock-on effect (=an effect that is caused by something that has happened before) The strike could have a knock-on effect at other airports.canairporta cumulative effect (=the effect of many things happening one after the other) The cumulative effect of these policies will be to push up inflation.policythe desired effect (=the effect you want) His team talk had the desired effect because the team went on to win the game.havedesiregothe full effect (=the whole effect) We won’t know the full effect of the tax changes until the end of the financial year.winchangea calming/soothing effect (=one that makes you feel less angry, excited, or nervous) His words seemed to have a calming effect on the crowd.wordseemcalmTHESAURUSeffect a change that is caused by an event, action etc: The people in this area are still suffering from the effects of the famine.besuffereffect | The treatment had little or no effect.haveimpact an effect that happens as a result of something important, especially a big and permanent effect: Changes in technology have had a massive impact on the way we work.changehave | the environmental impact of industrial activityinfluence the effect that something has on people’s opinions or behaviour, or on how something develops: American television has had a big influence on popular culture in the west.havehave | His ideas had a lot of influence at the time.ideahaveside effect an unwanted and unplanned effect that something has – used especially about drugs and medical treatment: Common side effects of the drug may include headaches and muscle pains.effectheadachepainafter-effects British English, aftereffects American English bad effects that continue for a long time after the thing that caused them: A traumatic experience can have severe psychological after-effects.effect | the after-effects of the wareffectrepercussions /ˌriːpəˈkʌʃəns $ -pər-// the effects that happen later as a result of an event or decision, especially a range of effects that continue for a long time: The scandal could have serious repercussions for her career.canrepercussion | The judge’s decision is likely to have important repercussions for future cases of this kind.berepercussioncasea knock-on effect British English used when something has an effect on something, which then has an effect on something else: Higher oil prices have a knock-on effect on other fuels.highpricefuelfootprint the effect that human activities have on the environment, caused by using up its natural resources, pollution, waste etc: Businesses all over the world must attempt to reduce their environmental footprint.business | The house has a low carbon footprint (=it uses very little energy from carbon and therefore is good for the environment).have
effectverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from other entriesCorpus exampleseffecteffectseffectedeffectingeffecteffect2 verb [transitive]Word familyVerb form formalCAUSE to make something happen SYN bring about: Many parents lack confidence in their ability to effect change in their children’s behaviour.parentchild ► Do not confuse with the verb affect (=to have an effect on something).
verbWord familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: helpan Verb form1[intransitive and transitive]HELP to make it possible or easier for someone to do something by doing part of their work or by giving them something they need:
If there’s anything I can do to help, just give me a call.help somebody (to) do somethingI helped her to carry her cases up the stairs.helpcasestairShe helped him choose some new clothes.helpclotheherbal products that help you to relax and sleepproducthelp (to) do somethingShe was coming to help clean the machines.becomemachinehelp somebody with somethingCan I help you with the washing up?washMy father said he’s going to help me with the fees.saygofeehelp somebody on/off with something (=help someone put on or take off a piece of clothing)Here, let me help you on with your coat.help somebody somewhere (=help someone get to a particular place, especially because they are old, ill, or hurt)She helped the old man across the road.help2[intransitive and transitive]IMPROVE to make a situation better, easier, or less painful: Crying won’t help.crywinIf you get rid of your car you could be helping the environment.canhelpIt helps my concentration if I listen to music while I’m working.helpworkIt helped a lot to know that someone understood how I felt.helpunderstandfeelEight hours of deep sleep helped enormously.hourhelp3help yourself (to something) a)to take some of what you want, without asking permission – used especially when offering food to someone: Please help yourself to some cake. b)STEAL informal to steal something: Obviously he had been helping himself to the money.havebehelp4help! spokenHELP used to call people and ask them to help you when you are in danger5somebody can’t help (doing) something (also somebody can’t help but do something) used to say that someone is unable to change their behaviour or feelings, or to prevent themselves from doing something: She couldn’t help it if she was being irrational.bebe‘Stop biting your nails.’ ‘I can’t help it.’bitenailI can’t help the way I feel about you.Lee could not help but agree with her.cansomebody can’t help feeling/thinking/wondering etc somethingI can’t help feeling that there has been a mistake.feelhavebeI couldn’t help thinking about the past.think6CONTROLI couldn’t help myself/she couldn’t help herself etc to be unable to stop yourself from doing something you should not do: She knew she sounded just like her mother but she couldn’t help herself.knowsound7it can’t be helped spokenCAN'T used to say that there is nothing you can do to change a bad situation: She said she had to leave him for a while; it couldn’t be helped.sayhavehelp8somebody is helping the police with their enquiries British English the police are interviewing someone about a crime, especially because they believe that this person may have committed the crime9a helping handHELPSUPPORT A PERSON, GROUP, OR PLAN help and supportgive/lend/offer etc somebody a helping handShe’s been giving me a helping hand with the children.begivehelpchild10not if I can help it spokenNOT DO STH used to say that you are not going to do something: ‘Are you going to watch the school play?’ ‘Not if I can help it.’bego11God help him/them etc spokenSERIOUS SITUATION used to say that something bad may happen to someone: ‘Good luck.’ ‘God help me. I think I’m going to need it.’go12so help me (God)PROMISE used when making a serious promise, especially in a court of lawTHESAURUShelp to make it easier for someone to do something, by doing something for them or giving them something they need: Is there anything I can do to help?be | Dad, I can’t do my homework. Will you help me?assist formal to help someone: He was employed to assist the manager in his duties.beemployduty | Some of the guests assisted with the preparation of the food.guestassistaid formal to help someone to do something – used especially when saying that something helps your body to do something: Coffee can aid concentration. | Fennel aids the digestion.aid | There are plenty of materials to aid the teacher.bematerialhelp out to help someone, especially because there are not enough people to do all the work, or they need someone to give them something: Organizing the school trip will be a lot of work, so I need some volunteers to help out.organizevolunteer | My parents have helped us out on several occasions by sending us money.parenthelpoccasionsendgive somebody a hand informal to help someone to do something, especially by carrying or lifting things: Can you give me a hand moving these boxes?movebox | Dave wants to paint the kitchen and I promised I’d give him a hand.wantpromiselend a hand informal to help someone, especially when there are not enough people to do something: Scott is moving on Saturday and we promised to lend a hand.bemovepromise | I went over to see if I could lend a hand.gocanhelp something ↔ along phrasal verb to make a process or activity happen more quickly or easily: She asked a few questions to help the conversation along.askquestionhelp out phrasal verb HELPto help someone because they are busy or have problems: Do you need anyone to help out in the shop?help somebody ↔ out (with something)I helped her out when Stella became ill.helpbecomeShe was helping him out with his mortgage repayments.behelprepayment
helpnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleshelphelpshelphelp2 S1 W1 nounWord family1[uncountable]HELP things you do to make it easier or possible for someone to do something: Thank you for all your help.help with something/with doing somethingDo you want any help with the washing up?washhelp to do somethingI could do with some help to bring the bags in from the car.canbaghelp (in) doing somethingHe asked for my help in getting an interview with her.askgetwith the help of somebody/with sb’s helpWe manage, with the help of a nurse who comes daily.come2[singular, uncountable]HELP if someone or something is a help to you, they are useful and make it easier for you to do something: That map isn’t much help.with the help of somethingI managed to make myself understood with the help of a phrase book.manageunderstandbe of great/little/no/some etc help (to somebody)Let me know if I can be of any help to you.be a (great/big/tremendous/real etc) help (to somebody)Any information would be a great help.willYou’ve been a real help to me, Carrie.be3[uncountable]HELP advice, treatment, information, or money which is given to people who need it: A lot of these children need professional help.childhelp withYou may be able to ask for help with the rent.rendWe received no help from the police.receive4[uncountable] a part of a computer program that helps someone using it by giving additional information5the help American English someone’s servant or servantsCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1verbsgive somebody help Do you want me to give you some help?ask (somebody) for help He asked for help with the cleaning.askcleanneed help Some of the older patients need help with walking.oldpatientwalkget/receive help She gets no help from her husband.getoffer (your) help The taxi driver offered his help and we accepted.offeracceptprovide help The goverment should do more to provide help for people who are looking for work.shallbelookappeal for help (=publicly ask for help) The police are appealing for help to track down the killer.beappealenlist sb’s help (=persuade someone to help you) She enlisted the help of a private investigator to find her missing son.enlistmissfind help To get it finished by tomorrow, we’ll need to find help from somewhere.finishCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 3adjectivesfinancial help We received a lot of financial help from my family.receiveprofessional help You need to seek some professional help.medical help She needs urgent medical help.needlegal help You can find free legal help for your problem by logging onto our website.logtechnical help I might need some technical help understanding the instructions.understandinstructionpractical help The organization offers practical help with finding accommodation.offerfindexpert help If the issues are complex, expert help can be sought from the adoption agency.issuebeseekverbsget/receive help from somebody You will be able to get confidential help from your doctor.give (somebody) help The fund was set up to give financial help to war veterans.beveteranprovide help If you have to move, we provide financial help towards the cost.offer help We offer free help for people with debts.debtseek help (=ask for help) He decided to seek medical help for his drink problem.decideTHESAURUShelp the things you do to make it easier or possible for someone to do something: Now that I’m working, the kids need to give me more help with the housework.workkid | The book would never have been finished without his help.willbefinishassistance help. Assistance is more formal than help, and is used especially about people giving official help: The police are asking the public for their assistance.beask | The project received financial assistance from the government.receive | Thank you very much for your assistance, sir. | He set up the business with the assistance of his two sons.sonaid help. Aid is more formal than help, and is used especially about money, food, medicine etc. that is given to countries or people that are in a very bad situation: Aid is being sent to areas affected by the earthquake.bebesendareaaffect | The US spends billions of dollars on aid to developing countries.spenddollardevelopcountry | Another driver stopped and came to his aid.stopcomesupport help and encouragement: Thanks to everyone who gave us their support.thankgive | We could not have won the case without your support.canwincooperation help – used especially when people, organizations, or countries work together to get things done, and show that they are willing to do this: a spirit of international cooperation | The cooperation of landowners was needed for the plan to succeed.landownerbeneedbackup extra people, equipment etc that can be used in case people need help: The officer waited for backup to arrive before making any arrests.waitmakearrest
adverb (comparative farther /ˈfɑːðə $ ˈfɑːrðər/ or further /ˈfɜːðə $ ˈfɜːrðər/, superlative farthest /ˈfɑːðəst, ˈfɑːðɪst $ ˈfɑːr-/ or furthest /ˈfɜːðəst, ˈfɜːðɪst $ ˈfɜːr-/)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: feorr 1distance a)FARa long distance:
Have you driven far?driveSince I changed jobs, I have to travel further to get to work.changejobfarLet’s see who can jump the furthest!farfar fromThe children don’t go far from home.childfar awayShe wants to move as far away from here as possible.wantThey could hear the sound of water not far away.canfar downHe lives further down the street.livefarfurther afield (=further away from where you are now)If you want to go further afield, there are bicycles for hire.farbebicyclefurther north/south etcMany birds fly further south in the autumn.birdfarThe plains stretched for as far as the eye could see (=all the distance you could see).plainstretchcanThe lake is about 4 miles away, but we probably won’t get that far (=won’t go as far as that place).bemilwin b)how farDISTANCE used when asking the distance between two places, or when talking about the distance between two places: How far is it to the station?beThe man didn’t say how far it was to the next town.be c)as far as something to a place or point, but not beyond it: They managed to get as far as the Spanish border.manageRegisterIn everyday English, far is usually only used in negative sentences (it’s not far) and questions (how far…?)In positive sentences, people usually use the expression a long way:Her house was a long way from the nearest town.benear It’s so far to go! ➔ It’s such a long way to go!2a lot/very muchLOT/VERY MUCH very much, or to a great degreefar better/easier etcThe new system is far better than the old one.bewellThere are a far greater number of women working in television than twenty years ago.begreatnumbwomanworkyearfar more/lessI enjoyed it far more than I expected.enjoyexpectfar too much/long/busy etcThat’s far too much to pay.It would take me far too long to explain.willfar above/below/beyondHe bought it for a price that was far beyond (=much more than) its real value.buybeThe teacher said that her writing skills were far below average.saywriteskillbeWe’ve kept the original features of the house as far as possible (=as much as possible).keepfeatureHow far do those old, outdated laws affect today’s legislation?lawHis style was far removed (=very different) from that of Picasso.beremovenot far off/out/wrong (=close to being correct)I guessed it would cost $100 and it was $110, so I was not far out.guesswillbebe3progressVERY used to talk about how much progress someone makes, or how much effect something has: He started to explain, but he didn’t get far (=he did not succeed in saying very much) before Mary interrupted him.startinterruptget as far as doing somethingThey had got as far as painting the kitchen.havegetpaintMany people felt that the new law did not go far enough (=did not have a big enough effect, so that more needed to be done).feeldo4timeLONG TIME a long time in the past or the future, or a long time into a particular periodfar intoWe talked far into the night.talkfar aheadThey want to plan much further ahead than the next few years.faryearThe first petrol-driven car was produced as far back as 1883.drivebeproduce → far-off5go too far (also take/carry something too far)TOO/TOO MUCH to do something too extreme: One day she will go too far.Some people thought he had gone too far in his criticism of the police.thinkhavego6go so far/as far as to do something spokenBELIEVE to do or say something extreme: The government went so far as to try to arrest opposition leaders.goleaderI wouldn’t go so far as to say that we agreed on the subject.agree7so far (also thus far formal)NOW until now: So far we have not had to borrow any money.haveThey’re delighted with the replies they’ve received from the public thus far.delightreplyreceive8so far so good spokenSUCCESSFUL used to say that things have been happening successfully until now: We’ve reached the semi-finals. So far so good.reachfinal9far from somethingOPPOSITE/REVERSE used to say that something very different is true or happens: Conditions are still far from ideal.conditionbefar from doing/being somethingFar from helping the situation, you’ve just made it worse.helpmakeill10OPPOSITE/REVERSEfar from it spoken used to say that the opposite of what has just been said is true: ‘Are you bored?’ ‘Far from it. I could listen all night.’beborecanLocal people aren’t objecting – far from it.object11FARfar and wide over a large area: His fame spread far and wide.People came from far and wide (=came from many places) to see the concert.come12by far/far and awayVERY used to say that something is much better, worse etc than anything else: Watching sport was by far the most popular activity on Saturday afternoons.watchbeafternoonSpring is far and away the best time to visit the islands.bewellisland13somebody will/would/should etc go farSUCCESSFUL used to say that you think someone will be successful in the future: He was the best student in his year, and everyone was sure he would go far.bewellbewill14as/so far as I’m concernedOPINION spoken used when giving your opinion about something: As far as I’m concerned she can come home whenever she likes.concernlike15ABOUTas/so far as something is concerned spoken used when you want to talk about a particular thing: As far as money’s concerned, there shouldn’t be a problem.concern16as/so far as I know/I can remember/I can tell/I can see etc spokenTHINK/HAVE THE OPINION THAT used to say that you think that something is true, although it is possible that you do not know all the facts or cannot remember completely: There weren’t any buildings there at all, as far as I can remember.buildingAs far as I can see, there’s nothing else to discuss.17far be it from me to do something spokenCRITICIZE used when saying that you do not want to criticize someone or say what they should do, especially when this is what you are really about to do: Far be it from me to teach you your job, but don’t you think you should have been more careful?shallbe18as far as it goesLIMIT used to say that an idea, suggestion, plan etc is satisfactory, but only to a limited degree: His theories are fine, as far as they go.theorybe19not go far a)ENOUGHif money does not go far, you cannot buy very much with it: My salary doesn’t go very far these days.day b)ENOUGHif a supply of something does not go far, it is not enough: The coffee won’t go far if everyone wants a cup.winwant20in so far as/insofar as/in as far as formalPARTLY to the degree that: The research suggests that the drug will be successful, in so far as one can draw conclusions from such a small sample size.suggestconclusionTHESAURUSfar adverb a long distance – used mainly in negatives and questions, or after ‘too’, ‘so’, and ‘as’: It’s not far to the airport from here. | Have you driven far?drive | The ship was so far away we could hardly see it.becana long way adverb a long distance from somewhere. This is the most common way of talking about long distances, except in negatives and questions when far is also common: You must be tired – you’ve come a long way.tire | It’s a long way down from the top of the cliff. | I can’t see things that are a long way away.thingbemiles adverb informal a very long way: We hiked miles.hikemil | The school is miles away from where I live.bemilin the distance adverb a long way from where you are now – used when talking about things that seem small or sounds that seem quiet because they are a long way away: Dogs were barking somewhere in the distance.dogbebarkdistant adjective especially written used about something that is a long distance from where you are now, and looks small or sounds quiet: By now, the plane was just a distant speck in the sky.be | the rumble of distant thunderfaraway adjective especially written a very long distance from where you are now: a traveller from a faraway land | His voice sounded faraway.sound | He told us stories about the faraway countries he had visited.tellstorycountryhavevisitremote adjective a remote place is a long distance from other places, and few people go there: The helicopter crashed in a remote part of the country.crash | remote holiday destinationsdestinationisolated adjective an isolated place is a long distance from other towns, buildings, or people, and there is very little communication with surrounding places: isolated rural areas of Nepalisolatearea | Occasionally we passed through a small isolated village.passisolate | If you travel to isolated areas, make sure you have a good guide.isolateareaoff the beaten track (also off the beaten path American English) adverb a place that is off the beaten track is a long distance from the places where people usually go, and often seems interesting and different because of this: She likes to go to places that are a bit off the beaten track.likeplacebebitebeat
faradjectiveCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesfarfartherfurtherfarthestfurthestfarfar2 S1 W1 adjective (comparative farther or further, superlative farthest or furthest)1FARa long distance away OPP near: We can walk to my house from here. It isn’t far.You could see the mountains in the far distance.canmountain2the far side/end/corner etcFAR the side, end etc that is furthest from you OPP near: They crossed the bridge and walked along the far side of the stream.crosswalkThere was a piano in the far corner of the room.be3the far north/south etcAREA the part of a country or area that is furthest in the direction of north, south etc: It will become windy in the far north and west.4the far left/right people who have extreme left-wing or right-wing political opinions: The candidate for the far right got ten percent of the vote.get5be a far cry from somethingDIFFERENT to be very different from something: The company lost £3 million, which is a far cry from last year’s £60 million profit.losebe
adverbLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: onweg, aweg, from on + weg ‘way’ 1DISTANCEused to say that someone leaves a place or person, or stays some distance from a place or person:
Go away!Dinah was crying as she drove slowly away.becrydriveaway fromStay away from the fire.2towards a different direction: She turned away and stared out of the window.turnstareCharley blushed and looked away, embarrassed.blushlookembarrass3HERETHEREif someone is away from school, work, or home, they are not there SYN absent: Simon is away with flu.beKate is away on holiday.beaway fromYou must bring a note from your parents if you’ve been away from school.parentbe4DISTANCEused to say how far it is to a place or thingfive miles/ten feet etc awayGeneva is about 20 miles away.bemilThere’s another hotel not far away.away fromShe was sitting ten feet away from the microphone.besitfootfive minutes/two hours etc awayThe beach is only five minutes away (=it only takes five minutes to get there).beminute5AFTERFUTUREif an event is two days, three weeks etc away, it will happen after that period of time has passed: Christmas is only a month away.be6used to say how close someone is to achieving something or experiencing somethingaway fromAt one stage, they were just two points away from victory.bepoint7into or in a safe or enclosed place: Put your money away, I’m paying.payThousands of archaeological treasures are being kept hidden away.treasurebebekeephide8used to show that something disappears or is removed: The music died away.dieRuben gave all his money away to charity.giveSupport for the Democrats has dropped away.democrathavedropCut away all the dead wood.9CONTINUE/NOT STOPused to emphasize that an action continues: Sue was singing away to herself in the bath.besingThey’ve been hammering away all day.behammer10used to say that someone spends the whole of a period of time doing something: You can dance the night away in one of Benidorm’s many discos.disco11if a team is playing away, it is playing a game at its opponent’s field or sports hall OPP at home: Liverpool are playing away at Everton on Saturday.beplay → far and away at far1(12), → right away at right3(2), → straight away at straight1(7)
awayadjectiveCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1Phrases from other entriesCorpus examplesawayawayaway2 adjective [only before noun] an away game or match is played at your opponent’s field or sports hall OPP home
adjective [only before noun]Date: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: futur, from Latin futurus ‘going to be’ 1FUTURElikely to happen or exist at a time after the present:
We are now more able to predict future patterns of climate change.bepatternWe’ve been able to save this land from development and preserve it for future generations.begenerationthe debate over the future development of the European Unionfuture wife/husband/son-in-law etc (=someone who will be your wife, husband, son-in-law etc)2technical the form of a verb used for talking about things that are going to happen: the future tense3KEEP/STOREfor future reference something kept for future reference is kept in order to be used or looked at in the futureTHESAURUSlater happening or existing at some time in the future after something or someone else: We will discuss this at a later time.late | Later historians have cast doubt on the truth of his story.latehistorian | They say that they may need to review the case at a later stage.latefollowing happening or coming immediately after something – used about periods of time, or parts of a piece of writing: He resigned the following year.resignfollow | The following day he was back to normal.followbe | Gandhi 's attitude to religion is dealt with in the following chapter.bedealfollowfuture likely to happen or exist at some time in the future: What influence will this have on future developments?developmentsubsequent formal happening or coming at some time after something else: a subsequent decision by the Supreme Court | Subsequent events proved him wrong.eventprove | In subsequent years, the number of patients became smaller and smaller.yearnumbpatientbecomesmallsmallsucceeding coming after someone or something else - used about a series of groups of people, periods of time, or parts of a book: His work was admired by succeeding generations.beadmiresucceedgeneration | Over the succeeding months, the stitches were carefully removed.succeedmonthstitchberemove | These problems are further discussed in the succeeding chapters.problembefardiscusssucceedchapter
futurenounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1 2Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesfuturefuturesfuturefuture2 S1 W1 noun1the futureFUTURE a)the time after the present: What are your plans for the future?beplanIt may be useful at some time in the future. b)technical the form of a verb that shows that something will happen or exist at a later time. In the sentence, ‘I will leave tomorrow,’ the verb is in the future.2[countable]FUTURE what someone or something will do or what will happen to them in the future: The islands should have the right to decide their own future.islandshallfuture ofFerguson is optimistic about the future of the business.bea leader who will shape the organization’s future3in future British English from now: In future, staff must wear identity badges at all times.badgetime4have a/no future to have a chance or no chance of being successful or continuing: Does this school have a future?do5there’s a/no future in something used to say that something is likely or not likely to be successful: He felt there was no future in farming.feelbefarm6futures [plural] technical goods, money, land etc that will be supplied or exchanged in the future at a time and price that has already been agreedCOLLOCATIONSMeanings 1 & 2verbspredict the future (=say what will happen in the future) No-one can predict the future of boxing.boxforetell the future (=say or show what will happen in the future) Some people think that dreams can foretell the future.dreamsee/look into the future (=know what will happen in the future) I wish I could see into the future.canlook to the future (=think about or plan for the future) She could now look to the future with confidence.canplan for the future (also make plans for the future) (=think carefully about the future and decide what you are going to do ) As soon as she knew she was pregnant, she started to plan for the future.knowbestartface a bleak/grim etc future Many pensioners face a bleak future.pensionershape somebody's future Your boss is the one who writes your evaluations, recommends you for promotions and shapes your future.bewriteevaluationrecommendpromotionshapesb’s/sth’s future lies in/with something (=it is in a particular thing ) The country’s economic future lies with its skilled workforce.liethe future looks good/bright etc The future looks good for the company.lookadjectivesgreat/good The country has a great future.havebright/promising (=showing signs of being successful) Her future as a tennis player looks promising.lookpromiseuncertain (=not clear or decided) The college's future is now uncertain.bebleak/grim/dark (=without anything to make you feel hopeful) The theatre is losing money and its future looks bleak.beloselookphrasesthe immediate future (=very soon) There will be no major changes in the immediate future.changethe near future (=soon) A new product launch is planned for the near future.beplanthe distant future (=a long time from now) I don't worry about what might happen in the distant future.the dim and distant future (=a very long time from now) He plans to get married in the dim and distant future.planmarryfor/in the foreseeable future (=as far into the future as you can possibly know) The population is expected to keep growing for the foreseeable future.beexpectgrowin the not too distant future (=quite soon) We’re planning to go there again in the not too distant future.plansb’s hopes/fears/plans for the future What are your hopes for the future?behopesb’s worries/concerns about the future their worries about the future of the English countrysideworrywhat the future holds (=what will happen) He is worried about what the future holds for the company.beworryholdTHESAURUSthe time after nowthe future the time after now: What will life be like in the future? | The company is hoping to expand in the near future (=soon).behopefrom now on used when saying that something will always happen in the future, starting from now: From now on, I’m not letting anyone borrow my car.let | The meetings will be held once a month from now on.meetinghold | From now on, you will have to make your own lunch. | From now on, homeowners will have to get a city permit if they want to build an addition onto their homes.homeownerhomeyears/days etc to come for a long time in the future: In years to come, people will look back on the 20th century as a turning point in history.yearturn | Nuclear power stations will still be needed for a long time to come.stationneedin the long/short/medium term use this to talk about what will happen over a period from now until a long, short etc time in the future: We don’t know what will happen in the long term. | In the short term, things look good.thing | Aid to these countries is bound to run into billions of dollars in the long term.countrybebinddollaron the horizon used when talking about what is likely to happen in the future: There are some big changes on the horizon.bechangewhat will happen to somebody/somethingsb’s/sth’s future what will happen to someone or something: He knew that his future was in films.knowbefilm | Shareholders will meet to decide the company’s future.shareholderfate someone or something’s future – used especially when you are worried that something bad could happen: The fate of the hostages remains uncertain.hostageremain | The show’s fate lies in the hands of TV bosses.liehandbossdestiny what will happen to someone in their life, especially something important: Sartre believed that everyone is in charge of their own destiny.believebe | He thinks that it is his destiny to lead the country.thinkbethe outlook what will happen, especially concerning business, the economy, or the weather: The economic outlook looks good.look | Here is the weather outlook for tomorrow.beprospect the idea or possibility that something will happen: the awful prospect of another terrorist attack | Prospects for a peace settlement don’t look too good.prospectfortune what will happen to a person, organization etc in the future – used especially when talking about whether or not they will be successful: Fans are hoping for a change in the club’s fortunes.fanbehopefortune | Two years ago, my financial fortunes took a turn for the better (=they improved).yearfortunetakewell | In 1680 he decided that his fortune lay in the theatre.decidelie
noun
Word familyDate: 1500-1600Language: Latin
Origin: eventus, from the past participle of evenire ‘to happen’ 1interesting/exciting [countable]HAPPEN something that happens, especially something important, interesting or unusual:
one of the most important events in the history of mankindevent2social gathering [countable]HAPPEN a performance, sports competition, party etc at which people gather together to watch or take part in something: The conference was an important social event (=an event at which people can meet each other).beone of the major sporting events of the yearsporteventcharity/fundraising etc eventThe school raises money by organizing fundraising events.raiseorganizeevent3race/competition [countable] one of the races or competitions that are part of a large sports competition: The next event will be the 100 metres.metreThe 800 metres is not his best event.metrebewell → field event, three-day event4in any/either event (also at all events)DESPITE used to say that something will definitely happen or be true in spite of anything else that may happen SYN in any case: I might see you tomorrow, but I’ll phone in any event.5in the eventIN FACT used to emphasize what actually happened in a situation as opposed to what you thought might happen SYN as it happened: Extra police officers were brought in, although in the event the demonstration passed off peacefully.officerbebringpass6in the event of something (also in the event that something happens)IF used to tell people what they should do if something happens: He left a letter for me to read in the event of his death.leave7in the normal course of eventsUSUALLY if things happen in the normal way SYN normally: In the normal course of events, the money is released within about three months.eventbereleasemonthCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1adjectivesa big/major event (=important) Getting married is a major event in anyone’s life.getmarrybean important/significant event It’s natural to be nervous before such an important event.a momentous event (=very important) the momentous events of 9/11eventa historic event (=very important in a country’s history) The signing of the peace treaty was a historic event.signbea dramatic event (=very exciting) The dramatic events will be brought to you live on BBC.eventbringa tragic event (=very sad) Let’s not talk about the tragic events of the past.eventa traumatic event (=very upsetting) He was forced to relive the traumatic events of his kidnap.beforceeventa common/an everyday event The death of a child was a common event in those days.bedaya rare/unusual event A sighting of a white deer is a rare event.sightberecent events Recent events in the country have caused great concern.eventcausethe latest events We will be bringing you news of all the latest events.bringlateeventcurrent events There are some similarities between what happened in the 1920s and current events in the US.besimilarityhappeneventverbsan event happens/takes place (also an event occurs formal) The event took place last year.takeevents unfold (=happen, usually in an exciting or unexpected way) I watched the dramatic events unfold from my window.watcheventevents lead (up) to something (=cause something) His assassination was one of the events that led to the First World War.beeventleadthe events surrounding something (=the events that are closely related to a situation) The events surrounding her death remain a mystery.eventsurroundcelebrate/commemorate/mark an event (=do something to show that you remember it) Fans observed a minute’s silence to commemorate the tragic event.fanobservewitness an event (=see it happen) Luckily, a film crew were on the spot to witness the event.berecord an event (=write down or photograph what happened) Two photographers recorded the events.photographerrecordeventphrasesa series/sequence of events (=related events that happen one after the other) The incident was the first in a series of events that finally led to his arrest.beeventleada chain of events (=a series of events where each one causes the next) He set in motion a chain of events that he couldn’t control.eventthe course of events (=the way in which a series of events happens) Nothing you could have done would have changed the course of events.candowillchangeeventCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2ADJECTIVES/NOUN + event a social event (=an event at which a group of people meet and spend time together for pleasure) I don’t go to many social events since my husband’s death.eventa sporting event Many of the weekend’s major sporting events were cancelled due to bad weather.sporteventbecancela cultural/musical event a monthly guide to the cultural events in Londoneventa charity/fund-raising event Forthcoming fund-raising events include a sponsored five-mile walk.raiseeventsponsorverbshold/stage an event (=organize a public event) The charity plans to stage several fund-raising events this year.planraiseeventgo to an event (also attend an event formal) Unfortunately, the prime minister will not be able to attend the event.support an event (=pay to attend a charity event in order to encourage it ) I’d like to thank everyone who came tonight for supporting the event.comesupportboycott an event (=refuse to go to an event as a protest) The games went ahead despite threats to boycott the event.gamegothreatsponsor an event (=give money to an event, especially in exchange for the right to advertise) The event is sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland.besponsorTHESAURUSevent something that happens, especially something important, interesting, or unusual: He spoke of the tragic event in which more than 100 people died.speakdie | recent political eventseventoccurrence /əˈkʌrəns $ əˈkʌrəns/ formal something that happens – used especially when saying how often something happens: Divorce is a common occurrence these days.beday | Storms like this one are fortunately a rare occurrence.stormbe | Accidents are almost a daily occurrence on this road.accidentbeincident something that happens, especially something that is unusual or unpleasant, or something that is one of several events: He died after a violent incident outside a nightclub.die | This latest incident could put an end to his career.latecanoccasion an important social event or celebration: She only wore the dress for special occasions.wearoccasion | It was his 100th birthday, and friends and family gathered to mark the occasion.befriendgatheraffair [usually singular] something that happens, especially something shocking in political or public life which involves several people and events: The affair has caused people to lose confidence in their government.havecausephenomenon /fɪˈnɒmənən, fɪˈnɒmɪnən $ fɪˈnɑːmənɑːn, -nən/ something that happens or exists in society, science, or nature, especially something that is studied because it is difficult to understand: natural phenomena such as earthquakesphenomenonearthquake | Homelessness is not a new phenomenon.be
nounWord familyDate: 1600-1700Language: Latin
Origin: fundus ‘bottom, piece of land’ 1MONEY[countable] an amount of money that is collected and kept for a particular purpose:
The fund was set up to try to save the cathedral.bepension/investment/memorial etc fund → funding, trust fund2funds [plural] money that an organization needs or has: A sale is being held to raise funds for the school.bebeholdfundgovernment/public fundsclaims that ministers had misused public fundsclaimministerhavemisusefundThe park remains unfinished due to lack of funds.remainfundThe Museum is so short of funds (=has so little money) it may have to sell the painting.befundpaint3[singular] an organization that collects money, for example to help people who are ill, old etc → charity: We give to the Children’s Fund every Christmas.child4LOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNTa fund of something a large supply of something: He had a fund of stories about his boyhood.havestory5in funds formalMONEY having enough money to do somethingCOLLOCATIONSverbsset up/establish a fund They have set up a fund to build a memorial to all those who died.diemanage/administer a fund The fund is managed by an investment company.bemanagelaunch a fund (=start it) They plan to launch an investment fund by raising $40m from investors.raiseinvestorADJECTIVES/NOUN + funda trust fund (=money that belongs to one person, but is controlled by another) Proceeds from the sale of the house will go into a trust fund for the children.proceedchilda pension fund (=for paying pensions) the country’s largest private pension fundlargean investment fund (=for buying shares, property, etc in order to make a profit) The building is currently owned by Argo Partnership, a Toronto-based investment fund.buildbeownbasea campaign fund (=for helping a political party or person to get elected) These social events help to raise campaign funds.eventfunda memorial fund (=for remembering the life of someone who has died) The work is being paid for out of the memorial fund launched after Morris’s death.bebepaylauncha benevolent/charitable fund (=for giving help to poor people) He contributed the sum of £1,500 to the benevolent fund.contributean appeal fund (=money collected to help people who are in a very bad situation) The appeal fund has now reached £65,000.havereach
fundverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2Other dictionary examplesCorpus examplesfundfundsfundedfundingfundfund2 S3 W3 AC verb [transitive]Word familyVerb form PROVIDEto provide money for an activity, organization, event etc: The project is jointly funded by several local companies.befundcompanygovernment-funded researchfund
verb [transitive]Word familyDate: 1300-1400Language: Latin
Origin: past participle of creare Verb form1CAUSEMAKEto make something exist that did not exist before:
Some people believe the universe was created by a big explosion.becreateHer behaviour is creating a lot of problems.becreateproblemThe new factory is expected to create more than 400 new jobs.beexpectjob2INVENTto invent or design something: This dish was created by our chef Jean Richard.becreatePhilip Glass created a new kind of music.createThe software makes it easy to create colourful graphs.makegraph3create somebody something British English to officially give someone a special rank or title: James I created him Duke of Buckingham.create
verb (past tense went /went/, past participle gone /ɡɒn $ ɡɒːn/, third person singular goes /ɡəʊz $ ɡoʊz/)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: gan Verb form1move/travel a)[intransitive always + adverb/preposition] (also been) to travel or move to a place that is away from where you are or where you live → come:
There’s nothing more we can do here. Let’s go home.Have you ever been to (=have you ever travelled to) Japan?beI have been to (=have travelled to) Germany several times.betimeWhere are you going?begoWe’re going to Canada in the summer.goDinah went into the kitchen.goShe went over and put her arm around him.goI’m going round to her house to find out what’s wrong.goI’ll just go up (=go upstairs) and ask him what he wants.want b)[intransitive and transitive] to move or travel in a particular way or for a particular distance: It took us over an hour to go ten miles.takemilThe car was going much too fast.begoWe went a different way from usual that day.gogo by bus/train/car etcIt’ll be quicker to go by train.quick c)go and do something (also go do something American English) [not in past tenses] to move to a particular place in order to do something: Go wash your hands.handI went and spoke to the manager.gospeak2go flying/laughing/rushing etcFALL to move in a particular way, or to do something as you are moving: The plate went crashing to the floor.gocrashThe bullet went flying over my head.goflyJohn went rushing off down the corridor.gorush3attend a)[intransitive] to be at a concert, party, meeting etcgo toAre you going to Manuela’s party?begoI first went to a rock concert when I was 15.gobe b)go to school/church/work etc to regularly attend school, a church etc: He doesn’t go to the synagogue these days.day4leave [intransitive]LEAVE A PLACE to leave a place: What time does the last train go?doRight, let’s go!She turned to go.turnbe/get goingIt’s late! I must get going.go5do a particular activity [intransitive and transitive] to leave the place where you are, in order to do somethinggo for a walk/swim etcLet’s go for a walk.go shopping/swimming/skiing etcI need to go shopping this afternoon.shopgo on a trip/tour/cruise etcMy parents are going on a cruise.parentbego6be going to do something a)WILLto intend to do something: I’m going to tell Dad what you said.gosay b)WILLused to talk about what will happen in the future: He looked as if he was going to cry.lookbegoIt’s going to rain later.golate → gonna7reach [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, not in progressive]REACH to reach as far as a particular place or to lead to a particular place: The road goes through the middle of the forest.goThe belt won’t go around my waist.win8change [linking verb]BECOME to change in some way, especially by becoming worse than before: The company went bankrupt last year.gogo bad/sour etcThe bread’s gone mouldy.gogo grey/white etcHer hair is starting to go grey.bestartgo mad/deaf/bald etcHe went crazy and tried to kill her.gotrygo wild/mad/white etc with somethingThe crowd was going wild with excitement.bego9happen [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]HAPPEN to happen or develop in a particular way: How did your French test go?dogo well/smoothly/fine etcThe party went well.goEverything’s going fine at the moment.goI feel very encouraged by the way things are going.encouragethingbegoMany industries have been forced to cut jobs and it looks like the electronics industry is going the same way.industrybeforcejoblookbego10how are things going?/how’s it going?/how goes it? spoken used to ask someone what is happening in their life, especially used as a greeting: ‘Hi Jane. How’s it going?’ ‘Fine, thanks.’gothank11usual position [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, not in progressive]PLACE if something goes somewhere, that is its usual position: Where do the plates go?plateThe book goes on the top shelf.go12fit [intransitive not in progressive]FIT/BE THE RIGHT SIZE to be the right size, shape, or amount for a particular spacego in/under/inside etcI don’t think all that will go in the suitcase.13be sent [intransitive]SEND to be sent or passed ongo by/through/to etcThe email went to everyone in the company.goThat letter should go by special delivery.shallComplaints must go through the proper channels.complaintchannel14be in a particular state/condition [linking verb]BE to be in a particular state or condition, especially a bad one: Many families are forced to go hungry.familybeforce15go unanswered/unnoticed/unrewarded etc to not be answered, noticed etc: All my letters went unanswered.lettergoHe hoped that his nervousness would go unnoticed.hopewill16start [intransitive]START DOING STH to start doing something: The preparations have been completed and we’re ready to go.preparationbecompleteGenerally the action doesn’t get going (=start) until after midnight.goI’m going to get going on (=start doing) the decorating next week.gogodecorate17work well [intransitive]WORKING/NOT BROKEN if a clock, watch, or machine goes, it moves and works as it should do: My watch isn’t going.goI couldn’t get the pump going (=make it work).go18make movement [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]MOVE STH OR SB used when you are telling someone about what movement someone or something made: She went like this with her hand.go19say [transitive] spoken informalSAY/STATE to say something: I asked her what she meant and she just went, ‘Don’t ask!’askmeango20make a sound [transitive] to make a particular sound: The balloon suddenly went bang.go21don’t go doing something spokenNOT DO STH used to tell someone not to do something, especially something that is wrong or bad: It’s a secret, so don’t go telling everyone.tell22have gone and done something spokenSURPRISED used when you are surprised or annoyed by what someone has done: Kay’s gone and lost the car keys!golosekey23to go a)WILLstill remaining before something happens: Only ten days to go to Christmas!day b)DEAL WITHstill having to be done or dealt with before you have finished: Laura’s sat six exams and has two more to go.sitexamhave c)TRAVELstill to travel before you reach the place you are going to: only another five miles left to gomilleave d)used for saying that you want to take food away from a restaurant and eat it somewhere else: Two chicken dinners with corn to go.dinner24don’t go there spoken informal used to say that you do not want to think or talk about something: ‘John and Clare having children?’ ‘Don’t go there!’havechild‘What if the two of them ...?’ ‘Don’t even go there!’25story/discussion/song etc [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive not in progressive] used to talk about what something such as a story or song consists of: The argument goes like this.goWe need to ‘spread a little happiness’, as the song goes.goThe story goes that my grandfather saved his captain’s life in battle.gosave26whistle/bell etc [intransitive]WARN to make a noise as a warning or signal: A bell goes to mark the end of each class.go27here/there somebody goes again spokenANNOY used when someone has annoyed you by doing something they know you do not like: There you go again, jumping to conclusions.jumpconclusion28disappear [intransitive]DISAPPEAR to no longer exist or no longer be in the same place SYN disappear: Has your headache gone yet?havegoThe door was open and all his things had gone.bethinghavego29get into worse condition [intransitive]WORSE if one of your senses such as sight, hearing etc is going, it is getting worse: Dad’s eyesight is starting to go.bestartI’d forgotten that. My mind must be going.forgetgo30to be obeyed [intransitive] if what someone says goes, that person is in authority and what they say should be obeyed: Phil’s in charge, and what he says goes.saygo31be damaged [intransitive]DAMAGE to become weak, damaged etc, or stop working properly: The bulb’s gone in the bathroom.goMy jeans are starting to go at the knee.bestart32die [intransitive]DIE to die – use this when you want to avoid saying the word ‘die’: Now that his wife’s gone, he’s all on his own.goWhen I go, I’d like to have my ashes scattered at sea.ashscatter → dead and gone at dead1(1)33be spent [intransitive]SPEND MONEY to be spent: I don’t know where all my money goes!gogo onHalf her salary goes on the rent.gorend34be sold [intransitive]SELL to be soldgo for/atA house like this would go for £250,000.willgo toThe jewels will go to the highest bidder.jewelhighHe bought me some CDs which were going cheap (=were being sold at a low price).buybego35pay money [intransitive] to offer a particular amount of money for something: I’ll give you $500 for it but I can’t go any higher than that.highgo toI think we could probably go to £15,000.can36going, going, gone! spoken used to say that something has been sold at an auction37time [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]PASS/GO PAST used to say how quickly or slowly time passes: The day seemed to go so slowly.seem38there/bang goes something spokenDISAPPOINTED used to say that you are disappointed because something has stopped you doing or getting what you wanted: Well, there goes my chance of fame!go39go to show/prove/indicate etc somethingHELP to help to prove something: It just goes to show how much people judge each other by appearances.goappearance40be going informalAVAILABLE to be available: Are there any jobs going at the café?bejobgoI’ll take that if it’s going spare.go41colours/styles/tastes [intransitive] if colours, tastes, styles etc go, they look, taste etc good together: I don’t think pink and yellow really go.go withDo you think this shirt will go with the skirt I bought?buygo togetherPork and apple go especially well together.42as somebody/something goesCOMPARE used for comparing someone or something with the average person or thing of that type: As marriages go, it certainly wasn’t dull.marriage43go all out to try very hard to do or get somethinggo all out forWe’re going all out for victory in this afternoon’s game.gogo all out to do somethingThe company will be going all out to improve on last year’s sales.gosale44have nothing/not much/a lot etc going for somebody/something used to talk about how many advantages and good qualities someone or something has: It’s a town that’s got a lot going for it.getgo45where does somebody/something go from here? spoken used to ask what should be done next, especially when there is a problem: So where do you think we should go from here?shall46going forward in the future – used especially in business: Going forward, we will increase our focus on customer service.go47leave a job [intransitive] to leave your job, especially because you are forced to: He was becoming an embarrassment to the government and had to go.bebecomehaveIf Jill goes, who will take her place?go48get rid of something [intransitive] if something goes, someone gets rid of it: The policies will have to go if the party is to win the next election.policybeA hundred jobs are expected to go following the merger.jobbeexpectfollow49toilet [intransitive] informal to make waste come out of your bodygo about phrasal verb1go about somethingDO to start to do something: I want to learn German but I don’t know the best way to go about it.wellgo about doing somethingThe leaflet tells you how to go about making a will.tellmake2go about somethingDO to do something in the way that you usually do: The villagers were going about their business as usual.villagerbegoShe went about her preparations in a quiet businesslike way.gopreparation3British English if a ship goes about, it turns to go in the opposite directiongo after something/somebody phrasal verb1TRY TO DO OR GET STHto follow or chase someone or something because you want to catch them: Joe went after her to make sure she was unhurt.gobe2to try to get something: I can’t decide whether to go after the job or not.go against somebody/something phrasal verb1DIFFERENTif something goes against your beliefs, principles etc, it is opposite to them: This goes against everything I’ve been brought up to believe in.gobebringI often have to make decisions that go against the grain (=are not what I would normally choose to do).decision2DIFFERENTto do the opposite of what someone wants or advises you to do: She was scared to go against her father’s wishes.bescarewish3DECIDEif a decision, judgment etc goes against you, you do not get the result you want: His lawyer hinted that the case might go against him.hintThe vote went against the government.gogo ahead phrasal verb1START DOING STHto start to do something, especially after planning it or asking permission to do itgo ahead withThey’ve decided to go ahead with plans to build 50 new houses on the site.decideplanhousego ahead and do somethingI went ahead and arranged the trip anyway.goarrange2HAPPENif an event or process goes ahead, it happens: A judge has ruled that the music festival can go ahead.haverule3spoken used to give someone permission to do something, or let them speak before you: ‘Do you mind if I open the window?’ ‘No, go ahead.’If you want to leave, go right ahead.4(also go on ahead)BEFORE to go somewhere before the other people in your group: You go ahead and we’ll catch you up later.latego ahead ofHe stood back to let Sue go ahead of him.stand5to start to be winning a game or competition: Dulwich went ahead after 22 minutes.gominute → go around/round in circles at circle1(5)go at something/somebody phrasal verb [not in passive] informal1ATTACKto attack someone or argue with someone in a noisy way: The two dogs went at each other.doggo2START DOING STHto do something, or start to do something, with a lot of energy: Mary went at the task with great enthusiasm.gogo away phrasal verb1LEAVE A PLACEto leave a place or person: Go away and leave me alone!I went away wondering if I’d said the wrong thing.gowondersay2TRAVELto travel to a place and spend some time there, for example for a holiday: Are you going away this year?begogo away forWe’re going away for the weekend.gogo away toHe’s going away to college next year.gogo away onI’m going away on a business trip next week.go3DISAPPEARif a problem, unpleasant feeling etc goes away, it disappears: Ignoring the crime problem won’t make it go away.ignorewingo back phrasal verb1RETURNto return to a place that you have just come from: I think we ought to go back now.go back to/into/inside etcI felt so sick I just wanted to go back to bed.feelwantgo back forI had to go back for my passport (=to get my passport).have2there’s no going back spoken used to say that you cannot make a situation the same as it was before: I realized that once the baby was born there would be no going back.realizebewillgo3[always + adverb/preposition]PAST to have been made, built, or started at some time in the past: It’s a tradition that goes back at least 100 years.golittleyeargo back toThe building goes back to Roman times.buildgotime4if people go back a particular length of time, they have known each other for that length of time: Peter and I go back 25 years.yearWe go back a long way (=we have been friends for a long time).5to think about a particular time in the past or something that someone said before: If you go back 20 years, most people didn’t own a computer.yeargo back toI’d like to go back to the point that was made earlier.bemakeearlygo back on something phrasal verb PROMISEto not do something that you promised or agreed to dogo back on your word/promise/decisionDelors claimed that the President had gone back on his word.claimhavegogo back to something phrasal verb to start doing something again after you have stopped for a period of time: He went back to sleep.gogo back to doing somethingShe went back to watching TV.gowatchgo before phrasal verb1to happen or exist before something else: In some ways this program improves on what has gone before.wayimprovehavego2go before somebody/something if something goes before a judge, group of people in authority etc, they consider it before making a decision: The case will go before the court.The proposal is likely to go before the committee.bego beyond something phrasal verb to be much better, worse, more serious etc than something else: Their relationship had gone beyond friendship.havegoThis goes beyond all limits of acceptable behaviour.golimitgo by phrasal verb1PASS/TIME PASSINGif time goes by, it passes: Things will get easier as time goes by.thingeasygoas the days/weeks/years go byAs the weeks went by, I became more and more worried.weekgobecomeworryhardly a day/week/month etc goes byHardly a week goes by without some food scare being reported in the media.gobereportmediumin days/times/years etc gone by (=in the past)These herbs would have been grown for medicinal purposes in days gone by.herbwillbegrowpurposedaygo2go by something to form an opinion about someone or something from the information or experience that you have: You can’t always go by appearances.appearanceIf his past plays are anything to go by, this should be a play worth watching.playbeshallwatch3go by somethingUSE STH to do things according to a set of rules or laws: Only a fool goes by the rules all the time.goruleThere was no doubt that the referee had gone by the book (=had obeyed all the rules).behavego → go by the board at board1(8), → go by the name of something at name1(1)go down phrasal verb1get lowerLESS to become lower in level, amount etc: His income went down last year.goComputers have gone down in price.computergogo down by 10%/250/$900 etcSpending has gone down by 2%.spendhavego2standardWORSE if something goes down, its quality or standard gets worse: This neighbourhood has really gone down in the last few years.havegoyear3go down well/badly/a treat etcLIKE SB OR STHDON'T LIKE a)to get a particular reaction from someone: His suggestion did not go down very well.doThe movie went down very well in America.goThe speech went down a treat with members (=members liked it very much).gomemberThe idea went down like a lead balloon (=was not popular or successful).go b)if food or drink goes down well, you enjoy it: I’m not that hungry so a salad would go down nicely.will4go from one place to anotherTRAVEL to go from one place to another, especially to a place that is further southgo down toWe’re going down to Bournemouth for the weekend.goHe’s gone down to the store to get some milk.go5go down the shops/club/park etc British English spoken informal to go to the shops, a club etc: Does anyone want to go down the pub tonight?do6shipDOWN if a ship goes down, it sinks: Ten men died when the ship went down.mandiego7plane if a plane goes down, it suddenly falls to the ground: An emergency call was received shortly before the plane went down.bereceivego8become less swollenSMALL to become less swollen: The swelling will go down if you rest your foot.swell9lose air if something that is filled with air goes down, air comes out and it becomes smaller and softer: Your tyre’s gone down.go10be remembered [always + adverb/preposition]REMEMBER to be recorded or remembered in a particular waygo down asThe talks went down as a landmark in the peace process.talkgoThe carnival will go down in history (=be remembered for many years) as one of the best ever.well11competition/sport a)LOSE A GAME, COMPETITION, OR WARto lose a game, competition, or election: The Hawkers went down 5–9.hawkergogo down byThe government went down by 71 votes.govotego down toLiverpool went down to Juventus.go b)LOSE A GAME, COMPETITION, OR WARto move down to a lower position in an official list of teams or playersgo down toUnited went down to the second division.unitego12computer if a computer goes down, it stops working for a short time: If one of the file servers goes down, you lose the whole network.servergo13lightsDARK if lights go down, they become less bright: The lights went down and the curtain rose on an empty stage.lightgorise14sun when the sun goes down, it appears to move down until you cannot see it any more15wind if the wind goes down, it becomes less strong: The wind had gone down but the night had turned chilly.havegohaveturn16prison informal to be sent to prison: He went down for five years.goyear17happen spoken informal to happen: the type of guy who knows what’s going downknowgoWhat’s going down?go18leave university British English formal old-fashioned to leave Oxford or Cambridge University at the end of a period of studygo down on somebody phrasal verb to touch someone’s sexual organs with the lips and tongue in order to give them sexual pleasurego down with something phrasal verb British English informal ILLto become ill, especially with an infectious disease: Half the team had gone down with flu.havegogo for somebody/something phrasal verb1attackATTACK British English to attack or criticize someone: The dog suddenly went for me.go2try to get somethingTRY STH TO SEE IF IT IS GOOD to try to get or win something: Jackson is going for his second gold medal here.begogo for it spoken (=used to encourage someone to try to achieve something)If you really want the job, go for it! → go for broke at broke2(3)3chooseCHOOSE British English to choose something: I think I’ll go for the chocolate cake.4I could/would go for something spoken used to say that you would like to do or have something: A full meal for less than five bucks! I could go for that!littlebuckcan5like informalLIKE SB OR STH to like a particular type of person or thing: Annie tends to go for older men.tendoldman6the same goes for somebody/something (also that goes for somebody/something too) spokenTRUE used to say that a statement you have just made is true about someone or something else too: Close all doors and lock them when you go out. The same goes for windows.doorgowindowgo in phrasal verb COVERwhen the sun or the moon goes in, cloud moves in front of it so that it cannot be seengo in for something phrasal verb1TAKE PART/BE INVOLVEDto do an examination or take part in a competition: I go in for all the competitions.competition2LIKE SB OR STHto do or use something often because you enjoy it or like it: I never really went in for sports.gosport3to choose something as your job: I suppose I could go in for advertising.canadvertisego in with somebody phrasal verb to join with someone else to start a business or organization: Ellie’s going in with a friend who’s just started a café.gostartgo into something phrasal verb1job [not in passive]WORK/DO WORK to start to do a particular type of job: I always wanted to go into nursing.wantnurseShe’s thinking of going into business (=starting a business).thinkgo2time/money/effort [not in passive]SPEND MONEYSPEND TIME to be spent or used to get, make, or do something: Years of research have gone into this book.yeargogo into doing somethingA great deal of time and effort has gone into ensuring that the event runs smoothly.havegoensurerun3explainEXPLAIN to explain, describe, or examine something in detail: I don’t want to go into the matter now.I don’t want to go into details now.detail4computer [not in passive] to open a particular computer program, window, or file: Go into your D drive.5be in a particular state [not in passive] to start to be in a particular state or condition: She went into labour at midnight and the baby was born at 8 am.gobebeThe company went into liquidation.go6hit [not in passive]HIT/BUMP INTO if a vehicle goes into a tree, wall, or another vehicle, it hits it: His car went into a lamppost in the high street.go7divide [not in passive]COUNT/CALCULATE if a number goes into another number, the second number can be divided by the first: 12 goes into 60 five times.gotime8begin to move in a particular way [not in passive]START DOING STH if a vehicle goes into a particular movement, it starts to do it: The plane had gone into a steep descent.havegogo off phrasal verb1leave to leave a place, especially in order to do something: John decided to go off on his own.decidego off toHe went off to work as usual.gogo off to do somethingGeoff went off to play golf.go2explodeEXPLODE to explode or fire: The bomb went off at 6.30 this morning.goFireworks were going off all over the city.fireworkbegoThe gun went off and the bullet went flying over his head.gogofly3make a noiseSOUND if an alarm goes off, it makes a noise to warn you about something: The thieves ran away when the alarm went off.thieverungoI’ve set the alarm clock to go off at 7 am.be4stop liking go off somebody/something British English informalDON'T LIKE to stop liking something or someone: Many women go off coffee during pregnancy.womango off doing somethingI’ve gone off cooking lately.gocook5stop workingOFF/SWITCHED OFF if a machine or piece of equipment goes off, it stops working: The central heating goes off at 9 o'clock.heatgoSuddenly, all the lights went off.lightgo6go off well/badly etcHAPPEN to happen in a particular way: The party went off very well.go7happen British English spoken informal to happen SYN go on: There was a blazing row going off next door.beblazego8decay British EnglishDECAY if food goes off, it becomes too bad to eat: The milk’s gone off.go9sleepSLEEP to go to sleep: I’d just gone off to sleep when the phone rang.goring10get worse British English informalWORSE to get worse: He’s a singer whose talent has gone off in recent years.havegoyeargo off on somebody phrasal verb American English informal to criticize or speak to someone in a very angry waygo off with something/somebody phrasal verb informal1RELATIONSHIPto leave your usual sexual partner in order to have a relationship with someone else: She’s gone off with her husband’s best friend.gowell2STEALto take something away from a place without having permission: Who’s gone off with my pen?gogo on phrasal verb1continueCONTINUE/NOT STOP a)to continue doing something or being in a situationgo on doing somethingHe went on working until he was 91.goworkbego on withOne of the actors was unwell and couldn’t go on with the performance.actorbeI can’t go on like this for much longer.long b)to continue without stopping: The noise goes on 24 hours a day.gohourThe screaming went on and on (=continued for a long time).screamgo → ongoing2happenHAPPEN to happen: I don’t know what’s going on.goWhat were the children doing while all this was going on?bechilddobegoLike all good resorts, there is plenty going on.resortbego → goings-on3do something nextCONTINUE/START AGAIN to do something after you have finished doing something elsego on to do somethingShe went on to become a successful surgeon.gogo on toGo on to the next question when you’ve finished.finish4continue talkingCONTINUE/START AGAIN to continue talking, especially after stopping or changing to a different subject: Go on, I’m listening.listen‘But,’ he went on, ‘we have to deal with the problems we’re facing.’goproblemfacego on withAfter a short pause Maria went on with her story.go5go on spoken a)CONFIDENTused to encourage someone to do something: Go on, have another piece of cake. b)used when you are agreeing to do something or giving permission for something: ‘Are you sure you won’t have another drink?’ ‘Oh, go on then.’bewin‘Can I go outside, Dad?’ ‘Yeah, go on then.’ c)(also go on with you) British English old-fashionedBELIEVE used to tell someone that you do not believe them6use as proof go on somethingPROVE to base an opinion or judgment on something: Police haven’t much to go on in their hunt for the killer.7start to workSTART DOING STH if a machine or piece of equipment goes on, it starts to work: The heat goes on automatically at 6 o'clock.go8timePASS/TIME PASSING to pass: As time went on, I grew fond of him.gogrow9behaveBEHAVE British English informal the way someone goes on is the way they behave: The way she’s going on, she’ll have a nervous breakdown.go10be going on (for) 5 o'clock/60/25 etcALMOST to be nearly a particular time, age, number etc: Nancy must be going on for 60.goShe’s one of those wise teenagers who’s 16 going on 70 (=she behaves as though she is older than she is).teenagergo11go in frontBEFORE (also go on ahead) to go somewhere before the other people you are with: Bill went on in the car and I followed on foot.gofollow12talk too much informalTALK TO SB to talk too much: I really like Clare but she does go on.dogo on aboutI got tired of him going on about all his problems.gettiregoproblemHe just went on and on about his new girlfriend.go13criticize British English informal to continue to criticize someone or ask them to do something in a way that annoys them: The way she went on, you would have thought it was all my fault.gowillthinkbego on atStop going on at me!gogo on at somebody to do somethingMy wife’s always going on at me to dress better.gowellgo on at somebody about somethingHe’s always going on at me about fixing the door.gofix14develop British English spoken informalPROGRESS to develop or make progress15to be going on with/to go on with British English informalNOW if you have enough of something to be going on with, you have enough for now: Have you got enough money to be going on with?getgogo out phrasal verb1leave your houseSOCIALIZE to leave your house, especially in order to enjoy yourself: Are you going out tonight?begogo out forWe went out for a meal and then on to a movie.gogo out doing somethingLiam goes out drinking every Friday.godrinkgo out to do somethingCan I go out to play now?go out and do somethingYou should go out and get some fresh air.shall2relationshipRELATIONSHIP to have a romantic relationship with someone: They’ve been going out for two years now.begoyeargo out withTina used to go out with my brother.usego out togetherHow long have you been going out together?bego3fire/lightSTOP STH THAT IS HAPPENING to stop burning or shining: Suddenly the candle went out.go4tv/radio British EnglishTELEVISION/RADIO to be broadcast on television or radio: The programme goes out live at 5 o'clock on Mondays.go5be sent to be sent: A copy of the instructions should go out with the equipment.instructionshallThe magazine goes out to all members at the end of the month.gomember6game/sport to stop playing in a competition because you have lost a game: He went out in the first round.go7move abroadLEAVE YOUR HOME/COUNTRY to travel to another country in order to live and work therego out toThey are looking for nurses to go out to Saudi Arabia.belooknurse8no longer fashionableFASHIONABLE to stop being fashionable or used: Hats like that went out years ago.hatgoyearThis kind of entertainment went out with the ark (=is very old-fashioned).go9sea when the tide goes out, the sea moves away from the land OPP come in10make publicPUBLICIZE/MAKE KNOWN if news or a message goes out, it is officially announced to everyone: The appeal went out for food and medicines.gomedicine11your heart/thoughts go out to somebodySYMPATHIZE used to say that you feel sympathy for someone and are thinking about them: Our hearts go out to the victim’s family.heart12time [always + adverb/preposition] literaryFINISH/COME TO AN END to end: March went out with high winds and rain.gowindgo over phrasal verb1think about go over somethingTHINK ABOUT to think very carefully about something: I had gone over and over what happened in my mind.havegohappen2examine go over somethingLOOK FOR to search or examine something very carefully: In the competition, the judge goes over each dog and assesses it.goassess3repeat go over somethingREPEAT to repeat something in order to explain it or make sure it is correct: Once again I went over exactly what I needed to say.goneed4clean go over somethingCLEAN to clean something5go over well (also go over big American English) if something goes over well, people like it: That kind of salesman talk doesn’t go over very well with the scientists.scientistgo over to something phrasal verb1to change to a different place or person for the next part of a television or radio programme: We’re going over to the White House for an important announcement.go2to change to a different way of doing things: They went over to a computerized records system.gocomputerizerecord3to change to a different political party or religion: the Labour MP who went over to the Conservatives last yeargoconservativego round phrasal verb British English → go aroundgo through phrasal verb1difficult/unpleasant situation go through somethingSUFFER to experience a difficult or unpleasant situation, feeling etc: When you’re going through a crisis, it often helps to talk to someone.gohelpHe’s going through a divorce at the moment.goIt is devastating for a parent to watch a child go through misery.bedevastate2process go through something to experience a particular process: Candidates must go through a process of selection.candidateCaterpillars go through several stages of growth.caterpillarstage3use go through somethingSPEND MONEY to use up money or a supply of something: We went through five pints of milk last week.gopint4law go through (something) if a law goes through, or goes through Parliament, it is officially accepted5deal/agreement if a deal or agreement goes through, it is officially accepted and agreed: He accepted the offer and the deal went through.acceptgoThe sale of the land went through.go6practise go through somethingPRACTISE/PRACTICE to practise something, for example a performance: Let’s go through the whole thing again, from the beginning.begin7search go through somethingLOOK FOR to search something in order to find something in particular: Dave went through his pockets looking for the keys.gopocketlookkeyCustoms officers went through all my bags.customofficergobag8read/discuss go through somethingEXAMINE to read or discuss something in order to make sure it is correct: We’ll go through the details later on.detaillateDo you want me to go through this and check your spellings?spellinggo through with something phrasal verb PROMISEto do something you had promised or planned to do, even though it causes problems or you are no longer sure you want to do it: He bravely went through with the wedding ceremony even though he was in a lot of pain.gobeI had no choice but to go through with it.havego to somebody/something phrasal verb [not in passive]1START DOING STHto begin to experience or do something, or begin to be in a particular state: I lay down and went to sleep.liegoBritain and Germany went to war in 1939.go2GIVEto be given to someone or something: All the money raised will go to local charities.raisecharitygo together phrasal verb1[not in progressive] if two things go together, they exist together or are connected in some way: Alcohol abuse and eating disorders often go together.eatdisorder2RELATIONSHIP old-fashioned if two people are going together, they are having a romantic relationshipgo towards something phrasal verb [not in passive] if money goes towards something, it is used to pay part of the cost of that thing: The money will go towards a new hospice.go towards doing somethingAll money raised will go towards renovating the building.raiserenovatebuildgo under phrasal verb1FAILif a business goes under, it has to stop operating because of financial problems: More than 7,000 businesses have gone under in the last three months.businessgomonth2DOWNto sink beneath the surface of water: The Titanic finally went under.goShe went under, coughing and spluttering.gocoughspluttergo up phrasal verb1increaseINCREASE IN NUMBER OR AMOUNT to increase in price, amount, level etc: Train fares have gone up.faregoBlood-sugar levels go up as you digest food.levelgo up by 10%/250/£900 etcUnemployment in the country has gone up by a million.havegogo up from something to somethingSpending on research went up from $426 million to $461 million.spendgo2building/signBUILD if a building or sign goes up, it is built or fixed into place: It was a lovely place before all these new houses went up.behousego3explode/burnEXPLODE to explode, or be destroyed in a fire: He had left the gas on and the whole kitchen went up.haveleavegoThe whole building went up in flames.buildgoflame → go up in smoke at smoke1(3)4shoutSHOUT if a shout or a cheer goes up, people start to shout or cheergo up fromA great cheer went up from the audience.go5to another place British EnglishVISIT to go from one place to another, especially to a place that is further north, or to a town or city from a smaller placego up toWe’re going up to Scotland next weekend.goHe went up to the farm to get some eggs.goegg6lights if lights go up, they become brighter: when the lights went up at the end of the performancelightgo7university British English formal old-fashioned to begin studying at a university, especially Oxford or Cambridge Universitygo with somebody/something phrasal verb [not in passive]1be part ofINCLUDE to be included as part of something: The house goes with the job.goHe had fame, money, and everything that goes with it.havegogo with doing somethingResponsibility goes with becoming a father.gobecome2exist togetherRESULT to often exist with something else or be related to something else: Ill health often goes with poverty.go3relationship old-fashionedSEX/HAVE SEX WITH to have a romantic relationship with someone4have sex informal to have sex with someone5agreeAGREE to accept someone’s idea or plan: Let’s go with John’s original proposal.go without phrasal verb1go without (something)NOT HAVE to not have something that you usually have: I like to give the children what they want even if I have to go without.childIt is possible to go without food for a few days.beday2it goes without saying (that)CLEAR used to say that something is so clearly true that it does not need to be said: The Internet, too, it goes without saying, is a good source of information.gosaybe
gonounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplesgogoesgogo2 S1 noun (plural goes)
1try [countable]TRY TO DO OR GET STH an attempt to do something: ‘I can’t open this drawer.’ ‘Here, let me have a go.’On the tour, everyone can have a go at making a pot.makeI’d thought about it for some time and decided to give it a go (=try to do something).thinkdecideI had a good go (=tried hard) at cleaning the silver.havecleanat/in one goRuby blew out all her candles at one go.blowcandleI’m not sure it will work but it’s worth a go.2your turn [countable]PLAY A GAME OR SPORT someone’s turn in a game or someone’s turn to use something: Whose go is it?beIt’s your go.Can I have a go on your guitar?Don’t I get a go?3make a go of something informalSUCCEED IN DOING STH to make something succeed, especially a business or marriage: Nikki was determined to make a go of the business.bedetermineMany businesses are struggling hard to make a go of it.businessbestruggle4£3/$50 etc a go informal used for saying how much it costs to do something or buy something: At £3 a go, the cards are not cheap.cardbe5on the go informal a)if you have something on the go, you have started it and are busy doing it: Even with three top films on the go, Michelle is reluctant to talk about herself.filmbeHe has at least two other projects on the go.havelittleproject b)very busy doing a lot of things: Children are always on the go.childbe6something is a go American English spoken used to say that things are working correctly or that you have permission to do something: The trip to London is a go.be7something is (a) no go spokenNO used to say that something is not allowed or will not happen: The hotel is no go for dogs.bedog → no-go area8it’s all go British English spokenBUSY PLACE it is very busy: It’s all go around here.It’s all go in the commercial property market.9have a go especially British English spoken a)to criticize someone: You’re always having a go.havehave a go atWill you stop having a go at me!havehave a go at somebody for/about somethingMum had a go at me for not doing my homework.havedo b)ATTACKto attack someone: A whole gang of yobs were standing around, just waiting to have a go.yobbestandwait c)CATCHto try to catch someone who you see doing something wrong, rather than waiting for the police: The public should not be encouraged to have a go.shallencourage10energy [uncountable] British EnglishENERGETIC energy and a desire to do things: There’s plenty of go in him yet.11all the go old-fashionedFASHIONABLE very fashionable
nounLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: filmen ‘thin skin’ 1[countable] a story that is told using sound and moving pictures, shown at a cinema or on television SYN movie American English:
Have you seen any good films recently?seefilmfilm abouta film about a young dancer2[uncountable] moving pictures of real events that are shown on television or at a cinema: newsreel filmthe race to be first with film footage (=pictures) of news eventsevent3[uncountable] the work of making films, considered as an art or a business: I’m interested in photography and film.interestthe film industrya background in film and animation4[uncountable and countable] the thin plastic used in a camera for taking photographs or recording moving pictures: I shot five rolls of film on vacation.shootrollrecord/capture/preserve something on filmThe whole incident was recorded on film.berecord5COVER[singular] a very thin layer of liquid, powder etc on the surface of somethingfilm ofa film of oil on the surface of the water → clingfilmCOLLOCATIONSverbswatch a film He stayed in and watched a film on TV.staywatchsee a film We saw a good film last night at the cinema.seeappear in a film She once appeared in a film with Al Pacino.appearstar in a film (=be one of the main characters in a film) Robert Mitchum starred in a film called 'River of No Return' with Marilyn Monroe.starcalldirect a film The film was directed by Jean-Luc Godard.bedirectedit a film The film was edited using the latest digital technology.beedituselatemake/shoot a film Sutton has been making a film for Australian television.havebemakeshow/screen a film The film is being shown in cinemas all across the country.bebeshowcinemadistribute a film Warner Bros became the first major studio to distribute its films over the Internet.brobecomefilma film stars/features somebody The film starred Brad Pitt.stara film is released/comes out (=it is made available for people to see) The film is due to come out in May.bea film is showing (also a film is on British English) (=it is being shown at a cinema) The film is on at the Odeon Cinema.beADJECTIVES/NOUN + filma horror/adventure/war film He likes watching horror films.likewatchfilma cowboy/gangster etc film John Wayne was best-known for his roles in cowboy films.bewellknowrolefilma feature film (=a full-length film shown in the cinema) Shane Meadows’ first feature film was 'TwentyFourSeven'.meadowbea documentary film He has just completed a documentary film about Thomas Jefferson.havecompletean independent film (=a film made by a small film company) Young directors began making small independent films.directorbeginmakefilma foreign-language film (=a film in a language that is not the audience’s native language) Foreign-language films seldom do well at the box office.filma low-budget film He’s currently producing his own low-budget film.producea big-budget film a big-budget film aimed at the mass marketaima silent film (=made in the time before films had sound) a star of silent filmsfilmfilm + NOUNthe film industry Scorsese is a highly respected figure in the film industry.berespecta film company/studio (=a company that produces films) a European film company trying to compete with the major Hollywood studiostrystudioa film studio (=a special building where films are made) Many of the scenes were shot in a film studio.scenebeshoota film actor/star John Voight, the American film star, is perhaps best known for his Oscar winning performance in 'Midnight Cowboy'.bewellknowwina film director This year’s festival includes a tribute to the French film director Bertrand Tavernier.includea film producer (=someone who controls the preparation of a film) British film producer Alexander Korda decided to make a movie about Vienna.decidea film maker (=someone who makes films, especially as a director) He is one of several exciting young film makers.beexcitemakera film soundtrack (=the recorded music for a film) The film’s soundtrack was composed by Ennio Morricone.becomposefilm music In 'La Strada', Nino Rota demonstrates the poetic power of film music.demonstratea film festival The Berlin Film Festival attracted more than 400 films from around the world.attractfilma film premiere (=the first showing of a film) Film premieres tend to be glamorous occasions.premiereoccasiona film crew/unit (=a group of people working together to make a film) The film crew are making a documentary about village life.bemakea film camera The company produces digital film cameras.producecameraa film buff (=someone who is interested in films and knows a lot about them) Film buffs will enjoy reading 'The 100 Best Movies of All Time'.buffreadwellmoviea film critic The review was written by 'The Daily Telegraph’s' film critic.bewritea film school He graduated from film school in 1998.graduatefilm studies She’s studying for a diploma in film studies.studystudyTHESAURUSfilm especially British English, movie especially American English a series of images that tell a story and are shown in a cinema or on television: What’s your favourite movie? | It won the award for best foreign film.winwell | a made-for-TV moviemakemotion picture formal (also picture) a film – used especially by people who make films or by critics: a major Hollywood motion picture | Tell us about your latest picture.lateblockbuster informal a very successful film: Steven Spielberg’s latest Hollywood blockbusterlateflick informal a film – a very informal use: an action flickdocumentary a film that gives detailed information and facts about a particular subject: a documentary on the rain forestfeature film a film made to be shown in cinemas: The book was later made into a full-length feature film starring Sean Penn.belatemakestarcomedy a film intended to make people laugh: Monroe appeared in a number of comedies.appearnumbcomedyromantic comedy (also romcom British English informal) a film about two people who are in love, which is intended to make the people who watch it feel happy: ‘Notting Hill’ is a romantic comedy starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant.bestarthriller an exciting film, especially about murder or serious crimes: ‘The Birds’ is a classic Hitchcock thriller.birdbefilm noir a film that shows strong feelings of fear or evil and whose characters are often immoral, or these films in general: ‘The Big Sleep’ is a classic Hollywood film noir.beaction film/movie a film that has lots of fighting, explosions etc: Stallone’s latest action movielatehorror film/movie a frightening film about ghosts, murders etc: She loves watching old horror movies.lovewatchmoviewestern a film with cowboys in it: John Wayne is famous for making westerns.bemakewesternscience fiction film/movie (also sci-fi film/movie informal) a film about imaginary events in the future or in outer space: ‘2001’ is probably the most famous sci-fi movie ever made.bemakegangster film/movie a film about violent criminalssilent film/movie an old film without any sound: The 1920s were the golden age of silent movies.bemoviean independent film/movie a film made by a small film companyanimated film/movie/cartoon a film with characters that are drawn or made using a computer: One of his first animated films was ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’.animatefilmbedwarfanime /ˈænɪmeɪ, -mə/ a type of Japanese animated film, which often has a science fiction story: Miyazaki’s anime film ‘Spirited Away’ became an international success.spiritbecome | an anime characterCGI the use of computers to create characters and images in a film: The film uses CGI.use | Disney’s latest CGI movielateshort a short film, usually shown before a longer movie in the cinema: an animated shortanimatetrailer a series of short scenes from a film or programme, shown in order to advertise it in a cinema, on television etc: We had to sit through all the trailers.havetrailer
filmverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesfilmfilmsfilmedfilmingfilmfilm2 verb [intransitive and transitive]Verb form to use a camera to record a story or real events so that they can be shown in the cinema or on television: The love scenes are sensitively filmed.scenebefilmShe’s in South Africa filming a documentary for the BBC.filma thriller filmed entirely on location in Washingtonfilm—filmingfilming noun [uncountable]: Filming starts in October.filmstartfilm over phrasal verb COVERif your eyes film over, they become covered with a thin layer of liquid
noun
Date: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: issir ‘to come out, go out’, from Latin exire, from ire ‘to go’ 1subject/problem [countable]SUBJECT a subject or problem that is often discussed or argued about, especially a social or political matter that affects the interests of a lot of people:
Abortion is a highly controversial issue.beWe should raise the issue of discrimination with the council.shallThe key issue is whether workers should be classified as ‘employees’.beworkershallclassifyemployee2magazine [countable] a magazine or newspaper printed for a particular day, week, or monthissue ofthe January issue of Newsweekthe current/latest issueHave you seen the latest issue?seelate3take issue with somebody/somethingDISAGREE to disagree or argue with someone about something: It is difficult to take issue with his analysis.betake issue with somebody over somethingI must take issue with you over what you said yesterday.say4make an issue (out) of somethingARGUE to argue about something, especially in a way that annoys other people because they do not think it is important: I was upset by Eleanor’s remarks, but didn’t make an issue of it.beremark5have issues (with somebody/something) informal a)to have problems dealing with something because of something that happened in the past: There’s a self-help group for people who have issues with money.issue b)if you have issues with someone or something, you do not agree with or approve of them: I have a few issues with Marc.issue6at issue formalIMPORTANT the problem or subject at issue is the most important part of what you are discussing or considering: At issue here is the extent to which exam results reflect a student’s ability.beresult7act of giving something [singular]PROVIDE the act of officially giving people something to use: the issue of identity cards to all non-residentscardresident8set of things for sale [countable]AVAILABLE a new set of something such as shares or stamps, made available for people to buy: We launched the share issue on March 1.launcha new issue of bondsbond9die without issue old use to die without having any childrenCOLLOCATIONSverbsdiscuss/debate an issue They met to discuss the issue of working conditions at the factory.meetworkconditionraise an issue/bring up an issue (=say an issue should be discussed) Some important issues were raised at the meeting.issueberaisemeetdeal with/tackle an issue (also address an issue formal) The government must deal with the issue of gun crime. | The company said that it will address the issue at the next scheduled board meeting.sayschedulemeetdecide/settle/resolve an issue (=solve it) The issue was settled after some tough negotiations.besettlenegotiation | No deadline has been set to resolve the issue.havebeface an issue (=accept that an issue exists and deal with it) Politicians seem to be reluctant to face the issue.politicianavoid/evade an issue (also dodge/duck an issue informal) (=avoid discussing an issue) There is no point in evading the issue any longer.beevadelongconfuse/cloud/muddy the issue (=make an issue more difficult to understand or deal with than it needs to be) You must not let your feelings cloud the issue.feelinghighlight an issue (=bring attention to it) The minister used his speech to highlight the issue of global warming.usewarman issue comes up (also an issue arises formal) (=people started to discuss it) The issue arose during a meeting of the Budget Committee.arisemeetthe issues surrounding something This chapter discusses the ethical issues surrounding genetically modified foods.discussissuesurroundmodifyfoodadjectivesa political/social/economic etc issue They discussed a number of political issues.discussnumbissuean important issue The committee met several times to discuss this important issue.meettimea key/major/big issue (=very important) For me, the big issue is cost.bea difficult/complex issue He was able to grasp complex issues quickly.beissuea controversial/sensitive issue (=an issue that causes strong feelings and arguments) Abortion is a controversial issue.bea thorny issue (also a vexed issue formal) (=a difficult one that causes disagreement) Illegal immigration is always a thorny issue.bea burning issue (=a very important and urgent issue) For country-dwellers, transport is a burning issue.dwellerbeburnwider issues (=more general issues, that affect more people or things) This is a question that raises much wider issues.beraisewideissuea topical issue (=an issue that is important at the present time) The magazine discusses topical issues in science.discussissuethe underlying issue (=the cause, or a more important problem that is related to something) This research explores some of the underlying issues related to high unemployment.exploreunderlieissuerelatea fundamental issue (=a basic and important issue) Decisions still need to be made about some fundamental issues.decisionmakeissuean unresolved issue (=that has not been dealt with) A number of unresolved issues remain before the treaty can be signed.numbissuesignphrasesa range of issues A range of issues were debated at the meeting.issuebedebatemeetsomething is not the issue spoken (=something is not the most important problem or part) Price alone is not the issue.be
issueverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesissueissuesissuedissuingissueissue2 S3 W2 AC verb [transitive]Verb form1SAY/STATEto officially make a statement, give an order, warning etc: Silva issued a statement denying all knowledge of the affair.issuedenya warning issued by the Surgeon Generalwarnissue2PROVIDEif an organization or someone in an official position issues something such as documents or equipment, they give these things to people who need themissue a passport/permit/visa etcThe US State Department issues millions of passports each year.issuepassportissue somebody with somethingAll the workers were issued with protective clothing.workerbeissueclotheissue something to somebodyThe policy document will be issued to all employees.issueemployee3SELLto officially produce something such as new stamps, coins, or shares and make them available to buyissue forth phrasal verb literary if something issues forth, it comes out of a place or thingissue forth fromA low grunt issued forth from his throat.issueissue from something phrasal verb literary APPEARif something issues from a place or thing, it comes out of it: Smoke issued from the factory chimneys.issuechimney
verb [transitive]Word familyDate: 1400-1500Language: Latin
Origin: describere, from scribere ‘to write’ Verb form1DESCRIBEto say what something or someone is like by giving details about them:
The police asked her to describe the man.askAnother approach to the problem is described in Chapter 3.bedescribedescribe somebody/something as (being/having) somethingAfter the operation her condition was described as comfortable.bedescribeThe youth is described as being 18 to 19 years old.bedescribebeyeardescribe how/why/what etcIt’s difficult to describe how I feel.describe somebody/something to somebodySo describe this new boyfriend to me!describe doing somethingHe described finding his mother lying on the floor.describefindlie2describe a circle/an arc etc formalSIGN/GESTURE to make a movement which forms the shape of a circle etc: Her hand described a circle in the air.describeTHESAURUSdescribe to talk or write about a person, place, event etc, in order to show what they are like: Could you try and describe the man you saw?cansee | In her book, she describes her journey across the Sahara.describe | Police described the attack as particularly violent.describetell somebody about somebody/something to describe someone or something to someone. This phrase is more commonly used than describe in everyday spoken English: So, tell me about your holiday! | My friends have told me all about you!friendtelldepict formal to describe someone or something in a piece of writing: His stories depict life in Trinidad as seen through the eyes of a young boy.storyseeeye | In this new biography she is depicted as a lonely and unhappy woman.bedepictportray/represent formal to describe someone or something in a particular way: College teachers are often represented on television shows as slightly eccentric.teacherberepresentshow | The magazine has been criticized for the way it portrays women.havebecriticizeportraywoman | The treatment has been portrayed as a painless way of curing cancer, which is simply not true.havebeportraycurebe | Police have represented her as a willing participant in the crimes.representwillcrimecharacterize somebody/something as something formal to describe someone or something by emphasizing one particular quality or feature about them: He characterized himself as ‘an average American’.characterize | The successful schools were characterized as innovative and creative.schoolbecharacterizepaint somebody/something as something to describe someone or something, especially in a way that makes people believe something that is not true: Not all young people are as bad as they’re painted in the press.bepaint | We won, yet the media is painting it as a victory for our opponents.winmediumbepaintopponent | The woman was painted as having only a slight grasp of reality.bepainthavepaint a picture to describe a situation, so that people can get a general idea of what it is like: Can you paint a picture of life in Japan for us? | My uncle’s letters generally painted a rosy picture of how things were.letterpaintthingbe | The report painted a bleak picture of the management’s failures.paintfailure
noun
Date: 1500-1600Language: French
Origin: classe, from Latin classis ‘class of citizens, social class’ 1IN A SOCIETYsocial group a)[countable]CLASS IN SOCIETY one of the groups in a society that different types of people are divided into according to their jobs, income, education etc:
a member of the landed class (=people who own land)land → lower class, middle class, upper class, working class, → the chattering classes at chatter1(4) b)[uncountable]CLASS IN SOCIETY the system in which people are divided into these groups: Defining the concept of class is not an easy task.definebeThe old class system is slowly disappearing.bedisappear2GROUP OF STUDENTSstudents [C, also + plural verb British English]CLASS/GROUP OF STUDENTS a)a group of students who are taught together → classmatein a classWe’re in the same class for math.Gary came top of the class in English.comeMy class are going to the Lake District.bego b)American English a group of students who finished studying together in the same year → classmate: a class reunionthe class of 1965/2001 etc (=the group of students who finished in 1965 etc)The class of '69 spent almost as much time protesting as learning.spendprotestlearn3TEACHING PERIODteaching period [uncountable and countable] a period of time during which someone teaches a group of people, especially in a school SYN lesson British English: I missed Bible class last week.missin class (=during the class)No talking in class!talkHe was injured in a science class.beinjure4LESSONSstudying [countable]CLASS/LESSON a series of classes in a particular subject SYN course British Englishclass ina class in photography at night schoola dance classCindy’s taking a class on dealing with stress.takedeal5OF ANIMALS/PLANTS ETCsame type of something [countable] a group of people, animals, or things that are considered together because they are similar in some wayclass ofHave you passed a test for this class of vehicle?pass6train/aircraft etc [countable usually singular] one of the different standards of seats, food etc available on a train, aircraft etcfirst/business/tourist etc classWe always travel first class.7QUALITYquality [countable] a group into which people or things are divided according to their quality or abilitiesnicer/better etc class of somethingThe port now attracts a wealthier class of visitor.attractwealthyin a class of its own/in a different class (=better than everything else)Its sheer versatility puts this computer in a different class.putHe’s not in the same class (=not as good) as her at tennis.8STYLEstyle/skill [uncountable] informalGOOD AT a high level of style or skill in something → classyhave/show classThe team showed real class in this afternoon’s match.showA fountain will give your garden a touch of class.class player/actress etca class act informal (=someone who is skilful, attractive etc)Laughton is a class act who’s proved his worth in the game.beprove → high-class, low-class9DEGREEuniversity degree [countable] British English one of the three levels of a university degree: a second class degreeCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1adjectivessocial class Is there a link between crime and social class?bethe working/lower class At this time most of the working class was very poor.workbethe middle class A new middle class emerged after the war.emergethe upper class Members of the upper class didn’t have to work.memberthe ruling class (=the people in power) For a long time, French was the language of the ruling class.berulethe professional class (=the people with professional jobs) Doctors, lawyers, and teachers are all members of the professional class.doctorlawyerteacherbememberthe landowning/landed class (=the people who own land) This imposition of taxes angered the landed classes.taxangerlandclassthe educated class The educated classes shared certain values and experiences.educateclasssharevalueexperiencethe privileged class (=people with advantages because of their wealth, social position etc) Holidays abroad used to be only for the rich and privileged classes.holidayuseprivilegeclassverbsbelong to a class Like you, I belong to the working class.workbe a member of a class I suppose I’m a member of the middle class.class + NOUNa class system/structure (=a social system that has classes) He felt he was a victim of the class system.feelbea class division Nowadays, class divisions are related to economic status.divisionberelateclass differences (=differences that exist because of your class) There are noticeable class differences in family size.bedifferencethe class struggle/war (=disagreement or fighting between different classes) the class struggle between workers and capitalistsworkercapitalistclass conflict This is the basis of class conflict in capitalist society.beclass consciousness (=being aware of what class people belong to) There is a high level of class consciousness among the workers.beworkerCOLLOCATIONSMeanings 3 & 4ADJECTIVES/NOUN + classa French/geography/history etc class I have a history class at nine o'clock today.an evening class Mum goes to an evening class on Tuesdays.goevena beginners’/elementary/intermediate/advanced class (=teaching different levels of a subject) An advanced class might be available.advanceverbsgo to/attend a class I’ve got to go to a science class now.getattend class (=go to classes regularly) You can’t pass your exams if you don’t attend class.examtake a class (=go to classes as a student) I’m taking some art classes at the moment.takeclassteach a class One of the other teachers was ill so I taught her class.teacherbeteachmiss a class (=not go to one) Students who miss classes get behind with their work.studentclassbe late for class David was late for class again.behave a class especially American English (=as a student or teacher) What classes do you have this morning?classhold a class (=provide a class) Evening classes are held in the local school.evenclassbeholdTHESAURUSclass a group of students or schoolchildren who are taught together: There are twenty kids in the class.bekid | She gets along well with the other children in her class.getchild | I’m going out with some friends from my dance class.gofriend | 'I graduated in 1999.' 'What class were you in?'graduatebebackground the type of home and family you come from, and its social class: The school takes kids from all sorts of backgrounds.takekidsortbackground | We come from the same town and share a similar background. | working-class/middle-class etc background: The organization helps children from working-class backgrounds to go to university.helpchildworkbackgroundmiddle-class belonging to the class of people who are usually well educated, fairly rich, and who work in jobs which they have trained to do. For example, doctors, lawyers, and managers are middle-class: The newspaper’s readers are mostly middle class.readerbe | They live in a middle-class neighbourhood on the edge of town.white-collar someone who works in an office, not a factory, mine etc: white-collar worker/job/employee: The economic recession has put many white-collar workers in danger of losing their jobs.haveworkerlosejobworking-class belonging to the class of people who do not have much money or power, and who have jobs where they do physical work. For example, factory workers, builders, and drivers are working-class: Most of the people who live round here are working class.bework | I come from a working-class family – I’m the first one to graduate from college.workblue-collar someone who does physical work, for example in a factory or a mine, and does not work in an office: blue-collar worker/job/employee: His political support comes mainly from blue-collar workers.comeworkerupper-class belonging to the class of people who originally had most of the money and power, especially families that own a lot of land: Most senior politicians in the UK are from upper-class families.politicianbefamily | He spoke with an upper-class accent.speakunderclass the lowest social class, who are very poor and may not have jobs, homes etc: The government has created an underclass who do not feel they have any rights in society.havecreateright
classverbCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesclassclassesclassedclassingclassclass2 verb [transitive often passive]Verb form THINK ABOUTto consider people, things etc as belonging to a particular group, using an official system SYN classifyclass somebody/something as somethingHeroin and cocaine are classed as hard drugs.beclassdrug
adjective
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: grene 1colour having the colour of grass or leaves:
beautiful green eyeseyeRaw coffee beans are green in colour.beanbedark/light/pale/bright greena dark green dress → bottle green, lime green, pea green, → olive green at olive(3)2grassy covered with grass, trees, bushes etc: green fieldsfield3fruit/plantREADY not yet ready to be eaten, or very young: The bananas are still green.bananabetiny green shoots of new grassshoot4environment a)(also Green) [only before noun] connected with the environment or its protection: green issues such as the greenhouse effect and global warmingissuewarmHe was an early champion of green politics.be b)harming the environment as little as possible: We need to develop greener cleaning products.greencleanproductThe industry has promised to go green (=change so that it harms the environment less).havepromise5without experience informalREADY young and lacking experience SYN naive: I was pretty green then; I had a lot of things to learn.behavething6ill informalILL looking pale and unhealthy because you are ill: George looked a bit green the next morning.lookbitelook green about/around the gills (=look pale and ill)7green with envyWANT wishing very much that you had something that someone else has8the green-eyed monster literaryJEALOUS jealousy – often used humorously9have green fingers British English, have a green thumb American EnglishGOOD AT to be good at making plants grow10the green stuff American English informalMONEY money—greennessgreenness noun [uncountable]THESAURUSenvironmentally friendly not harmful to the environment: Cycling is very environmentally friendly.cyclebe | environmentally friendly holidaysholiday | Is there such a thing as an environmentally friendly car?beeco-friendly [usually before noun] not harmful to the environment – used especially about products: We always try to use eco-friendly cleaning products.cleanproduct | eco-friendly coffins made from newspaperscoffinmakenewspapergreen [usually before noun] not harmful to the environment – used especially in the following phrases: green productsproduct | green technology | green energy | It was voted the greenest building in Britain.bevotegreenbuildclean [usually before noun] clean fuels or forms of energy do not release any harmful substances into the atmosphere: We need cleaner fuels for cars and other road vehicles.cleanfuelcarvehicle | clean energy sources such as solar panels and wind turbinessourcepanelturbinerenewable renewable energy comes from sources that can be easily replaced naturally, so that there is always more available: The building is heated using renewable energy from the sun.buildbeheatuse | The government needs to invest more in renewable energy sources.needsource | Wind power is renewable and produces no greenhouse gases during operation.beproducegassustainable using the earth’s resources, without causing damage to the environment – used especially about farming, ways of living, and development: The flowers are produced to high environmental standards using sustainable farming methods.flowerbeproducestandardusefarmmethod | Many people want to lead more sustainable lifestyles and to conserve the planet’s resources.lifestyleresource | sustainable use of the world’s resourcesresourcecarbon-neutral balancing the amount of carbon gases that you put into the earth’s atmosphere with other activities that will effectively reduce the amount of carbon gases, for example by planting trees: a carbon-neutral company | Stirling is aiming to become the UK’s first carbon neutral city.beaim | All new homes will be carbon-neutral.homelow-carbon [usually before noun] producing only a small amount of carbon: Research is being done into the development of low-carbon electricity.bebedo | We will need to have a low-carbon economy.low-energy [usually before noun] low-energy buildings and lightbulbs use very little energy: Position is a key factor in the design of a low-energy house.be
greennounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplesgreengreensgreengreen2 S2 W3 nounWord family1[uncountable and countable] the colour of grass and leaves: a room decorated in pale blues and greensdecoratebluegreendifferent shades of greenshade2greens [plural] informal vegetables with large green leaves: Eat your greens.green3[countable]AREA a level area of grass, especially in the middle of a village: I walked home across the green.walk → village green4[countable] a smooth flat area of grass around each hole on a golf course: the 18th green5Green [countable] someone who belongs to or supports a political party which thinks the protection of the environment is very important: The Greens have 254 candidates in the election.greencandidate
greenverbCollocations from other entriesWord sets 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesgreengreensgreenedgreeninggreengreen3 verb [transitive]Word familyVerb form1to fill an area with growing plants in order to make it more attractive: Existing derelict land is needed for greening the cities.existbeneedgreencity2to make a person or organization realize the importance of environmental problems
noun1the coming of something/somebodyBEGINNING the time when something new begins, especially something that will cause a lot of changes: With the coming of railways, new markets opened up.comerailwaymarketopen2comings and goings informalBUSY PLACE the movements of people as they arrive at and leave placescomings and goings ofBeds are arranged so that patients can watch the comings and goings of visitors and staff.bedbearrangepatientcominggoingvisitorTHESAURUSnext happening or coming immediately after another one: When does the next train to London leave?do | I’ll see you next Saturday.following happening or coming immediately after something – used about periods of time, or parts of a piece of writing: We met the following day.meetfollow | The following weeks passed quickly.followweekpass | the following pages of the bookfollowpagesubsequent formal happening or coming at some time after something else: the subsequent success of the film | This will be explained in more detail in subsequent chapters.explainchapter | This figure is expected to rise steeply in subsequent years.beexpectyearsucceeding coming after someone or something else – used about a series of groups of people, periods of time, or parts of a book: succeeding generationssucceedgeneration | Succeeding governments have made the same mistake.succeedgovernmentmake | During the succeeding weeks he wrote several more letters.succeedweekwritelettercoming happening soon: The information will be mailed to members during the coming weeks.mailmembercomeweek | The villagers are storing up wood for the coming winter.villagerbestorecome
comingadjectiveCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplescomingcomingcoming2 adjective [only before noun] formalSOON happening soon: the coming wintercome → up-and-coming
adjective (comparative larger, superlative largest)Word familyDate: 1100-1200Language: Old French
Origin: Latin largus 1BIGbig in size, amount, or number OPP small:
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US.belargeThe T-shirt comes in Small, Medium and Large.comea large ovenproof panlarge sums of moneysumthose who drink large amounts of coffeeamountA large number of students have signed up for the course.numbstudentsign2BIGa large person is tall and often fat OPP small3be at largeESCAPE if a dangerous person or animal is at large, they have escaped from somewhere or have not been caught: The escaped prisoners are still at large.escapeprisonerbe4the population/public/society/world etc at largeIN GENERAL people in general: The chemical pollution poses a threat to the population at large.pose5the larger issues/question/problem/pictureALL/EVERYTHING more general facts, situations, or questions related to something: The book helps to explain the larger picture in the Middle East.helplarge6in large part/measure formalMOST mostly: Their success was due in large part to their ability to speak Spanish.be7(as) large as life British English spokenTHERE used when someone has appeared or is present in a place where you did not expect to see them: I turned a corner and there was Joe, as large as life.turnbe8larger than lifeINTERESTING someone who is larger than life is very amusing or exciting in an attractive way9by and large used when talking generally about someone or something: Charities, by and large, do not pay tax.charity → loom large at loom1(3), → writ large at writ2
largeverbCollocations from other entriesPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entrieslargelargeslargedlarginglargelarge2 verbVerb form large it (up) British English informal to enjoy yourself, especially in a way that involves drinking alcohol, dancing etc: Here’s a picture of us larging it up in Brighton last summer.large
noun
Word family1worry a)[uncountable]WORRIED a feeling of worry about something important: The recent rise in crime is a matter of considerable public concern.beconcern forour concern for human rightsrightconcern about/over/withthe rise of concern about the environmentthe growing concern over inflationgrowconcern with worsening law and orderworsenconcern thatincreased concern that the war could continue for a long timeincreasecanbe a cause for concern/cause concernThe activities of the far right have been a cause for concern for a while now.activitybeIn her last days the poet expressed concern for her father.dayexpress b)[countable]WORRIED something that worries you: One of the concerns that people have is the side effects of treatment.concernbeeffectEducation remains the electorate’s main concern.remainthe concerns expressed by parentsconcernexpressparent2something important [uncountable and countable]IMPORTANT something that is important to you or that involves you: His main concern is to be able to provide for his family.beconcern forThe consumer has become a major concern for this government.haveof concern to somebodytopics of concern to television viewerstopicviewer3feeling for somebody [singular, uncountable]LOVE a feeling of wanting someone to be happy and healthy: He was moved by her obvious concern.bemoveconcern forparents’ loving concern for their childrenparentlovechild4sb’s concernRESPONSIBLE if something is your concern, you are responsible for it: The money side of the business is your concern.be5not sb’s concern/none of sb’s concernPRIVATE/PERSONAL if something is not your concern, you are not interested in it and you do not need to worry about it or become involved in it: His affairs were none of her concern.affairbe6business [countable] a business or company: The restaurant is a family concern.beWe will continue to run the company as a going concern (=a business that is financially successful).goCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1verbscause concern The announcement will cause concern in the Middle East.feel concern A lot of people felt some concern about the proposal.feelexpress concern Police officials expressed concern about robberies, which have increased by 23%.officialexpressrobberyincreasevoice concern formal (=express concern) Some people have voiced concern about the state of the president's health.voiceraise concerns formal The incident has raised concerns over safety at the power station.haveraiseconcernphrasesbe of concern Of course, this is of great concern to parents.beparentbe a cause for concern Rising global temperatures are a cause for serious concern.risetemperaturebebe a matter of concern Elderly people in particular feel that crime is a matter of concern for them.beamid concern that/over something (=because there is concern about something) Shares fell slightly amid concern that the economy is slowing.sharefallbeslowadjectivesgreat/serious/considerable concern The spread of the disease is an issue of considerable concern.begrave concern (=very great concern) This disagreement was a matter of grave concern to the US.bea real/genuine concern Pensions are a genuine concern to many people.pensionbea particular concern Noise is a particular concern of those living near the airport.belivegrowing/mounting concern Growing concern has been expressed over the pollution of the North Sea.growhavebeexpressa common concern (=one that many people share) Rising food prices are a common concern.risepricebepublic concern (=felt by the public) Public concern about the destruction of the rain forests could harm the timber business.forestcannational concern The lack of good cheap public transport is a matter of national concern.bewidespread concern There seems to be widespread concern about the state of our hospitals.seemhospitalCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2adjectivessomebody's main/biggest concern My main concern is my children.bechildsomebody's primary/chief/principal concern The president said his primary concern was the welfare of the American people.saybesomebody's central concern Our organization's central concern is to help people at all levels of society.belevelsomebody's overriding concern (=much more important than anything else) An artist's overriding concern is to achieve the highest standard possible.overridebehighsomebody's only/sole concern Rick's only concern was having a good time at the weekend.behavesomebody's present/immediate concern Her two immediate concerns were to find a home and a job.concernbe
concernverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesconcernconcernsconcernedconcerningconcernconcern2 W3 verb [transitive]Word familyDate: 1300-1400Language: French
Origin: concerner, from Late Latin concernere ‘to mix together’, from Latin com- ( → COM-) + cernere ‘to sift’ Verb form1[not in passive]ABOUT if a story, book, report etc concerns someone or something, it is about them:
This study concerns couples’ expectations of marriage.concerncoupleexpectationThe report concerns the drug traffic on the Mexican–US border.concernRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say something is about something or, in British English, is/has to do with something, rather than say it concerns something:The book is about women’s experiences of war.bewomanexperience2WORRIEDto make someone feel worried or upset: Issues like food additives do concern me.issueadditive3EFFECT/INFLUENCE[not in passive] if an activity, situation, rule etc concerns you, it affects you or involves you: The tax changes will concern large corporations rather than small businesses.changecorporationbusiness4concern yourself with/about something formalTAKE PART/BE INVOLVED to become involved in something because you are interested in it or because it worries you: He told them not to concern themselves about him.tellHe loved his wife, and concerned himself with her needs and desires.loveconcernneeddesire5to whom it may concern an expression written at the beginning of a formal letter when you do not know the name of the person you want to communicate with
nounWord family1[singular, uncountable] the need or desire that people have for particular goods and services: Production is increasing faster than demand.beincreasefastdemand forthe demand for new housinghousein demand (=wanted)As a speaker he was always in demand.be → supply and demand2[countable]ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STH a very firm request for something that you believe you have the right to get: demonstrations in support of the nationalists’ demandsdemonstrationnationalistdemanddemand fortheir demand for higher salarieshighsalarydemand thatdemands that he should resigndemandshall3demands [plural]DIFFICULT the difficult, annoying, or tiring things that you need to do, or a skill you need to havedemands ofthe demands of modern lifedemanddemands onThe curriculum makes great demands on the teacher.makedemandThere are heavy demands on people’s time these days.bedemanddayplace/put demands on/upon somebody/somethingthe increased demands placed on police officersincreasedemandplaceofficer4popular demandPOPULAR when a lot of people have asked for something to be done, performed etcby/due to popular demand (=because of popular demand)The exhibition will run for an extra week, due to popular demand.5on demand formalASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STH whenever someone asks: Should you feed your baby on demand, or stick to a timetable?shallCOLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + demandhigh (=a lot of people want something) Demand for housing is higher than ever.housebehighlow (=not many people want something) Recently the demand for new cars has been relatively low.carhavebea big demand There’s always a big demand for photographs of celebrities.photographcelebritya great/huge demand (=very big) There is a huge demand for business software and services.beserviceincreased/increasing/growing demand One of the problems is the growing demand for housing.problembegrowhousefalling demand (=decreasing) the falling demand for coalfallconsumer demand (=the desire of consumers to buy goods) Consumer demand for new technology is strong.beverbsmeet/satisfy demand (=supply as much as people need or want) There are reports that the company cannot produce enough to meet demand.bereportkeep up with demand (also keep pace with demand) (=satisfy the demand) Public funding for higher education has not kept up with demand.fundhighhavekeepcope with demand (=satisfy demand) The existing services were not capable of coping with the demand for advice.existservicebecopeincrease/boost demand A very hard winter boosted the demand for natural gas.boostreduce demand Higher interest rates reduces the demand for credit.highratereducedemand rises/increases Demand for energy has continued to rise.havecontinuedemand falls (=becomes lower) Demand for the products has fallen in the last six months.producthavefallmonthphrasesbe much in demand (also be in great demand) (=be wanted by a lot of people) Fuel-efficient cars are now much in demand.carbesupply outstrips/exceeds demand (=more is available than people need or want) In the 1980s, the supply of grain far exceeded the demand.exceeda lack of demand Many factories closed through lack of demand.factoryclosea surge in demand (=a sudden increase) There’s often a surge in demand for the Internet at the weekend.
demandverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesdemanddemandsdemandeddemandingdemanddemand2 W2 verb [transitive]Word familyDate: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: demander, from Latin mandare ‘to order’ Verb form1INSISTto ask for something very firmly, especially because you think you have a right to do this:
Angry demonstrators demanded the resignation of two senior officials.demonstratordemandofficialdemand to know/see/have etc somethingI demand to know what’s going on.godemand thatThey demanded that the military government free all political prisoners.demandprisonerdemand something of somebodyIt seemed that no matter what she did, more was demanded of her.seemdobedemand‘Where are you going?’ she demanded angrily.begodemand ► Do not say ‘demand for something’. Say demand something: I demand my money back! (NOT I demand for my money back!)2NEEDif one thing demands another, it needs that thing in order to happen or be done successfully: Too many things demanded his attention at the same time.thingdemandIt’s a desperate situation demanding a desperate remedy.demand
verb (past tense and past participle carried, present participle carrying, third person singular carries)
Date: 1300-1400Language: Old North French
Origin: carier ‘to take in a vehicle’, from car ‘vehicle’, from Latin carrus; → CAR Verb form1lift and take [transitive]CARRY to hold something in your hand or arms, or support it as you take it somewhere:
Gina was carrying a small bunch of flowers.becarryflowerAngela carried the child in her arms.carryarmLet me carry that for you.Jack carried his grandson up the stairs.carrystaircarry something to something/somebodyThe waiter carried our drinks to the table.carrydrink2vehicle/ship/plane [transitive] to take people or things from one place to another in a vehicle, ship, or plane: The ship was carrying drugs.becarrydrugThere are more airplanes carrying more people than ever before.beairplanecarry3pipe/wire etc [transitive]TAKE/BRING if a pipe, wire etc carries something such as liquid or electricity, the liquid, electricity etc flows or travels along it: A drain carries surplus water to the river.carryThe aim is for one wire to carry both television and telephone calls.becall4move something [transitive] to cause something to move along or support something as it moves along: This stretch of water carries a lot of shipping.carryshipThe bridge carries the main road over the railway.carryPollution was carried inland by the wind.becarry5have with you [transitive]CARRY to have something with you in your pocket, on your belt, in your bag etc everywhere you go: I don’t carry a handbag. I just carry money in my pocket.All the soldiers carried rifles.soldiercarryrifleHe says he’s got to carry a knife to protect himself.sayget6have a quality [transitive]HAVE to have something as a particular quality: Degree qualifications carry international recognition.qualificationFew medical procedures carry no risk of any kind.procedureOlder managers carry more authority in a crisis.oldmanagerThe plan is not likely to carry much weight with (=have much influence over) the authorities.beauthorityIf the child believes in what she is saying, she will carry conviction (=make others believe what she says is true).believebesay7news/programmes [transitive] if a newspaper, a television or radio broadcast, or a website carries a piece of news, an advertisement etc, it prints it or broadcasts it: The morning paper carried a story about demonstrations in New York and Washington D.C.carrydemonstrationThe national TV network carries religious programmes.carryprogramme8information [transitive] if something carries information, the information is written on it: All tobacco products must carry a health warning.productwarngoods carrying the label ‘Made in the USA’goodcarrymake9be responsibleRESPONSIBLE [transitive] to be responsible for doing something: Each team member is expected to carry a fair share of the workload.beexpectWhich minister carries responsibility for the police?carryParents carry the burden of ensuring that children go to school.parentensurechild10shop [transitive]SELL if a shop carries goods, it has a supply of them for sale: The sports shop carries a full range of equipment.sportcarry11building [transitive]SUPPORT/HOLD UP if a wall etc carries something, it supports the weight of that thing: These two columns carry the whole roof.column12take somebody/something [transitive] to take something or someone to a new place, point, or positioncarry somebody/something to somethingThe President wanted to carry the war to the northern states.wantstateBlair carried his party to victory in 1997.carrycarry somebody/something into somethingClinton carried his campaign into Republican areas.carryarea13disease [transitive] if a person, animal, or insect carries a disease, they can pass it to other people or animals even if they are not ill themselves → carrier: The disease is carried by a black fly which lives in the rivers.becarryliveriverBirds and monkeys can carry disease.birdmonkey14carry insurance/a guarantee etcHAVE to have insurance etc: All our products carry a 12-month guarantee.product15be/get carried awayEXCITED to be so excited, angry, interested etc that you are no longer really in control of what you do or say, or you forget everything else: It’s easy to get carried away when you can do so much with the graphics software.carrygraphic16be carried along (by something) to become excited about something or determined to do something: The crowd were carried along on a tide of enthusiasm.becarryYou can be carried along by the atmosphere of an auction and spend more than you planned.carryplan17crime [transitive]PUNISH if a crime carries a particular punishment, that is the usual punishment for the crime: Drink-driving should carry an automatic prison sentence.driveshallMurder still carries the death penalty.carry18sound [intransitive]HEAR if a sound carries, it goes a long way: In the winter air, sounds carry clearly.soundThe songs of the whales carry through the water over long distances.songwhaledistance19ball [intransitive]DISTANCE if a ball carries a particular distance when it is thrown, hit, or kicked, it travels that distance20carry something in your head/mindREMEMBER to remember information that you need, without writing it down: Alice carried a map of the London Underground in her head.carry21tuneSING [transitive] to sing a tune using the correct notes: I sang solos when I was six because I could carry a tune.singsolobecanThe highest voice carries the melody.highcarry22persuade [transitive]PERSUADE to persuade a group of people to support you: He had to carry a large majority of his colleagues to get the leadership.havecolleagueHer appeal to common sense was what finally carried the day (=persuaded people to support her).becarry23vote be carried if a suggestion, proposal etc is carried, most of the people at an official meeting vote for it and it is accepted: The amendment was carried by 292 votes to 246.becarryvoteThe resolution was carried unanimously (=everyone agreed).becarryThose in favour of the motion raise your arm. Those against? The motion is carried (=proposal is accepted).becarry24election [transitive] American English if someone carries a state or local area in a US election, they win in that state or area: Cuban Americans play an important role in whether he carries Florida in the fall campaign.carry25your bodySTAND [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to stand and move in a particular way, or to hold part of your body in a particular way: He had a way of carrying his head on one side.havecarrycarry yourselfShe carried herself straight and with confidence.carry26carry the can (for somebody/something)BLAME British English informal to be the person who has to take the blame for something even if it was not their fault, or not their fault alone: He has been left to carry the can for a decision he didn’t make.havebeleave27not enough effort [transitive] if a group carries someone who is not doing enough work, they have to manage without the work that person should be doing: The team can’t afford to carry any weak players.player28childCHILD [intransitive and transitive]BABY/HAVE A BABY old-fashioned if a woman is carrying a child, she is pregnant29carry all/everything before you literarySUCCESSFUL to be completely successful in a struggle against other people30carry something too far/to extremes/to excessEXTREME to do or say too much about something: I don’t mind a joke, but this is carrying it too far.becarry31weightHEAVY [transitive] to weigh a particular amount more than you should or than you did: Joe carries only nine pounds more than when he was 20.carrypoundbe32carry a torch for somebodyLOVE to love someone romantically who does not love you: He’s been carrying a torch for your sister for years.becarryyear33carry the torch of something to support an important belief or tradition when other people do not: Leaders in the mountains carried the torch of Greek independence.leadermountaincarry34as fast as his/her legs could carry him/herFAST/QUICK as fast as possible: She ran as fast as her legs could carry her.runlegcan35adding numbersCOUNT/CALCULATE [transitive] to put a number into the next row to the left when you are adding numbers together → card-carrying, cash and carry, → fetch and carry at fetch1(3)COLLOCATIONSnounscarry out work You’ll have to get a builder to carry out the work.carry out your duties/responsibilities She carried out her duties very efficiently.carrydutycarry out a task/job He was unable to carry out simple tasks.betaskcarry out research I was in Italy carrying out research for my book.becarrycarry out a survey The committee has carried out a survey of parking problems in residential areas.havecarryparkproblemareacarry out a check Manufacturers carry out safety checks on all new cars.manufacturercheckcarcarry out a test Forensic experts are now carrying out DNA tests.expertbecarrytestcarry out an experiment Many schools need better facilities for carrying out scientific experiments.schoolwellfacilitycarryexperimentcarry out a review The government is carrying out a review of state pension provision.becarrycarry out a study He has carried out various studies into violent behaviour.havecarrystudycarry out an investigation The police will carry out an investigation into what actually happened.happencarry out an inquiry A formal inquiry into the cause of death will be carried out.carrycarry out an assessment The company is carrying out an assessment of staff training needs.becarrytrainneedcarry out a search Here are some more ways of carrying out information searches online.bewaycarrysearchcarry out an attack It became clear that terrorists had carried out the attack.becometerroristhavecarryTHESAURUScarry to have something or someone in your hands or arms when you go somewhere: She was carrying a heavy suitcase.becarry | Mary fainted, and had to be carried inside.fainthavecarrytote especially American English informal to carry something such as a bag or a gun: He came out of the office toting a black leather briefcase.cometote | Guards toting machine guns stood inside the airport.guardtotegunstandlug to carry something heavy, with difficulty: They lugged the mail in heavy canvas bags into the building.lugbagbuildcart to carry something large and heavy somewhere, especially when this is annoying or hard work: We carted all the furniture upstairs.cartschlep American English informal to carry something heavy: Marty schlepped the suitcases upstairs.schlepsuitcasebear formal to carry something – used when talking about what someone has with them when they go somewhere. Bear is commonly used as a participle bearing: They arrived bearing gifts.arrivebeargift | Anna returned, bearing a large red packet.returnbearcarry something ↔ forward phrasal verb1AVAILABLEto succeed in making progress with something: The new team have to carry the work forward.2COUNT/CALCULATEto include an amount of money in a later set of figures or calculationscarry something ↔ off phrasal verb1SUCCEED IN DOING STHto do something difficult successfully: I was flattered to be offered the job but wasn’t sure if I could carry it off.beflatteroffercan2WINto win a prize: a film that carried off three Oscarscarrycarry on phrasal verb1especially British EnglishCONTINUE/NOT STOP to continue doing something: Sorry, I interrupted you. Please carry on.interruptcarry on doing somethingYou’ll have an accident if you carry on driving like that.drivecarry on withI want to carry on with my course.carry on as usual/as you are/regardless etc2MOVE STH OR SBto continue moving: He stopped and looked back, then carried on down the stairs.stoplookcarrystairCarry straight on until you get to the traffic lights.light3carry on somethingCONTINUE/START AGAIN if you carry on a particular kind of work or activity, you do it or take part in it: Mr Dean carried on his baking business until he retired.carrybakeretireIt was so noisy it was hard to carry on a conversation.bebe4spokenBEHAVE to talk in an annoying waycarry on aboutI wish everyone would stop carrying on about it.willcarry5SEX/HAVE SEX WITH old-fashioned to have a sexual relationship with someone, when you should not: Lucy confessed to carrying on behind her husband’s back.confesscarrycarry on withShe was carrying on with a neighbour.becarrycarry something ↔ out phrasal verb1DO STH/TAKE ACTIONto do something that needs to be organized and planned: We need to carry out more research.A survey is now being carried out nationwide.bebecarryTurn off the water supply before carrying out repairs.carryrepairRegisterIn written English, people often use conduct when writing about research, experiments etc, because this sounds more formal than carry out:They conducted experiments to test this theory.conductexperiment2DO STH/TAKE ACTIONto do something that you have said you will do or that someone has asked you to do: Nicholson didn’t carry out his threat to take legal action.We carried out her instructions precisely.carryinstructionWill the government carry out its promise to reform the law?COLLOCATIONSnounscarry out work You’ll have to get a builder to carry out the work.carry out your duties/responsibilities She carried out her duties very efficiently.carrydutycarry out a task/job He was unable to carry out simple tasks.betaskcarry out research I was in Italy carrying out research for my book.becarrycarry out a survey The committee has carried out a survey of parking problems in residential areas.havecarryparkproblemareacarry out a check Manufacturers carry out safety checks on all new cars.manufacturercheckcarcarry out a test Forensic experts are now carrying out DNA tests.expertbecarrytestcarry out an experiment Many schools need better facilities for carrying out scientific experiments.schoolwellfacilitycarryexperimentcarry out a review The government is carrying out a review of state pension provision.becarrycarry out a study He has carried out various studies into violent behaviour.havecarrystudycarry out an investigation The police will carry out an investigation into what actually happened.happencarry out an inquiry A formal inquiry into the cause of death will be carried out.carrycarry out an assessment The company is carrying out an assessment of staff training needs.becarrytrainneedcarry out a search Here are some more ways of carrying out information searches online.bewaycarrysearchcarry out an attack It became clear that terrorists had carried out the attack.becometerroristhavecarrycarry something ↔ over phrasal verb1CONTINUE/NOT STOPif something is carried over into a new situation, it continues to exist in the new situation: The pain and violence of his childhood were carried over into his marriage.becarry2POSTPONE/DO LATERto make an official arrangement to do something or use something at a later time: Up to five days’ holiday can be carried over from one year to the next.daycarrycarry somebody/something through phrasal verb1FINISH DOING STHto complete or finish something successfully, in spite of difficulties: I’m determined to carry this through.determine2carry somebody through (something)HELP to help someone to manage during an illness or a difficult period: Her confidence carried her through.carry
carrynounCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplescarrycarriescarrycarry2 noun [uncountable] DISTANCE technical the distance a ball or bullet travels after it has been thrown, hit, or fired
noun
Word family1violence against somebody/somethingVIOLENCE AGAINST SB [countable]ATTACK an act of violence that is intended to hurt a person or damage a placeattack onThere have been several attacks on foreigners recently.beattackforeignera bomb attacka knife attackan arson attack (=an attempt to destroy a building using fire)victims of racial attacksvictimattack2in a warIN A WAR [uncountable and countable]ATTACK the act of using weapons against an enemy in a war: The attack began at dawn.beginattack onthe attack on Pearl Harborbe/come under attackOnce again we came under attack from enemy fighter planes.comeplaneRebel forces launched (=started) an attack late Sunday night.forcelaunchair/missile/nuclear etc attackthe threat of nuclear attack3criticismCRITICISM [uncountable and countable]CRITICIZE a strong and direct criticism of someone or somethingattack onThe magazine recently published a vicious personal attack on the novelist.publishbe/come under attack (=be strongly criticized)The company has come under fierce attack for its decision to close the factory.havego on the attack (=start to criticize someone severely)4illnessILLNESS [countable]ILLNESS/DISEASE a sudden short period of suffering from an illness, especially an illness that you have oftenattack ofI had a bad attack of flu at Christmas.haveHe died after suffering a severe asthma attack.diesuffer → heart attack5emotion [countable] a short period of time when you suddenly feel extremely frightened or worried and cannot think normally or deal with the situationpanic/anxiety attackHer heart began to pound frantically, as if she were having a panic attack.beginbehaveattack ofa sudden attack of nervesnerve6attempt to stop somethingACTIONS TO STOP STH [uncountable and countable]GET RID OF actions that are intended to get rid of or stop something such as a system, a set of laws etcattack onThe new measures were seen by many as an attack on the Scottish way of life.measurebesee7sport a)[uncountable and countable] an attempt by a player or group of players to score goals or win points b)British English [singular] the players in a team that are responsible for trying to score goals or win points SYN offense American English → defencein attackHeath will play alongside Smith in attack.8damage [uncountable and countable] when something such as a disease, insect, or chemical damages something: Unfortunately, the carved ceilings have suffered woodworm attack over the years.carveceilingsufferyearCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1NOUN + attacka bomb attack (=usually intended to achieve a political aim) Animal rights activists are believed to have carried out the bomb attack.rightactivistbebelievecarrya terrorist attack The accused men went on trial Monday for America’s worst-ever terrorist attack.accusemangoilla knife/gun attack He was sentenced to nine years in prison for the knife attack.besentenceyearan arson attack (=intended to destroy a building by burning it) Ten classrooms were completely destroyed in the arson attack.classroombedestroyadjectivesa violent/vicious/brutal attack Police described it as an extremely violent attack.describea horrific attack 'This was a horrific attack,' said Detective Chief Superintendent Ron Astles.besaya frenzied attack (=very violent and uncontrolled) The woman was stabbed to death in a frenzied attack at her home.bestaba racial attack Staffordshire police are treating the incident as a racial attack.betreata sexual attack There was no indication of a sexual attack.bean unprovoked attack (=in which the victim did nothing to cause the attack) Their teenage son was knocked to the ground, kicked and punched in an unprovoked attack.beknockgrindkickpuncha motiveless attack (=that happens for no reason) He was stabbed to death in an apparently motiveless attack.bestabverbscarry out an attack The man who carried out the attack has been described as white and 25 to 32 years old.carryhavebedescribeyearan attack happens/takes place (also an attack occurs formal) The attack took place at around 10 pm Thursday.takephrasesa series/spate/wave of attacks (=a number of attacks in a row) The killing follows a series of brutal attacks on tourists.killfollowattacktouristthe victim of an attack She was the victim of an attack in her own home.beCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2ADJECTIVES/NOUN + attacka nuclear attack They would not risk a nuclear attack on the United States.willunitestatean all-out attack (=that is done with a lot of determination) General Smith was in favour of an all-out attack on the enemy.bea full-scale attack (=that uses all the available soldiers and weapons) German troops launched a full-scale attack on the city.trooplaunchan armed attack Armed attacks against Israeli settlements are on the increase.armattacksettlementbea surprise attack We launched a surprise attack on their camp just before dawn.launcha missile/rocket/mortar attack There were 15 dead and 20 wounded in a missile attack on the capital.bewoundan air/bomb attack (=an attack from a plane using bombs) Malta was under heavy air attack.beverbslaunch an attack In April the French army launched an attack.launchlead/mount an attack The King now prepared to mount an attack on Granada.preparecome under attack Camps in the south came under attack from pro-government forces.campcomeforcebe under attack He arrived when the base was under attack from mortar and small arms fire.arrivebearmTHESAURUSattack noun [uncountable and countable] an act of using weapons against an enemy in a war: The US was threatening to launch an attack on Iran.bethreaten | The men had been carrying out rocket attacks on British forces.manhavebecarryattackforce | Bombs have been falling throughout the night, and the city is still under attack (=being attacked).bombbefallbeinvasion noun [uncountable and countable] an occasion when an army enters a country and tries to take control of it: The Allies began their invasion of Europe.allybegin | The threat of foreign invasion is very real.beraid noun [countable] a short attack on a place by soldiers or planes, intended to cause damage but not take control: an air raid | NATO warplanes carried out a series of bombing raids on the city.warplanecarrybombraid | The village has been the target of frequent raids by rebel groups.haveberaidgroupstrike noun [countable] a sudden military attack, especially after a serious disagreement: Senior Israeli officials warned that they were still considering a military strike.officialwarnbeconsider | the possibility of a nuclear strikeassault noun [countable] a military attack intended to take control of a city, area, or building controlled by an enemy: The final military assault on Kwangju began at 3 am on May 27.beginbe | Hitler launched an all-out assault (=using as many soldiers, weapons, planes etc as possible) on Russia.launchambush noun [uncountable and countable] a sudden attack by people who have been waiting and hiding, especially an attack on a vehicle or people who are travelling somewhere: Five soldiers were shot in the back and killled in the ambush.soldierbeshoot | Enemy forces waiting in ambush opened fire on the vehicle.forcewaitopencounterattack noun [uncountable and countable] a military attack made in response to an attack by an enemy: Government forces launched a counterattack against the guerillas.forcelaunch | If they successfully occupied the city, they would need to be capable of defending it against enemy counterattack.occupywilldefendonslaught noun [countable] formal a large violent attack by an army: In 1544 there was a full-scale onslaught on France, in which the English took Boulogne.betake | The troops were preparing for another onslaught against the enemy.troopbeprepare
attackverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesThesaurus 1 2Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Word sets 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesattackattacksattackedattackingattackattack2 S3 W2 verb
Word familyDate: 1600-1700Language: French
Origin: attaquer, from Old Italian attaccare ‘to attach’, from stacca ‘sharp post’ Verb form1use violenceATTACK SOMEONE [intransitive and transitive]ATTACK to deliberately use violence to hurt a person or damage a place:
She was attacked while walking home late at night.beattackwalkHis shop was attacked by a gang of youths.beattackyouthSnakes will only attack if you disturb them.snakeattack somebody/something with somethingHe needed 200 stitches after being attacked with a broken bottle.needstitchbeattackbreak2in a warIN A WAR [intransitive and transitive]ATTACK to start using guns, bombs etc against an enemy in a war: Army tanks attacked a village near the capital on Sunday.tankattack3criticize [transitive]CRITICIZE to criticize someone or something very strongly: Last year Dr Travis publicly attacked the idea that abortion should be available on demand.attackshallattack somebody for (doing) somethingNewspapers attacked the government for failing to cut taxes.newspaperattackfailtaxstrongly/bitterly/savagely etc attack somebody/something4damage [transitive]INJURE if something such as a disease, insect, or chemical attacks something, it damages it: a cruel disease that attacks the brain and nervous systemattack5begin doing [transitive]DETERMINED to begin to do something in a determined and eager way: She immediately set about attacking the problem.attackMartin attacked his meal (=started eating) with vigour.attack6sport [intransitive and transitive] to move forward and try to score goals or win points → defend: Brazil began to attack more in the second half of the match.beginTHESAURUSto attack a personattack to use violence against someone and try to hurt them: She was attacked by a man with a baseball bat.beattack | Police dogs are trained to attack.dogbetrainambush /ˈæmbʊʃ/ if a group of people ambush someone, they hide and wait for them and then attack them: The judge was ambushed by gunmen as he drove to work at the courthouse.beambushgunmandrivemug to attack someone and take money from them in a public place such as a street: He was mugged on his way home from school.bemugstab to attack someone with a knife: The victim had been stabbed in the neck.havebestabassault to attack and hurt someone – used especially when talking about this as a criminal offence: He assaulted a flight attendant who refused to serve him more drinks.assaultrefusedrinkbe set upon by somebody/something written to be attacked by a group of people: He died outside his home after being set upon by a gang of youths.diebeyouthturn on to suddenly change your behaviour and attack the person you are with, when they do not expect this: The dog suddenly turned on him, sinking its teeth into his arm.turnsinktoothto attack a placeattack to use weapons to try to damage or take control of a place: The village was attacked by enemy warplanes.beattackwarplane | We will attack at dawn.invade to enter a country and try to get control of it using force: The Romans invaded Britain 2,000 years ago.romaninvadeyearstorm to suddenly attack a city or building that is well defended by getting inside it and taking control: Elite troops stormed the building and rescued the hostages.troopstormbuildrescuehostagebesiege /bɪˈsiːdʒ/ to surround a city or building with soldiers in order to stop the people inside from getting out or from receiving supplies: In April 655, Osman’s palace was besieged by rebels.bebesiegerebel
noun (plural companies)
Date: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: compagnie, from compain ‘companion’, from Late Latin companio; → COMPANION 1BUSINESSbusiness [countable also + plural verb British English]COMPANY a business organization that makes or sells goods or services SYN business, firm:
Which company do you work for?I called the phone company about the bill.callThe company was set up just after the war.beThe company directors have awarded themselves a massive pay increase.directoraward2WITHOTHER PEOPLEother people [uncountable] when you are with other people and not alone: The two men enjoy each other’s company.manRita’s husband is away for the week, so I thought I’d go over and keep her company (=be with her so that she doesn’t feel lonely).bethinkCome over for dinner – I could use the company (=would like to be with other people).canJames is good company (=is a cheerful person who is enjoyable to be with).beas companyBessie was glad to have the dog as company.bein sb’s company (=with someone)I felt nervous in the company of such an important man.feelin company with somebody (=together with another person or group)He’s performing in company with saxophonist Ernie Watts.performwatt3GUESTSguests [uncountable]VISIT people who are visiting you in your home: It looks like the Hammills have company.lookWe’re expecting company this evening.expecteven4FRIENDSfriends [uncountable]FRIEND your friends or the group of people you spend time with: People judge you by the company you keep (=the people you spend time with).Things began to go wrong when he got into bad company.thingbeginget5PERFORMERSperformers [countable] a group of actors, dancers, or singers who work together: a theatre companya touring companytourthe Kirov Ballet Company6be in good companySAME used to tell someone who has made a mistake that they should not be embarrassed because some important or respected people have made the same mistake: If you can’t program the video recorder, you’re in good company.7GROUPGROUP [uncountable] formalWITH a group of people who are together in the same place, often for a particular purpose or for social reasons: He glanced around at the assembled company.glanceassembleSome jokes are just not appropriate to tell in mixed company (=in a group of both men and women).jokebemixin company (=when surrounded by other people, especially at a social occasion)Parents should teach their children how to behave in company.parentshallchild8somebody and companyFRIEND informal used after a person’s name to mean that person and their friends: This has not stopped Senator Biden and company from trying to make it an issue in the election.havestoptry9armyARMY [countable] a group of about 120 soldiers who are usually part of a larger group10two’s company, three’s a crowdALONE used to suggest that two people would rather be alone together than have other people with them → part company at part2(4), → present company excepted at present1(7)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 1ADJECTIVES/NOUN + company a computer/phone/oil etc company an international oil companya manufacturing/shipping/publishing etc company I’m working for a printing company at the moment.workprinta large/big company She has a senior position in a large manufacturing company.havemanufacturea small company His father is the director of a small company.bean international company (=with offices in different countries) She works for a major international company.worka multinational company (=with offices in many countries) Within ten years the business grew into a huge multinational company.yeargrowa private company (=not owned by the government) There are many tiny private companies.becompanya state-owned company (=owned by the government)a public/listed company (=offering its shares for sale on the stock exchange)a limited company (=one whose owners only have to pay a limited amount if it gets into debt)a subsidiary company (=owned or controlled by a larger company)the parent company (=the one that owns or controls a smaller one)a local company The new development will bring more business to local companies.companya reputable company (=with a good reputation) Choose a reputable building company to do the work.buildverbswork for a company How long have you been working for your present company?beworkjoin a company (=become an employee) I joined the company ten years ago.joinyearrun/manage a company Nick runs a property company.runset up/start/form a company Two years later he started his own software company.yearlatestartfound/establish a company The company was founded in 1993 by William J. Nutt.befoundtake over a company (=buy it and run it) The company was taken over by the management in a £32.5 million deal.betakea company grows/expands The company has expanded year on year.haveexpanda company goes bankrupt/goes out of business (=stops doing business after losing too much money)a company fails (=goes bankrupt) His audio equipment company failed in the mid 1980s.faila company goes bust informal (=goes bankrupt)a company goes to the wall informal (=goes bankrupt)a company goes into liquidation (=is closed and sold in order to pay its debts)company + NOUNcompany policy It is not company policy to give that information.bea company director/executive He earns a huge amount of money as a senior company executive.earna company car (=that your company gives you to use)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 2verbsenjoy sb’s company Steve was fun and she clearly enjoyed his company.beenjoykeep somebody company (=be with someone so that they do not feel lonely) Mum was out so I stayed at home to keep my younger sister company.bestayyounghave some company (=not be alone) ‘Come in,’ she said, pleased to have some company.saypleaseneed/want company Children need the company of other kids their age.childkidbe good/pleasant company (=be a cheerful person who is enjoyable to be with) I always liked seeing Rob – he was such good company.likeseebeTHESAURUScompany an organization that makes or sells something, or provides a service: big oil companiescompany | telephone companiescompany | He runs a software company.runfirm a company, especially one that provides a service rather than producing goods: a law firm | a firm of accountantsaccountant | a security firmbusiness a company – often used when talking about a company that employs only a small number of people: She set up her own catering business.cater | small businessesbusiness | a family businesscorporation a large company that often includes several smaller companies: IBM is one of the biggest corporations in the world.bebigcorporationmultinational a very large company with offices in many different countries: American multinationals are establishing research and development facilities across the developing world.multinationalbeestablishfacilitydevelopconglomerate /kənˈɡlɒmərət, kənˈɡlɒmərɪt $ -ˈɡlɑː-/ a very large company that consists of several different companies which have joined together: The company was taken over by a German media conglomerate.betakemediumgiant a word used mainly by newspapers for a very large company: Their clients include the retail giant, Wal-Mart.clientsubsidiary a company that is owned by a larger company: The company runs its New York operations through a US subsidiary.runoperation
adjective (comparative easier, superlative easiest)
Word familyDate: 1100-1200Language: Old French
Origin: aisié, from aise; → EASE1 1NEARnot difficult not difficult to do, and not needing much effort OPP difficult, hard:
The test was easy.beFinishing the task will not be easy.finishThere must be an easier way to do that.easyeasy to do somethingIt’s a great car, and very easy to drive.instructions that are easy to followinstructionbeIt would have been easy for the team to lose the game.willbemake it easier (to do something)The software makes it easier to download music.makeeasyHaving you here does make things a lot easier for me.havedothingeasyas easy as pie/ABC/falling off a log (=very easy)The station is within easy reach of (=close to) the town centre.beThe park is within easy walking distance (=close enough to walk to).bewalk2comfortable comfortable or relaxed, and without problems OPP hard: On the whole, Dad has had an easy life.havehaveeasy day/week etcShe had a nice easy day at home.haveYou can have an easy time of it now that the kids have all left home.kidleaveWhy don’t we make life easy for ourselves and finish it tomorrow?3not worriedRELAXED not feeling worried or anxious OPP uneasy: We talk more openly when we feel easy and relaxed.relaxI can leave the children with my mother with an easy mind.child4friendly friendly and pleasant with other people: She is gentle and easy to be with.be5easily attackedATTACK able to be hunted or attacked without difficulty: The soldiers on the streets are an easy target for terrorists.soldierstreetbeterroristTourists are easy prey for thieves.touristbethieve6take the easy way out to end a situation in a way that seems easy, but is not the best or most sensible way: I just took the easy way out and gave him some cash.takegive7have an easy time (of it)EASY to have no problems or difficulties: She’s not been having an easy time of it financially.behave8easy moneyEARN money that you do not have to work hard to get: We can buy them for $10 and sell them for $25 – easy money.9easy on the eye/earBEAUTIFUL/GOOD-LOOKING pleasant to look at or listen to: Soft colours are easy on the eye.colourbe10it’s/that’s easy for you to say spokenADVISE used when someone has given you some advice that would be difficult for you to follow11there are no easy answers used when saying that it is difficult to find a good way of dealing with a problem12I’m easy spokenDON'T CARE used to say that you do not mind what choice is made: ‘What would you like to do now?’ ‘I don’t know, I’m easy.’will13be (living) on easy street especially American English informal RICH to be in a situation in which you have plenty of money: If I get this new job, we’ll be living on easy street.live14on easy termsPAY FOR if you buy something on easy terms, you pay for it with several small payments instead of paying the whole amount at once: New settlers in the west could buy land on relatively easy terms.settlercanterm15eggs over easy American English eggs cooked on a hot surface and turned over quickly before serving16woman/lady/girl of easy virtue old-fashioned a woman who has sex with a lot of men17sex informal someone, especially a woman, who is easy has a lot of sexual partners → ease, easilyTHESAURUSeasy not difficult to do, and not needing much effort: an easy task | The house was easy to find.besimple easy and not complicated – used about things such as instructions and explanations, or about machines and systems: The system is relatively simple to operate.be | a simple recipe for chocolate cakestraightforward easy to understand or do, and unlikely to cause you any problems: a straightforward explanation | The calculation is fairly straightforward.beuser-friendly easy to use – used especially about computers or written information about how to do something: Their website is very user-friendly.be | a user-friendly guide to owning a dogownundemanding easy because it does not take a lot of effort: It was an undemanding role for someone of his experience.becushy /ˈkʊʃi/ informal a cushy job is easy to do and needs very little effort – often used when you are envious of the person who has it: It’s a pretty cushy job – all she has to do is drive a nice car around.havebe | a cushy number (=a very easy job)numbmindless so easy that you can do it without thinking – used especially when it makes you feel bored: mindless taskstaskpainless without any difficulties or problems – used especially when you expected something to be much worse: Finding the carhire place at the airport was relatively painless.findbe | Thankfully, there's a wide selection of search tools to make the task relatively painless.toolbe plain sailing British English, be smooth sailing American English to be easy and with no problems that you have to deal with: Things should be plain sailing from now on.thingshallsailinformal phrases meaning very easybe a piece of cake informal to be very easy to do, especially compared to doing something else: This test was a piece of cake compared to the last one.becomparebe child’s play informal to be surprisingly easy, or much easier than something else which is very difficult or dangerous: Getting people’s credit card details is child’s play when you know how to do it.getdetailbe | Climbing in England is child’s play compared to climbing in the Himalayas.climbbecompareclimbbe a breeze informal (also be a doddle British English) to be very easy to do: The software is a doddle to use.be | The check-in process was a breeze.beit’s not rocket science informal used when saying that something is very easy to do or understand, and you do not need to be intelligent to do it: Making your PC run faster isn’t exactly rocket science.makefast
easyadverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entrieseasyeasyeasy2 S2 adverbWord family1take it easy a)(also take things easy)RELAXED to relax and not do very much: Take things easy for a few days and you should be all right.thingdayshall b)spokenCALM used to tell someone to become less upset or angry: Just take it easy and tell us what happened.happen c)American English spoken used to say goodbye2go easy on/with somethingUSE STH to not use too much of something: Go easy on salty foods such as bacon.food3go easy on somebodySTRICT to be more gentle and less strict or angry with someone: Go easy on Peter for a while – he’s having a hard time at school.have4easier said than done especially spokenDIFFICULT used to say that something would be very difficult to do: Finding the perfect house was easier said than done.findbeeasysaydo5rest/breathe easyRELAXED to stop worrying: We can rest easy now – we’ve got everything under control.get6easy does it spokenCAREFUL used to tell someone to be more careful and slow, especially in moving7get off easy informal to escape severe punishment for something that you have done wrong: The rich could hire good lawyers and get off easy.canlawyer8easy come, easy go spokenEASY used when something, especially money, was easily obtained and is quickly used or spent9stand easy an order telling soldiers who are already standing at ease to relax more
prefix AFTERcoming or happening afterwards OPP pre-: an after-dinner speechafter-school activitiesactivity
verb
Word familyDate: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: faillir, from Latin fallere ‘to deceive, disappoint’ Verb form1not succeed [intransitive]FAIL to not succeed in achieving something:
It looks likely that the peace talks will fail.looktalkfail inHe failed in his attempt to regain the world title.failfail to do somethingDoctors failed to save the girl’s life.doctorfailMillions of people have tried to quit smoking and failed miserably (=been completely unsuccessful).trysmokefailhis efforts to save his failing marriageeffortfailIf all else fails, you may be advised to have an operation.failadvise2not do something [intransitive]FAIL to not do what is expected, needed, or wantedfail to do somethingThe letter failed to arrive.failFirms that fail to take advantage of the new technology will go out of business.firmThe government are failing in their duty to protect people.befailRegisterFail to do something is used mainly in writing and in formal contexts. In everyday English, people usually say do not do something instead: The letter failed to arrive. ➔ The letter didn’t arrive.3exam/test a)[intransitive and transitive]FAIL to not pass a test or examination: I failed my driving test the first time I took it.faildrivetakeHe failed maths but passed all his other subjects.failmathpasssubject b)[transitive] to decide that someone has not passed a test or examination: Her work was so bad that I had no choice but to fail her.behave4I fail to see/understand formalUNDERSTAND used to show that you are annoyed by something that you do not accept or understand: I fail to see why you find it so amusing.amuse5company/business [intransitive] if a company or business fails, it is unable to continue because of a lack of money6machine/body part [intransitive]STOP MOVING if a part of a machine or an organ in your body fails, it stops working: The engine failed on take-off.failThe hospital said that his kidneys were failing.saykidneybefail7health [intransitive] if your sight, memory, health etc is failing, it is gradually getting weaker or is not as good as it was: Failing eyesight forced him to retire early.failforce8never fail to do somethingCERTAINLY/DEFINITELY to do something or happen so regularly that people expect it: My grandson never fails to phone me on my birthday.fail9your courage/will/nerve fails (you)NOT HAVE if your courage etc fails, or if it fails you, you suddenly do not have it when you need it: She had to leave immediately, before her courage failed her.havefail10fail somebodyNOT HAVE to not do what someone has trusted you to do SYN let somebody down: I feel I’ve failed my children by not spending more time with them.failchildspend11crops [intransitive] if crops fail, they do not grow or produce food, for example because of bad weather12rains [intransitive] if the rains (=a lot of rain that falls at a particular time each year) fail, they do not come when expected or it does not rain enough → words fail me at word1(28)THESAURUSfail to not succeed – used about people, plans, methods etc: The plan failed.fail | They failed to persuade her to change her mind.fail | This method never fails.failgo wrong if something you do goes wrong, it fails after starting well: The experiment went wrong when the chemicals combined to form a poisonous gas.gochemicalcombinenot work if something does not work, it does not do what you want it to do: The drugs don’t work.drug | I tried to fix it with glue, but that didn’t work.trybe unsuccessful /ˌʌnsəkˈsesfəl◂/ to not have the result you wanted: His first attempt to get a teaching job was unsuccessful.teachbe | The search was unsuccessful.bebe a failure to be unsuccessful, with the result that you have wasted your efforts: The government’s 5-year plan to modernize the economy was a complete failure.bebackfire if a plan or action backfires, it does the opposite of what it was intended to do: His plan to get attention backfired, and instead of being promoted he lost his job.backfirebepromotelosein vain if you try to do something in vain, you fail to do it: They tried in vain to save him.try | All her efforts had been in vain.efforthavebe
failnounCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesfailfailsfailfail2 nounWord family1without fail a)ALWAYS/EVERY TIMEif you do something without fail, you always do it: Tim visits his mother every day without fail.visit b)CERTAINLY/DEFINITELYused to tell someone very firmly that they must do something: I want that work finished by tomorrow, without fail!finish2[countable] an unsuccessful result in a test or examination OPP pass: I got a fail in history.get
noun [countable]
Sense 1, 3-4, 6-13:Language: Old English
Origin: earmSense 2,5,14:
Date: 1100-1200
Language: Old French
Origin: armes (plural), from Latin arma 1BODYbody one of the two long parts of your body between your shoulders and your hands:
Dave has a broken arm.havebreakleft/right armHe had a tattoo on his left arm.haveleaveTim’s mother put her arms around him.armPat was carrying a box under his arm.becarryHe had a pile of books in his arms.havebookarmThey walked along the beach arm in arm (=with their arms bent around each other’s).walktake somebody by the arm (=lead someone somewhere by holding their arm)She took him by the arm and pushed him out of the door.takepushtake somebody in your arms (=gently hold someone with your arms)Gerry took Fiona in his arms and kissed her.takearmkisscross/fold your arms (=bend your arms so that they are resting on top of each other against your body)He folded his arms and leaned back in his chair.foldarmleanThe old lady rushed to greet him, arms outstretched.rusharm2WEAPONSweapons arms [plural]WEAPON weapons used for fighting wars: Sales of arms to the Middle East have dramatically increased.salearmincreasenuclear armsthe arms tradearman arms dealerarmThe government is cutting arms expenditure.becutarmThe United Nations will lift its arms embargo against the country.unitenationarmtake up arms (against somebody) (=get weapons and fight)Boys as young as 13 are taking up arms to defend the city.boybetakearmHe appealed for the rebels to lay down their arms (=stop fighting).appealrebelliearmunder arms (=with weapons and ready to fight)All available forces are under arms.forcebearm → small arms at small1(15)3
furnitureFURNITURE the part of a chair, sofa etc that you rest your arms on4clothingCLOTHING the part of a piece of clothing that covers your arm SYN sleeve5be up in armsANGRY to be very angry and ready to argue or fight: Residents are up in arms about plans for a new road along the beach.residentbearmplan6with open armsHAPPY if you do something with open arms, you show that you are happy to see someone or eager to accept an idea, plan etc: We welcomed Henry’s offer with open arms.welcomearmMy new in-laws accepted me with open arms.lawacceptarm7somebody would give their right arm to do somethingWILLING used to say that someone would be willing to do anything to get or do something because they want it very much: I’d give my right arm to be 21 again.8hold something at arm’s lengthFAR to hold something away from your body9keep/hold somebody at arm’s lengthAVOID to avoid developing a relationship with someone: Petra keeps all men at arm’s length to avoid getting hurt.keepmanget10as long as your arm informalLONG a list or written document that is as long as your arm is very long: I’ve got a list of things to do as long as your arm.getthing11part of groupPART OF GROUPPART a part of a large group that is responsible for a particular type of activity: the political arm of a terrorist organizationEpson America is the US marketing arm of a Japanese company.bemarket12object/machineOBJECT/MACHINE a long part of an object or piece of equipment: the arm of a record playerThere is a 15-foot arm supporting the antenna.besupport13on sb’s arm old-fashioned if a man has a woman on his arm, she is walking beside him holding his arm14DESIGNdesign arms [plural]SIGN/INDICATION a set of pictures or patterns, usually painted on a shield, that is used as the special sign of a family, town, university etc SYN coat of arms → arms akimbo at akimbo(1), → babe in arms at babe(1), → brothers in arms at brother1(6), → cost an arm and a leg at cost2(1), → fold somebody/something in your arms at fold1(7), → twist sb’s arm at twist1(9)COLLOCATIONSadjectivessb’s left/right arm She broke her left arm in a riding accident.breakleaveridebroken/fractured He was taken to hospital with a broken arm.betakebreakstrong a muscular man with strong armsarmbare (=not covered by clothes) She wore no stockings and her arms were bare.wearstockingarmbeverbswave your arms (=to attract attention) The man was waving his arms and shouting something.bewavearmshoutraise your arm Stand with your feet apart and your arms raised above your head.footarmraisefold/cross your arms (=bend both arms in front of your body) He folded his arms across his chest and waited.foldarmwaitstretch/hold out your arms I dreamt I saw my mother again with her arms stretched out towards me.dreamseearmstretchgrab sb’s arm (=take hold of it with a sudden violent movement) ‘Wait’, he cried, grabbing her arm.crygrabput/wrap your arms around somebody I put my arms around Bobby and gave him a hug.armgivetake/hold somebody in your arms (=gently put your arms around someone you love) He took her in his arms and kissed her.takearmkisstake somebody by the arm (=lead someone somewhere holding their arm) ‘It’s this way’ he said, taking me by the arm.saytakephrasesarm in arm (=with your arm linked to someone else’s arm) There were several young couples, walking arm in arm.becouplewalkwith arms akimbo (=with your hands on your hips so that your elbows point away from your body) Anna stood with arms akimbo, ready to challenge me.standarmwith outstretched arms Manuel came forward with outstretched arms to welcome Magda.comearm
armverbCollocations from other entriesActivator 1Phrases from other entriesCorpus examplesarmarmsarmedarmingarmarm2 verb [transitive]Date: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: armer, from Latin armare, from arma; → ARM1 Verb form1WEAPONto provide weapons for yourself, an army, a country etc in order to prepare for a fight or a wararm somebody with something
The local farmers have armed themselves with rifles and pistols.farmerarmriflepistolThe rebels armed a group of 2,000 men to attack the city.rebelarmman → armed, unarmed2INFORMATIONto provide all the information, skills, or equipment you need to do something SYN equiparm somebody with somethingArm yourself with all the facts you need to argue your case.factThe guidebook arms the reader with a mass of useful information.arm
adverb, prepositionDate: 1200-1300Language: Anglo-French
Origin: an crois ‘in cross’ 1CROSSfrom one side of something to the other:
the first flight across the AtlanticThey ran straight across the road (=without stopping).runWe’ll have to swim across.We’d got halfway across before Philip realized he’d left his money at home.getrealizeleaveWe gazed across the valley.gaze2CROSStowards someone or something on the other side of an area: There’s Brendan. Why don’t you go across and say hello?across to/atThe referee looked across at his linesman before awarding the penalty.lookawardHe walked across to where I was sitting.walkbesit3CROSSused to say that something exists or reaches from one side of an area to the other: a deep crack across the ceilingthe only bridge across the riverDo you think this shirt is too tight across the shoulders?beshoulderSomeone’s parked right across the entrance to the driveway.park4OPPOSITE/FACEon the opposite side of something: My best friend lives across the road.wellliveHe knew that just across the border lay freedom.knowlieacross (something) from somebody/somethingAcross the street from where we’re standing, you can see the old churchyard.standthe woman sitting across from me (=opposite me) on the trainsit5EVERYONEin every part of a country, organization etc: a TV series that became popular across five continentsbecomecontinentTeachers are expected to teach a range of subjects right across the curriculum.teacherbeexpectsubject6WIDEused to show how wide something isten feet/five metres etc acrossThe river is 2 kilometres across.bekilometre
noun
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: boc 1printed pages [countable] a set of printed pages that are held together in a cover so that you can read them:
I’ve just started reading a book by Graham Greene.startreada cookery bookbook about/ona book about catscat2to write in [countable]WRITE a set of sheets of paper held together in a cover so that you can write on them: a black address booka notebook3set of things [countable]GROUP OF THINGS a set of things such as stamps, matches, or tickets, held together inside a paper cover: a cheque book4books [plural] a)accounts written records of the financial accounts of a business: An accountant will examine the company’s books.booka small firm that is having problems balancing the books (=keeping its profits and spending equal)behaveproblembalancebookon the booksThey have £50 billion worth of orders on the books.orderbook → cook the books at cook1(3) b)jobs the names of people who use a company’s services, or who are sent by a company to work for other peopleon sb’s booksan agent with a lot of popular actors on his booksactorbook5by the bookOBEY exactly according to rules or instructions: She feels she has to go by the book and can’t use her creativity.feelhavedo/play something by the bookThe police were careful to do everything by the book.be6a closed bookUNDERSTAND a subject that you do not understand or know anything about: Chemistry is a closed book to me.beclose7be in sb’s good/bad books informalSATISFIEDANNOY used to say that someone is pleased or annoyed with you8law be on the books if a law is on the books, it is part of the set of laws in a country, town, area etc9part of a book [countable]PART one of the parts that a very large book such as the Bible is divided intobook ofthe Book of Isaiah10in my bookTHINK/HAVE THE OPINION THAT spoken said when giving your opinion: In my book, nothing is more important than football.be11bring somebody to book to punish someone for breaking laws or rules, especially when you have been trying to punish them for a long time: War criminals must be brought to book.criminalbring → statute book, → take a leaf out of sb’s book at leaf1(2), → read somebody like a book at read1(16), → suit sb’s book at suit2(5), → a turn-up for the book at turn-up(2), → throw the book at somebody at throw1(26)COLLOCATIONSverbsread a book What book are you reading at the moment?bereadlook through a book (=look at the pages quickly) I looked through the book until I found the right section.lookfindwrite a book He’s written several interesting travel books.writeinterestbookpublish a book The book is published by Penguin.bepublisha book comes out (=it is published for the first time) Everyone was waiting for the new Harry Potter book to come out.bewaitborrow a book (also take out a book British English) (=from a library) You can borrow up to six books from the library.bookreturn a book (=to a library) Please return all your books before the end of term.bookrenew a book (=arrange to continue borrowing it from a library) If you need to renew a book, you can do it by phone.book + NOUNa book shop (also book store American English) I got it from that little book shop in the village.geta book seller (=a person, shop, or company selling books) High street book sellers are experiencing a drop in sales.sellerbeexperiencesalea book token British English (=a ticket that you can use to pay for a book) She always bought me book tokens for my birthday.buytokena book review (=an article giving critical opinions of a book) She had a book review published in the student magazine.havepublisha book fair (=an event at which publishers and authors show new books)the introduction/preface/foreword to a book In the introduction to this book I referred to a conversation between myself and a young student.refera section of a book The most useful section of the book is the list of suppliers of artists’ materials.besupplierartistmaterialphrasesthe cover of a book His picture is on the cover of the book.bea chapter of a book The first chapter of the book is about his childhood.beTHESAURUStypes of booknovel noun [countable] a book about imaginary people and events: The film is based on Nick Hornby’s best-selling novel.bebasewellsell | a historical novelfiction noun [uncountable] books that describe imaginary people and events: She reads a lot of romantic fiction.readliterature noun [uncountable] novels and plays that are considered to be important works of art: I’m studying American literature at university.studynon-fiction noun [uncountable] books that describe real people and events: Men tend to prefer non-fiction.manscience fiction noun [uncountable] books about imaginary events in the future or space travelreference book noun [countable] a book such as a dictionary or encyclopedia, which you look at to find informationtextbook noun [countable] a book about a particular subject that you use in a classroomset book British English, course book British English noun [countable] a book that you have to study as part of your courseguidebook noun [countable] a book telling visitors about a city or countrypicture book noun [countable] a book for children with many pictures in ithardcover/hardback noun [countable] a book that has a hard stiff coverpaperback noun [countable] a book that has a paper coverbiography noun [countable] a book about a real person’s life, written by another personautobiography noun [countable] a book that someone has written about their own liferecipe book/cookery book British English (also cookbook American English) noun [countable] a book that tells you how to cook different meals
bookverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2Word sets 1 2 3 4Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesbookbooksbookedbookingbookbook2 S2 verbVerb form1[intransitive and transitive]BUY to make arrangements to stay in a place, eat in a restaurant, go to a theatre etc at a particular time in the future → reserve: Have you booked a holiday this year?bookThe flight was already fully booked (=no more seats were available).bebookTo get tickets, you have to book in advance.ticketThe show’s booked solid (=all the tickets have been sold) until February.book2[transitive] to arrange for someone such as a singer to perform on a particular date: The band was booked for a benefit show in Los Angeles.bebook3be booked up a)if a hotel, restaurant etc is booked up, there are no more rooms, places, seats etc still available: The courses quickly get booked up.coursebook b)if someone is booked up, they are extremely busy and have arranged a lot of things they must do: I’m all booked up this week – can we get together next Friday?book4[transitive] to arrange for someone to go to a hotel, fly on a plane etc: I’ve booked you a flight on Saturday.bookbook somebody on/in etcI’ll book you in at the Hilton.5[transitive] to put someone’s name officially in police records, along with the charge made against them: Smith was booked on suspicion of attempted murder.bebookattempt6[transitive] British English when a referee in a sports game books a player who has broken the rules, he or she officially writes down the player’s name in a book as a punishmentCOLLOCATIONSbook + NOUNbook a holiday People often book their holidays in January.holidaybook a trip I booked the whole trip on the Internet.bookbook a flight He picked up the phone and booked a flight to Barcelona.pickbookbook a ticket It’s cheaper if you book your train ticket in advance.cheapbook a table (=in a restaurant) I’ll book a table for 7.30 tomorrow evening.evenbook a room/hotel Ross found a good hotel and booked a room.findbookbook a seat She booked me a seat on the 9 am flight.bookbebook a place on something Students are advised to book a place on the course early.studentbeadviseadverbsbook early We recommend you book early to avoid disappointment.book (well) in advance There are only 20 places, so it is essential to book well in advance.beplacebebook online (=on the Internet) It’s much easier to book tickets online.easyticketbe fully booked (=all the seats, tickets etc are sold) I’m afraid that show is fully booked.bebookbe booked solid (=all the seats, tickets etc are sold for a long period) The restaurant’s booked solid for the whole of the Christmas period.bookTHESAURUSto arrange to do somethingarrange to organize or make plans for something such as a meeting, party, or trip: He had arranged to meet Marcia outside the restaurant.havearrange | The company arranges skiing trips.arrangeskitripfix/fix up especially British English spoken to arrange something, especially for someone else: John had fixed up for me to give a talk.havefix | I’ve fixed an appointment for you at the doctor’s.fixorganize (also -ise British English) to make the arrangements for an event, especially a big public event: They had organized a protest against the war.haveorganizeset a time/date (also fix a time/date British English) to arrange for something to happen at a particular time or on a particular day: Have you set a date for the wedding yet? | We fixed a time for me to visit.fixreserve/book to arrange to stay in a place, go to a theatre, travel on a plane etc: I’ve booked the flight to Zurich.book | He had reserved a table at the restaurant.havereservetake care of/make the arrangements to arrange all the details of an event: Uncle James is making all the funeral arrangements.bemakearrangementbook in (also book into somethingbook into something) phrasal verb British English to arrive at a hotel and say who you are etc SYN check in: Several tourists were booking in.touristbebook
adjectiveWord family1[not before noun] if you are based somewhere, that is the place where you work or where your main business is: It is a professional service based at our offices in Oxford.bebaseofficeLondon-based/New York-based etca London-based firm of accountantsbaseaccountant2oil-based/carbon-based/computer-based etc used to describe the basic feature or part of something: computer-based teachingbaseteachcommunity-based servicesbaseservicecarbon-based fuelsbasefuel3broadly-based based on many kinds of things or people: a broadly-based government of national reconciliationbase
adjective (comparative greater, superlative greatest)
Word familyLanguage: Old English
1large [usually before noun] very large in amount or degree: The movie was a great success.beThe news came as possibly the greatest shock of my life.comegreatThe paintings cost a great deal (=a lot) of money.paintingJohn always takes great care over his work.takeIt gives me great pleasure (=I am very pleased) to introduce tonight’s speaker.giveIt’s a great pity that none of his poems survive.poemThe temptation was too great to resist.be2excellent especially spoken GOOD/EXCELLENTvery good SYN wonderful, fantastic: The weather here is great.beIt’s great to be home.a great day out for all the familysound/taste/smell/feel etc greatI worked out this morning and I feel great.workYou look great in that dress.great for doing somethingEmail’s great for keeping in touch.keepthe great thing about somebody/something (=the very good thing about someone or something)The great thing about Alex is that he’s always willing to explain things to you.bewillthing3important a)[usually before noun] important or having a lot of influence: one of the greatest scientific achievements of our timegreatachievementWhat makes a novel truly great?makegreat historical eventsevent b)used in the title of a person or event that was very important in the pastPeter/Catherine etc the GreatI’m reading a biography of Alexander the Great.readthe Great Depressionthe Great War old-fashioned (=World War I)4generous very good or generous in a way that people admire: a great humanitarian gesture5extremely skilful famous for being able to do something extremely well: Ali was undoubtedly one of the greatest boxers of all time.begreatboxera book about the lives of the great composerslivecomposer6big written very big SYN huge: A great crowd had gathered.havegatherA great iron stove filled half the room.stavefill7great big spokenVERY very big: Get your great big feet off my table!foot8doing something a lot used to emphasize that someone does something a lota great talker/reader/admirer etcAnthony’s a great talker – sometimes you just can’t get a word in.Len was a great believer in the power of positive thinking.bethinkbe a great one for doing somethingShe’s a great one for telling stories about her schooldays.tellstoryschoolday9to a greater or lesser extent used to emphasize that something is always true, even though it is more true or noticeable in some situations than others: Most companies operate in conditions that are to a greater or lesser extent competitive.companyconditionbegreatlittle10be no great shakes informalBAD AT to not be very good, interesting, or skilful: The work’s no great shakes, but at least I’m earning.shakelittleearn11be going great guns informalSUCCESSFUL to be doing something extremely well: After a slow start, the Tigers are going great guns.tigerbegogun12bad spoken informal used when you are disappointed or annoyed about something: ‘Daniel’s cancelled the party.’ ‘Oh great!’cancel13animal/bird/plant etc used in the names of some animals or plants, especially when they are bigger than other animals or plants of the same type: the Great Crested Grebecrest14the great outdoors informal the countryside, considered as enjoyable and healthy: He had a taste for adventure and the great outdoors.have15great minds (think alike) spoken used humorously when you and another person have had the same idea16the greater good a general advantage that you can only gain by losing or harming something that is considered less important: Some wars are fought for the greater good.warbefightgreat17the great apes the different types of animals that are similar to large monkeys, considered as a group: Alone of the great apes, the gorilla is not very efficient at using tools.apebeusetool18the great divide a situation in which there is a big difference between groups in society, areas of a country etc, for example a big difference between their wealth or attitudes: The great divide between north and south seems to be as unbridgeable as ever.seem19Greater London/Los Angeles/Manchester etc London, Los Angeles etc and its outer areas20huge/enormous great British English spokenBIG used to emphasize how big something is21great Scott!/great Heavens! spoken old-fashioned used to express shock or surprise22great with child literary very soon to have a baby—greatnessgreatnessesgreatness noun [uncountable]: She was destined for greatness.be
greatnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesThesaurus 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesgreatgreatsgreatgreat2 nounWord family1[countable usually plural] a very successful and famous person in a particular sport, profession etc: Jack Nicklaus is one of golf’s all-time greats.begreatI think his show’s OK, but I wouldn’t call him one of the greats.great2IMPORTANTthe great and the good people who are considered important – used humorouslyTHESAURUSa very famous personsuperstar an extremely famous performer, especially a musician or film actor: The film made Tom Cruise an international superstar.makelegend someone who is famous and admired for being extremely good at doing something – used especially about people who are at the end of a long career or who have died: blues legend John Lee Hookerblue | Jane Fonda is the daughter of film legend Henry Fonda.begreat [usually plural] someone who was one of the best players or performers that there have ever been: He was one of the all-time soccer greats.begreat
noun (plural bodies)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: bodig
1people/animals [countable]BODY the physical structure of a person or animal: the human bodyMy fingers were numb and my whole body ached.fingerbeachebody weight/temperature/sizeYour body temperature is higher in the daytime than at night.behighFor their body size, these birds lay very small eggs.birdlieeggHe needs to overcome a negative body image (=what you think about your own body).need2dead personDEAD BODY [countable]BODY the dead body of a person: A dog found the body of a girl in the woods.findwood3groupGROUP OF PEOPLE [countable] a group of people who work together to do a particular job or who are together for a particular purpose: The British Medical Association is the doctors’ professional body.bedoctorbody ofThere were reports of a large body of armed men near the border.bereportarmmanKaplan served on the governing body of the museum (=the group who control the museum).servegovernThe student body (=all the students in a school or college) numbers 5,000.numberThe research will be used by government departments and other public bodies (=groups whose work is connected to the government).usedepartmentbodyin a body (=as a group, together)The women moved towards the building in a body.womanmovebuild4body of something a)AMOUNTa large amount or mass of something, especially something that has been collectedbody of knowledge/evidence/opinion etcThere is now a considerable body of knowledge of the different stages of childhood.bestageThere is a growing body of evidence that charges are too high.begrowchargebe b)MAINthe main, central, or most important part of something: The arguments are explained in the body of the text.argumentbeexplainLeave three blank lines between the date and the body of the letter.line5body of water a large area of water such as a lake: The city was built near a large body of water.bebuild6middle partCENTRAL PART [countable]BODY the central part of a person or animal’s body, not including the head, arms, legs, or wings: Nick had bruises on his face and body.havebruiseThe bird has a small body and long wings.havewing7vehicleVEHICLE [countable] the main structure of a vehicle not including the engine, wheels etc: Workers at the factory are making steel bodies for cars.workerbemakebodycar8objectSEPARATE OBJECT [countable]SEPARATE technical an object that is separate from other objects: Keep the caps on the bottles to prevent foreign bodies entering them (=objects that should not be there).capbottlebodyenter → heavenly body at heavenly(3)9hairHAIR [uncountable] if your hair has body, it is thick and healthy: This shampoo will give more body to your hair.10taste [uncountable] if food or an alcoholic drink has body, it has a strong flavour (=taste): A small amount of tomato paste will give extra colour and body to the sauce.11full/medium/light-bodied used to describe how much taste an alcoholic drink has, with a full bodied drink having the strongest taste: a full bodied wine12long/thick etc -bodiedBODY having a long, thick etc body: a slim bodied orange-gold fish → able-bodied13keep body and soul togetherSURVIVE to continue to exist with only just enough food, money etc: He’s working at the shop to keep body and soul together.work14body and soul a)COMPLETELYcompletely: She threw herself body and soul into her work.throw b)the whole of a person: They think they own the employees, body and soul.employee15instrument [countable] the wide part of a musical instrument such as a violin or guitar, or of a sports racket (=bat): The guitar is 16 inches wide across the body.beinch16clothingCLOTHES [countable] British English a type of tight-fitting shirt worn by women that fastens between their legs SYN body suit American English → over my dead body at dead1(11)COLLOCATIONSadjectivesthe human body There are billions of cells in an adult human body.becellthe female/male body his drawings of the female bodydrawingthe upper/lower body Slowly raise your upper body into a sitting position.sitsb’s whole body Her whole body froze with fear.freezebody + NOUNbody weight You have exactly the right body weight for your height.body temperature Exercise will raise your body temperature.body size/shape differences in body size and shapedifferencebody fluids Replace your body fluids by drinking lots of water.fluiddrinklotbody fat Males have less body fat than females.malelittlefemalebody language (=the movements and expressions that show what you feel) Nervousness is usually clearly expressed in body language.beexpressbody image (=what you think you look like) People tend to have their own body image fixed in their minds.fixmindTHESAURUSbody the shape, size, and appearance of someone’s body: Many women are not happy with their bodies.womanbebody | His clothes emphasized his strong body.clotheemphasizefigure a woman’s figure is the shape of her body – used especially when it is attractive: She has a really nice figure.have | Freya had an enviably slim figure.havebuild the size and shape of someone’s body – used in the following phrases: Police described the man as tall and of medium build.describe | He was of heavy build.be | She has a very slight build.havephysique the size and appearance of someone’s body – used especially about men who look attractive: He was over 1.8 m tall with a muscular physique.be | Ben has a very athletic physique.havea dead bodybody noun [countable] the dead body of a person: Her body was discovered at the bottom of a cliff.bediscover | Firefighters found the body of a woman in the house.firefighterfindcorpse noun [countable] the dead body of a person. Corpse is is used when you are thinking about the body as an object rather than a person: Pathologists examined the corpse.pathologistexaminecarcass noun [countable] the dead body of an animal: a whale carcass | The carcasses of the infected animals were burned.carcassinfectanimalbeburnremains noun [plural] parts of a dead person or animal, especially when they died a long time ago: Police found human remains under the floorboards of the house.findremainfloorboard
noun
Date: 1200-1300Origin: Partly from Old French ligne, from Latin linea, from linum ‘flax’; partly from Old English line 1on paper/on the ground [countable]LINE a long thin mark on a piece of paper, the ground, or another surface:
Draw a straight line across the top of the page.Sign your name on the dotted line (=line made up of a series of dots).dotThe edges of the pitch are marked by white lines.edgebemarklineThe goalkeeper just managed to stop the ball going over the line.managegoHe raced towards the finishing line.racefinish2between two areas [countable]LINE an imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, for example showing where one country or area of land stops and another beginscounty/state line American English: He was born in a small town just across the state line.beline of latitude/longitudeThey were still travelling along the same line of longitude.betravel → International Date Line3of people/things [countable] a)LINEa row of people or things next to each otherline ofThere was a line of fir trees on either side of the road.betreeThe four men were standing in a line on the other side of the table.manbestandA couple of the posts were out of line (=not in a straight row).postbe b)LINE especially American English a row of people, cars etc that are waiting one behind the other SYN queue British English: I looked in despair at the long line in front of the ticket office.lookline ofI joined the line of vehicles waiting to get into the car park.joinvehiclewaitstand/wait in lineCustomers stood in line for 20 minutes at the cash register.customerstandminuteHe tried to cut in line (=go in front of other people who are waiting).tryThe woman next in line began to mutter to herself.begin4direction [countable]DIRECTION the direction or imaginary line along which something travels between two places: Light travels in a straight line.travelA boat came into my line of vision (=the direction I was looking in).comeline of fire/attack/movement etc (=the direction in which someone shoots, attacks, moves etc)I was directly in the animal’s line of attack.beThey knew they needed to block their enemy’s supply lines (=the direction used for carrying supplies of food etc).knowneedline5on your face [countable]LINE a line on the skin of someone’s face → wrinkle: She frowned, and deep lines appeared between her eyebrows.frownlineappeareyebrowThere were fine lines around her eyes.belineeyeNo one can avoid lines and wrinkles as they get older.linewrinkleold6phone [countable] a telephone wire or connection: I’m sorry, the line is busy (=someone is already using it).beThere seems to be a fault on the line.seemThere was a click, then the line went dead (=suddenly stopped working completely).begoHenry is on the line (=on the phone) from New York.beI got on the line to (=phoned) the hospital as soon as I heard about the accident.gethearI wished he would just get off the line.wishwillI’m sorry, it’s a bad line and I can’t hear you.Hold the line (=wait on the phone), please, and I’ll put you through to our sales department.saleDo you have a separate line for your modem?7for trains [countable] a track that a train travels along: We were delayed because of a problem further along the line.bedelayfarWhen you get to central London, take the Victoria Line to Finsbury Park.railway line British English railroad line American English: The trail follows a disused railroad line along the edge of the valley.follow8between two types of thing [countable usually singular] the point at which one type of thing can be considered to be something else or at which it becomes a particular thingline betweenThere is a fine line between superstition and religion.beThe dividing line between luxuries and necessities is constantly changing.divideluxurynecessitybechangeSometimes he found it hard to draw the line between work and pleasure.findHer remarks did not quite cross the line into rudeness.remarkdoLarge numbers of families are living on or near the poverty line (=the point at which people are considered to be very poor).numberfamilybelive9shape/edge [countable usually plural]SHAPE the outer shape of something long or tall: She was wearing a loose dress which softened the lines of her body.bewearsoftenlinea modern building with clean, elegant lines.buildline10words [countable] a)a line of written words, for example in a poem or a document: He quoted a few lines from Shakespeare.quotelineScroll down to line 29. b)a remark: He liked to introduce himself with a witty opening line.likeopenThis was one of his favourite chat-up lines (=remark for impressing someone you want to attract).beline c)[usually plural] words that someone has to learn and say as part of a play or performance: Paul often messed up his lines.messlineIt always took me ages to learn my lines.takeageline11opinion/attitudeOPINION [singular] an opinion or attitude, especially one that someone states publicly and that influences their actionsline onI can’t agree with the government’s line on immigration.Journalists are often too willing to accept the official line (=the opinion that a government states officially).journalistbewillHe found it hard to accept the party line (=the official opinion of a political party) on every issue.findtake a tough/firm/hard line on somethingThe school takes a very tough line on drugs.takedrug → draw the line at at draw1(16), → draw a line (between something) at draw1(15), → where do you draw the line? at draw1(17), → draw a line under something at draw1(18), → hard line at hard1(21), → hook, line and sinker at hook1(9), → lay something on the line at lay2(18), → picket line, → the poverty line/level at poverty(2), → read between the lines at read1(14)THESAURUSon the ground/on the surface of somethingline a long thin mark on a piece of paper, the ground, or another surface: The teacher put a red line through the first sentence. | If the ball goes over the line, it’s out of play.gogroove a thin line that has been cut into a surface: Deep grooves had been cut into the stone to channel the water.groovehavebe | Lyle ran his fingernail along the groove in the table.runrut a deep line in the ground which has been made by the wheels of vehicles: The deep ruts made by the trucks were full of water.rutmaketruckbe | The tractor’s wheels caught a rut in the field and jolted him.wheelcatchjoltcrease/wrinkle a line on clothes, material, or paper where it has been folded or crushed: She was trying to smooth out the creases in her dress.betrycrease | She had wrinkles in her skirt where she had sat.havewrinklehavesiton someone’s faceline a line on the skin of someone’s face: The deep lines on his forehead showed that he was a worried man.lineshowbeworrywrinkle a deep line on someone’s face caused by becoming old: The manufacturers claim that the cream will reduce wrinkles.manufacturerwrinkle | Even with a few wrinkles, she still looks great.wrinklelook
lineverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleslinelineslinedlininglineline2 verb [transitive]Date: 1300-1400Origin: line ‘flax’, from Old English lin; → LINEN Verb form1to sew a piece of material onto the inside or back of another piece to make it stronger or warmer:
Are those curtains lined?becurtainlineline something with somethinga leather coat lined with silkline2COVERto form a layer over the inner surface of something: The birds use small leaves for lining their nests.birdleavelinenestline something with somethingThe cage should be lined with straw.shallline3LINEto form rows along the sides of something: Crowds lined the route to the palace.crowdlinebe lined with somethingThe street was lined with small shops.belineshopa tree-lined avenueline4line your own pocketsRICH to make yourself richer, especially by doing something dishonest – used to show disapprovalline up phrasal verb1ARRANGE A GROUP OF THINGS OR PEOPLEif people line up, or if you line them up, they stand in a row or line, or you make them do this: Line up, everybody!line somebody ↔ upHe lined us all up in the corridor.line2line something ↔ up to arrange things in a row: I lined the bottles up on the sideboard.linebottle3line something ↔ up to move one thing so that it is in the correct position in relation to something elseline something ↔ up withThe windows should be lined up with the door frame.windowshallline4ARRANGE A MEETING, EVENT ETCline somebody/something ↔ up to arrange for something to happen or for someone to be available for an event: We’ve lined up some excellent speakers for tonight.linespeakerHe’s already got a new job lined up.getline → line-up
adjective1HIGH POSITION OR RANK[only before noun] highest in rank: He was recently appointed chief economist at the Bank of Scotland.beappointthe government’s chief medical officer2MAINmost important SYN main → chiefly: One of the chief causes of crime today is drugs.causebedrugSafety is our chief concern.beThe chief reason for this is that people are living longer.bebelivelonghis chief rival for the jobthe prosecution’s chief witnessShe had many reasons for taking the money, but chief among them was revenge.havereasontakebe3chief cook and bottle washerIN CHARGE OF someone who does a lot of small jobs to make sure that an event is successful – used humorously
chiefnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleschiefchiefschiefchief2 W3 noun [countable]
Date: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: ‘head, chief’, from Latin caput ‘head’ 1somebody in charge of an organizationIN CHARGE OF the most important person, or one of the most important people, in a company or organization – used especially in job titles and in news reportspolice/army/fire etc chief
Los Angeles Police Chief Willie L. Williamschief ofthe British Chief of Defence StaffMost health chiefs believe the reforms have gone too far.chiefreformgoindustry chiefschiefcommander-in-chief/editor-in-chief etc (=used in job titles for people with the highest rank)They offered him the position of editor-in-chief.offer2ruler of tribeHIGH POSITION OR RANK the ruler of a tribe: the Zulu leader, Chief Mangosuthu ButheleziNative American tribal chiefschief3too many chiefs and not enough Indians British EnglishTOO/TOO MUCH used to say there are too many people saying how something should be done and not enough people doing it4great white chief British English old-fashionedIN CHARGE OF the person in charge of a group of people, company, organization etc – used humorously
noun
Language: Old English
1ground [uncountable]LAND/GROUND an area of ground, especially when used for farming or building: They own a lot of land.He bought a piece of land.buy → dockland, farmland2not sea [uncountable]LAND/GROUND the solid dry part of the Earth’s surface: After 21 days at sea, we sighted land.daysightby landTroops began an assault on the city by land and sea.troopbeginon landThe crocodile lays its eggs on land.layeggland bird/animalThe white stork is one of the biggest land birds of the region.bebigbird → dry land3country [countable] literaryCOUNTRY/NATION a country or area: Their journey took them to many foreign lands.takelandnative land (=the land where you were born)He’s fiercely proud of his native land.Australia represented a real land of opportunity for thousands of people.represent4not city the landCOUNTRYSIDE the countryside thought of as a place where people grow foodlive off the land (=grow or catch all the food you need)A third of the region’s population still lives off the land.livework/farm the land (=grow crops)Many people were forced to give up working the land.beforcework5property [uncountable]LAND/GROUND the area of land that someone owns: He ordered us to get off his land.orderprivate/public/common land6see/find out how the land lies spokenSITUATION to try to discover what the situation really is before you make a decision7in the land of the living spokenCONSCIOUS awake – used humorously8the land of milk and honeyCOMFORTABLE an imaginary place where life is easy and pleasant9(in) the land of nod old-fashionedSLEEP asleep → be/live in cloud-cuckoo-land at cloud1(7), → dry land, dreamland, fairyland, → the lie of the land at lie3(3), → never-never land, promised land, wasteland, wonderlandCOLLOCATIONSphrasesan acre/hectare of land The family owned hundreds of acres of land.ownhundredacrea piece of land (=an area of land) He built a house on a piece of land near the river.builda plot/parcel of land (=a piece of land) They farmed a small plot of land.farma strip of land (=a narrow piece of land) They owned the strip of land between the forest and the sea.owna tract of land (=a large area of land) Cattle ranching requires large tracts of land.requiretractadjectivesfertile/rich (=good for growing crops) The land near the river is very fertile.bepoor (=not good for growing crops) It is poor land that should never have been farmed.beshallbefarmvacant/derelict British English (=unused) The houses could be built on derelict land.housecanbuildopen land (=land on which there are no buildings) In the middle of the city are several hundred acres of open land.beacreagricultural land The factory is causing severe pollution to nearby agricultural land.becausearable land (=land that crops are grown on) Some pastures were converted into arable land.pasturebeconvertindustrial land (=land where factories can be built and industry take place) The canal basin area is designated as industrial land.bedesignatehousing/building land British English (=land where houses can be built) The shortage of housing land is a problem in the south-east.housebeCOMMON ERRORS ► Do not say 'a large land' or 'a small land'. Say a large piece of land or a small piece of land.THESAURUSland an area that is owned by someone or that can be used for farming or building houses: This is private land.be | They moved to the country and bought some land.movebuyfarmland land that is used for farming: The area is one of gently rolling hills and farmland.berollhillterritory land that belongs to a country or that is controlled by a country during a war: His plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Chinese territory.beforceland | The army was advancing into enemy territory.beadvancethe grounds the gardens and land around a big building such as a castle, school, or hospital: The grounds of the castle are open to visitors every weekend.groundbevisitor | the school groundsgroundestate a large area of land in the country, usually with one large house on it and one owner: The film is set on an English country estate.be
landverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleslandlandslandedlandinglandland2 S2 W3 verb
Verb form1plane/bird/insect a)[intransitive] if a plane, bird, or insect lands, it moves safely down onto the ground OPP take off: Flight 846 landed five minutes ago.landminuteThe bird landed gracefully on the water.land b)[transitive] to make a plane move safely down onto the ground at the end of a journey: The pilot managed to land the aircraft safely.manage2arrive by boat/plane [intransitive] to arrive somewhere in a plane, boat etcland on/in/at etcWe expect to be landing in Oslo in about fifty minutes.landminuteIn 1969, the first men landed on the Moon.manland3fall/come down [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]FALL to come down through the air onto something SYN dropland in/on/under etcA large branch landed on the hood of my car.landLouis fell out of the tree and landed in a holly bush.falllandShe fell and landed heavily on the floor.falllandA couple of bombs landed quite near to the village.bombland4goods/people [transitive]PUT if a boat or aircraft lands people or goods, it brings them to a place, and the people get out or the goods are carried out: The troops were landed by helicopter.troopbeland5job/contract etc [transitive] informalGET to succeed in getting a job, contract etc that was difficult to get: He landed a job with a law firm.landland yourself somethingBill’s just landed himself a part in a Broadway show.land6land somebody in trouble/hospital/court etcCAUSE to cause someone to have serious problems or be in a difficult situation: Connie’s going to land herself in big trouble if she keeps arriving late for work.gokeeparriveShe developed pneumonia which landed her in hospital.developland7land somebody in it British English spoken informalPROBLEM to get someone into trouble by telling other people that they did something wrong SYN drop somebody in it: Geoff landed me in it by saying I should have checked that the door was locked.landsayshallcheckbelock8problems [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]PROBLEM to arrive unexpectedly, and cause problemsland in/on/under etcJust when I thought my problems were over, this letter landed on my desk.thinkproblembeland9land a punch/blow etcHIT to succeed in hitting someone10land on your feet to get into a good situation again, after having problems: She certainly landed on her feet when she got that job.landfootget11catch fish [transitive] to catch a fishland up phrasal verb British English informal EVENTUALLYto be in a particular place, situation, or position after a lot of things have happened to you SYN end upland up inWe landed up in a bar at 3 am.landbeBe careful that you don’t land up in serious debt.land up withI landed up with five broken ribs.landbreakribland somebody with something phrasal verb [usually passive] informal GIVEto give someone something unpleasant to do, because no one else wants to do it: Maria’s been landed with all the tidying up as usual.belandtidyTHESAURUSarrive to get to the place you are going to: I arrived at the party at around 7 o'clock.arrive | They were due to arrive home from Spain yesterday.beget to arrive somewhere. Get is much more common in everyday English than arrive: What time do you usually get to work? | I’ll call you when I get home.reach to arrive somewhere, especially after a long journey: When we finally reached the port, we were all very tired.reachbetirecome if someone comes, they arrive at the place where you are: She came home yesterday.come | What time did the plumber say he’d come?doturn up (also show up) informal to arrive somewhere, especially when someone is waiting for you: I’d arranged to meet Tom, but he never turned up.arrangeturnroll in informal to arrive somewhere later than you should and not seem worried about it: Rebecca usually rolls in around noon.rollget in to arrive somewhere – used especially about people arriving home, or a plane, train etc arriving at an airport, station etc: I usually get in at around 6 o'clock. | What time did your plane get in?docome in if a plane, train, or ship comes in, it arrives in the place where you are: We liked to watch the cruise ships come in.likeshipland if a plane or the passengers on it land, they arrive on the ground: We finally landed at 2 a.m.land | They watched the planes taking off and landing.watchplanetakeland
verb (past tense and past participle brought /brɔːt $ brɒːt/) [transitive]Language: Old EnglishOrigin: bringan Verb form1a)to take something or someone with you to the place where you are now, or to the place you are talking about → take:
Did you bring an umbrella?doIt was the first time Joey had ever brought a girl home.behavebringThey brought news of further fighting along the border.bringfarfightbring somebody/something to somebody/somethingIs it OK if I bring some friends to the party?befriendbring somebody/something with youFor some reason, Jesse had brought a tape recorder with him.havebring b)to get something for someone and take it to thembring somebody somethingCan you bring me another beer?Robert asked the waiter to bring him the check.askWhile she was in prison, friends used to bring her books.befriendusebookbring somebody/something to somebody/somethingHe expects me to bring everything to him.expect2CAUSE a)to make a particular situation exist, or cause a particular feeling: efforts to bring peace to the regioneffortThe strikes are expected to bring chaos.strikebeexpectThe senator’s speech brought an angry response from Civil Rights groups.bringrightgroup b)to cause someone or something to reach a particular state or conditionbring something to an end/a close/a halt/a conclusion (=make something stop)The trial was swiftly brought to an end.bebringIt was the war that first brought him to power (=made him have power over a country).bebringSo far the US has been unable to bring him to justice (=make him be punished for his actions).havebeBring the sauce to the boil (=heat it until it boils).The country had been brought to its knees (=caused to be in such a bad condition that it is almost impossible to continue).havebebringknee3[always + adverb/preposition] to make something move in a particular directionbring something up/down/round etcBring your arm up slowly until it’s level with your shoulder.The storm brought the old oak tree crashing down.bringcrash4GO[always + adverb/preposition] if something brings people to a place, it makes them go there: The discovery of gold brought thousands of people to the Transvaal.bringwhat brings you here? (=used to ask why someone is in a particular place)What brings you here on a night like this?bring5to make something available for people to use, have, enjoy etc: The expansion of state education brought new and wider opportunities for working class children.bringwideopportunityworkchildbring something to somebody/somethingThe government is launching a new initiative to bring jobs to deprived areas.belaunchjobdepriveareabring somebody somethingIt’s a good sign – let’s hope it will bring us some luck.6if a period of time brings a particular event or situation, the event or situation happens during that time: The 1930s brought unemployment and economic recession.bringWho knows what the future will bring?know7bring charges/a lawsuit/a court case/a prosecution/a claim (against somebody) to begin a court case in order to try to prove that someone has done something wrong or is legally responsible for something wrong: Survivors of the fire later brought a billion-dollar lawsuit against the company.survivorlatebringThe police say they are planning to bring charges against him.beplancharge8bring a smile to sb’s lips/face to make someone smile: Her words brought a sudden smile to his lips.wordbringlip9bring tears to sb’s eyes to make someone start to cry: The pain brought tears to his eyes.bringteareye10bring the total/number/score etc to something used when saying what the new total etc is: This brings the total to 46.bring11cannot/could not bring yourself to do somethingCAN'T to feel unable to do something because it would upset you or someone else too much: She still can’t bring herself to talk about it.12spoken used when saying that something is the next thing that you want to talk aboutthat/this/which brings me to ...This brings me to the main point of today’s meeting.bringmeet13if a programme is brought to you by a particular television or radio company, they broadcast it or make itsomething is brought to you by somebodyThis programme is brought to you by the BBC.bebring14bring something to bear (on/upon something) formal to use something, for example your power, authority, or your knowledge, in a way that will have a big effect on something or someone: The full force of the law was brought to bear on anyone who criticized the government.bebringcriticize15bring home the bacon informal to earn the money that your family needs to liveCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2nounsbring peace/war The treaty brought peace to both England and France.bringbring chaos A bomb scare brought chaos to the town centre yesterday.bringbring somebody pleasure/joy/pain/grief etc The decision brought him great relief.bringphrasesbring something to an end/halt (=especially something bad) It is our resonsibility to discuss how this conflict can be brought to an end.bebringbring something to a close (=especially a meeting) At last the meeting was brought to a close.meetbebringbring something to a conclusion (=used especially in law) Juvenile cases need to be brought to a conclusion quickly.casebringbring somebody to power (=make someone have power over a country) The revolution brought to power a communist government.bringbring somebody to justice (=catch and punish someone for their actions) The authorities swore that the killers would be brought to justice.authorityswearkillerwillbringbring somebody into contact with somebody/something The people of the island were suddenly brought into contact with the outside world.bebringbring something/somebody to their knees (=make it almost impossible for somebody/something to continue) A severe drought brought the country to its knees.bringkneeTHESAURUSbring to take something or someone to the place where you are now, or the place where you are going: Have you brought your ticket with you?bring | He asked his father if he could bring a friend to stay.askcantake to move something to another place, or help someone go to another place: I took a book with me to read on the train.take | He was taken to hospital by ambulance.betakeget (also fetch especially British English) to go to another place and come back with something or someone: I went upstairs to get my jacket.go | Joseph told me to fetch the doctor, so I ran to the village.tellrunbring something ↔ about phrasal verb HAPPENto make something happen SYN cause: How can we bring about a change in attitudes?attitudeA huge amount of environmental damage has been brought about by the destruction of the rain forests.havebebringforestbring somebody/something ↔ along phrasal verb to take someone or something with you when you go somewhere: You’re welcome to bring along a friend.I’ve brought some pictures along to show you.bringpicturebring somebody/something around/round phrasal verb1bring the conversation around/round to somethingINTRODUCE to deliberately and gradually introduce a new subject into a conversation: I’ll try to bring the conversation around to the subject of money.2CONSCIOUSto make someone become conscious again: I slapped his face a couple of times to try to bring him round.slaptime3PERSUADEto manage to persuade someone to do something or to agree with you: She won’t listen to me. Let’s see if Sue can bring her round.winbring somebody/something around/round toI’m sure I can bring him around to our point of view.4TAKE/BRINGto bring someone or something to someone’s house: I’ll bring the books around tomorrow.bookbring back phrasal verb1bring something ↔ backSTART STH/MAKE STH START to start to use something again that was used in the past SYN reintroduce: The city council has decided to bring back the old electric trams.havedecidetramBringing back the death penalty has done absolutely nothing to reduce crime.bringhavedo2bring something ↔ backREMEMBER to make you remember something: The trip brought back a lot of happy memories.bringmemorySeeing those pictures on TV brought it all back to me.seepicturebring3bring something ↔ backTAKE/BRING to take something or someone with you when you come back from somewherebring something back for somebodyDon’t forget to bring something back for the kids.kidbring somebody back somethingIf you’re going to the store, could you bring me back a six-pack?gocan4bring somebody ↔ back to return someone to their previous job or position of authority SYN reinstate: Following their latest defeat, soccer fans are urging the club to bring back the former manager.followlatefanbeurge5bring somebody back to somethingINTRODUCE if something that is said brings you back to a particular subject, it is connected with that subject, so you will start talking about it again: This brings us back to the question of funding.bringfundbring somebody/something ↔ down phrasal verb1to reduce something to a lower level: The government hopes these measures will help to bring down inflation.hopemeasure2DOWNto fly a plane down to the ground SYN land: The pilot managed to bring the plane down safely.manage3DOWNto make a plane, bird, or animal fall to the ground by shooting at it: A bomber had been brought down by anti-aircraft fire.havebebring4GET RID OFto force a government or ruler to stop ruling a country: a crisis that could bring down the governmentcan5FALLto make someone fall over: He was brought down by the goalkeeper and awarded a penalty.bebringawardbring something ↔ down on/upon somebody phrasal verb HAPPENto make something bad happen to someone, especially to yourself or to people connected with you: His recklessness brought down disaster on the whole family.bringbring something ↔ forth phrasal verb literary CAUSEto produce something or make it appear: a tragic love affair that brought forth only painbringbring something ↔ forward phrasal verb1SOONto change an arrangement so that something happens soonerbring something ↔ forward toThe meeting’s been brought forward to Thursday.meetbebring2bring forward legislation/plans/policies etcPLAN to officially introduce plans etc for people to discuss: The government has brought forward new proposals to tackle the problem of increasing crime.havebringproposalincrease3COUNT/CALCULATEto record the result of a calculation so that it can be used in a further calculation: The balance brought forward is £21,765.bringbebring somebody/something ↔ in phrasal verb1to introduce a new law: Harsh anti-Trade Union laws were brought in in the early 1980s.lawbebring2ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STHto ask someone to become involved in a discussion or situation: I’d like to bring in Doctor Hall here and ask him his views.viewbring somebody in to do somethingThe police were brought in to investigate the matter.bebring3EARNto earn a particular amount or produce a particular amount of profit: The sale of the house only brought in about £45,000.bring4to attract customers to a shop or business: We’ve got to bring in more business if we want the restaurant to survive.get5bring in a verdict to say officially in a law court whether someone is guilty or not guilty of a crime SYN return a verdict: The jury brought in a verdict of not guilty.bringbring somebody/something into something phrasal verb1to cause someone or something to be in a particular situation: Most of the land has now been brought into cultivation.havebebringThe work brought me into contact with a lot of very interesting people.bringinterest2to make someone become involved in a discussion or situation: The government is trying to bring teachers into the debate on education.betryteacherThere is a danger that this could bring other countries into the war.becancountrybring something ↔ off phrasal verb SUCCEED IN DOING STHto succeed in doing something difficult SYN pull off: They managed to bring off the most daring jewellery robbery in history.managedarebring something ↔ on phrasal verb1CAUSEto make something bad or unpleasant happen SYN cause: Stress can bring on an asthma attack.What’s brought this on? Have I upset you somehow?bring2to help someone to improve or make progress: Teachers have to bring on the bright children and at the same time give extra help to those who need it.teacherchild3GROW/GET BIGGERto make plants or crops grow faster: Keeping the young plants in a greenhouse will help bring them on.keepplant4bring it on informal used to say that you are prepared and willing to deal with something bad that is likely to happenbring something on/upon somebody phrasal verb CAUSEto make something unpleasant happen to someone: You have brought disaster on the whole village!bringbring something on/upon yourselfI’ve got no sympathy for him – he’s brought this all on himself!getbringbring somebody onto something phrasal verb if something brings you onto a particular subject, it is a good time for you to start talking about it: This brings me onto the question of pay rises.bringrisebring something ↔ out phrasal verb1IMPROVEto make something easier to see, taste, notice etc: The spices really bring out the flavour of the meat.spiceFatherhood seems to have brought out the caring side of him.seembringcare2SELLto produce something that will be sold to the public: He’s bringing out a new album next month.bring3to take something out of a place: Jenny opened the cupboard and brought out a couple of bottles.openbringbottle4bring out the best/worst in somebodyBEHAVE to make someone behave in the best or worst way that they can: Alcohol just brings out the worst in her.bringill5bring somebody out of himself/herself to make someone feel more confident and able to talk to people: Changing schools has really brought her out of herself.changeschoolhavebringbring somebody out in something phrasal verb CAUSEif something brings you out in spots, it makes them appear on your skin: Any foods containing wheat bring him out in a rash.foodcontainbring somebody/something round → bring aroundbring somebody through (something) phrasal verb HELPto help someone to successfully deal with a very difficult event or period of time: Both my children have brought me through extremely difficult times since my husband died.childbringtimediebring somebody ↔ together phrasal verb1UNITEto arrange for people to meet and do something together: We brought together researchers from three different universities to work on the project.bringresearcheruniversity2to make people have a better relationship or feel closer to each other: Any attack by a foreign power will inevitably bring the people of a country together.bring somebody/something ↔ up phrasal verb1MENTIONto mention a subject or start to talk about it SYN raise: Why did you have to bring up the subject of money?do2TEACHto look after and influence a child until he or she is grown up SYN raise: He was brought up by his grandparents.bebringgrandparentbring somebody up to do somethingIn my day, children were brought up to respect the law.childbebringbe brought up (as) a Catholic/Muslim etcI was brought up a Catholic.bebring → upbringing3to make something appear on a computer screen: Can you bring up the list of candidates again?candidate4British EnglishSICK/VOMIT if you bring food up, it comes back up from your stomach and out of your mouth: I had a sandwich for lunch and promptly brought it up again.havebring5ACCUSEto charge someone with a particular crime and make them go to a court to be judgedbring somebody/something ↔ up beforeHe was brought up before a magistrate, charged with dangerous driving.bebringchargedrive6bring somebody up short/with a start to surprise someone and make them suddenly stop talking or doing something: Her question brought me up short.bring
noun
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: dæl 1agreement [countable]AGREE an agreement or arrangement, especially in business or politics, that helps both sides involved:
They made a deal to sell the land to a property developer.makedeal withrumors that the company had done a deal with Microsoft to market its productsrumorhavedoproductdeal betweenTwelve US soldiers were released after a deal between the army and the guerillas.soldierberelease2a great/good dealLOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT a large quantity of something SYN a lota great/good deal ofIt took a great deal of time and effort.takeHis work has been attracting a great deal of attention.havebeattracta great/good deal more/less etc (=a lot more, less etc)He knew a good deal more than I did.knowdoShe’s married to a man a good deal older than herself.marryoldGrammarUse a great/good deal of only with uncountable nouns: a great deal of time/money/workWith nouns in the plural, use a lot of: a lot of people/animals/shopsanimalshop3treatment [countable usually singular]TREAT/BEHAVE TOWARDS treatment of a particular type that is given or receiveda better/fairer etc deala better deal for nurseswellnurseThe prime minister promised farmers a new deal (=a new and fairer system).promisefarmera rough/raw deal (=unfair treatment)Women tend to get a raw deal from employers.womanemployer4it’s a deal spokenAGREE used to say that you agree to do something: OK, it’s a deal.5what's the deal? American English spoken used when you want to know about a problem or something strange that is happening: So what's the deal? Why is he so mad?be6cards [singular] when you give out cards to players in a card game → dealer: It’s your deal, Alison.7wood [uncountable] British English fir or pine wood used for making things: a deal table8a deal of something old-fashioned a large amount of something → big dealCOLLOCATIONSverbsdo a deal The two companies have recently done a major deal.companydomake a deal informal Why don't we make a deal to stay out of each other's way?reach/strike a deal (=agree a deal after a lot of discussions) The US and North Korea reached a deal about North Korea's nuclear development program.reachsign a deal The singer has signed a $20 million deal with an American TV network.havesignnegotiate a deal (=agree a deal by discussing over a long period) We have negotiated a special deal with one of the world’s leading car hire companies.negotiateleadcompanyclose/conclude a deal formal (=agree a deal formally) A deal between the two companies has now been concluded.companyhavebeconcludeclinch a deal (=finally agree on a deal, especially one that is good for you) The salesman was eager to clinch the deal.becut a deal informal (=agree a deal, especially when it is difficult or you have to accept some things you would rather not accept) In they end, they had to cut a deal with the Communinsts.havehave a deal informal (=have made or agreed on a deal) Do we have a deal?get a good deal (=buy something at a good price) He thought he had got a good deal.thinkhavegetback out of/pull out of a deal (=decide not to make a deal after discussing one) Twenty-five jobs were lost after their partner pulled out of the deal.jobbelosepulla deal goes through/ahead (=it happens as arranged) It’s 99% certain that the deal will go through.a deal falls through (=does not happen as arranged) The cost was simply too high, so the deal fell through.befallADJECTIVES/NOUN + deala good deal (=a good price, offer, or arrangement) You can buy two for £10, which sounds like a good deal.sounda business deal He lost a fortune in an unwise business deal.losea pay deal (=one that involves an agreement about how much people will be paid) They are currently negotiating a new pay deal.benegotiatea peace deal (=an agreement to end fighting between countries) Hopes of a peace deal are fading.hopebefadea financial/political etc deal After weeks of negotiation the prospect of a political deal seemed increasingly unlikely.weekseeman arms/weapons deal (=one which involves selling weapons) A number of recent arms deals have embarrassed the government.numbarmdealembarrassa record deal (=one between a singer or band and a recording company) It’s hard for a band to get a record deal.a one-year/two-year etc deal (=one that will be fixed for one year, two years etc) The five-year deal is estimated to be worth $17.2 million.beestimatea shady deal (=dishonest or illegal) Some senior members of the party were involved in shady deals and bribery.memberbeinvolvedealphrasespart of the deal I got free accommodation as part of the deal.getthe terms of a deal (=the details or conditions in it) The hotel group refused to release the financial terms of the deal.refuseterma done deal informal (=something that has been completely agreed) The takeover has been described as a done deal.havebedescribedo
dealverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesdealdealsdealtdealingdealdeal2 S1 W1 verb (past tense and past participle dealt /delt/)Word familyVerb form1[intransitive and transitive] (also deal something ↔ out) to give playing cards to each of the players in a game: Whose turn is it to deal?be2[intransitive] informal to buy and sell illegal drugs: Many users end up dealing to support their habit.userdeal3deal a blow (to somebody/something) to cause harm to someone or something – used in news reportsdeal a heavy/severe/serious etc blowThe sanctions have dealt a severe blow to the local tourism industry.sanctiondealThis will deal a blow to consumer confidence.deal in phrasal verb1deal in somethingSELL to buy and sell a particular type of product → dealerdeal in shares/securities etcinvestors dealing in stocks and sharesinvestordealstocksharedeal in drugs/stolen goods etcHe then began dealing in heroin.begindealdeal in antiques/second-hand books etc2deal in somethingUSE STH to be interested or involved in something: As a scientist, I do not deal in speculation.3deal somebody in to include someone in a game of cardsdeal something ↔ out phrasal verb1to give playing cards to each of the players in a game: I began dealing out the cards.begindealcard2GIVEto decide what kind of punishment someone will getdeal with somebody/something phrasal verb1DEAL WITHto take the necessary action, especially in order to solve a problem SYN handle: a strategy for dealing with disruptive pupilsdealpupilDon’t worry, I’ll deal with this.deal with a problem/issue/matter etcThe council has failed to deal with the problem of homelessness in the city.havefaildeal effectively/adequately etc with somethingThey should deal properly and fairly with any complaint.shall2ABOUTif a book, speech etc deals with a particular subject, it is about that subject: These ideas are dealt with more fully in Chapter Four.ideabedeal3BUSINESSto do business with someone or have a business connection with someone: Most travel agents do not deal directly with these companies.agentcompany4TREAT/BEHAVE TOWARDSto succeed in controlling your feelings about an emotional problem so that it does not affect your life SYN cope with: How’s he dealing with the whole thing?dealCOLLOCATIONSMeanings 1,2,3&4nounsdeal with a problem Both countries are having to deal with the problem of violence in urban areas.countrybehaveareadeal with an issue/matter/question New laws were introduced to deal with the issue.lawbeintroducedeal with a situation For a while I had no idea how to deal with the situation.havedeal with a crisis The President has flown home to deal with the crisis.haveflydeal with a complaint Working in the Customer Service Department, you become an expert in dealing with complaints.workdealcomplaintdeal with an enquiry Our staff will be able to deal with any enquiries.enquirydeal with an emergency All our ambulance drivers are trained to deal with emergencies.driverbetrainemergencydeal with a challenge I chose this job because I like having to deal with new challenges every day.choosehavechallengeadverbsdeal with something effectively Most schools don't deal with the problem of bullying very effectively.schoolbullydeal with something successfully Most of these issues have now been successfully dealt with.issuebedealdeal with something adequately Our National Health Service does not deal adequately with the question of old age.doTHESAURUSdeal with something to take the necessary action, especially in order to solve a problem: We need to deal with problems like pollution and climate change.problem | I spend most of my day dealing with customer enquiries.dealenquiryhandle to deal with a problem or difficult situation by making particular decisions. Used especially when talking about how well or badly someone does this: He handled the situation very well.handle | Most customers were happy with the way their complaints had been handled.customerbecomplainthavebehandletackle to start to deal with a problem, especially one that is complicated: We need to tackle the issue of drugs in schools.drugschool | The government is introducing new measures to tackle online crime.beintroducemeasuresee to/attend to somebody/something to deal with all the practical details of something that needs to be done or organized. Attend to is more formal than see to: My son saw to all the funeral arrangements.seearrangement | I have some business to attend to.take care of something to do the work or make the arrangements that are necessary for something to happen. Used especially when you do this for someone else so that they do not have to worry about it: My secretary takes care of all the paperwork.takeprocess if a company or organization processes a letter, form etc, they do the things that are usually done as part of their official system, in order to deal with it: It will take a minimum of 14 days to process your passport application.day | I called their office, and they said that my request was still being processed.callsaybebeprocess
adjective [superlative of good]Language: Old EnglishOrigin: betst 1BESTbetter than anything else or anyone else in quality, skill, how effective it is etc:
He won the best actor award.winwellWhat’s the best way to cook this fish?wellThe best thing to do is to stop worrying.wellbeworryit’s best to do somethingIt’s best to go later in the season.welllateeasily the best/by far the best (=much better than anything else)John’s idea is by far the best option.bewellOur pilots are given the best possible training.pilotbegivewelltrainWe use only the very best ingredients.wellingredient2best friendBEST the friend that you know and like better than anyone else: She was my best friend in college.bewell3best dress/shoes/clothes etcBEST clothing that you keep for special occasions: I put on my best suit for the wedding.well4the next best thingLIKE/SIMILAR something that is not exactly what you want but is as similar to it as possible: If sterile equipment isn’t available, the next best thing is to clean equipment with disinfectant.wellbe5best of allBEST used to introduce the fact about a situation that is even better than the other good things: It’s clean and well-located, but best of all, it’s affordable.locatewell6best before British English written on food packets with the date that the food should be eaten before: Best before 13 July.wella best-before datewell → be on your best behaviour at behaviour(2), → your best bet at bet2(2), → the best/better part of at part1(6)COLLOCATIONSadverbsthe very best He’s one of the very best players around.wellplayereasily the best The series was easily the best TV drama this year.bewellby far the best One girl stood out as by far the best singer.standwelladjectivesthe best possible We sold the house at the best possible time.sellwellthe best available The tuition we offer here is the best available.bewellnouns the best way to do/of doing something The best way to learn a language is to live in a country where it is spoken.wellbebespeakthe best thing to do The best thing to do is to apologize immediately.wellbethe best way forward (=the best way to make progress or deal with a problem) We believe that a merger is the best way forward for the business.bewellmake the best use of something Making the best use of space is important in any room.makewellbe
bestadverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesbestbestbest2 S1 W2 adverb [superlative of well]1BESTin a way that is better than any other: It works best if you let it warm up first.workwellThis can best be described as a series of steps.welldescribestepthe best-dressed man in Pariswelldress2BESTto the greatest degree SYN most: You know him best – you should ask him.wellshallThe part I like best is the meal afterwards.wellbeHe’s perhaps best known for his role in ‘Midnight Cowboy’.wellknow3as best you can spokenGOOD ENOUGH as well as you can, even if this is not very good: I’ll try and fix it as best I can.well4had best spokenSHOULD/OUGHT TO ought to: We’d best be getting back.wellget → had better at better2(3)
bestnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesbestbestsbestbest3 noun1the best a)BESTthe most helpful, most successful etc situation or results that you can achieve: We all want the best for our children.wellchildIt’s the best we can do in the circumstances.wellcircumstance b)BESTthe person or thing that is better than any other: She’s the best of the new young writers.wellwriter2do your bestTRY TO DO OR GET STH to try as hard as you can to do something: As long as you do your best, we’ll be happy.welldo your best to do somethingShe did her best to make him comfortable.dowell3at bestJUST/ALMOST NOT used to emphasize that something is not very good, pleasant, honest etc even if you consider it in the best possible way: The campaign was at best only partially successful.bewellThe technique is at best ineffective and at worst dangerous.bewellill4to the best of your knowledge/belief/ability etcTHINK SO/NOT BE SURECAN used to say that something is as much as you know, believe, or are able to do: I’m sure he’ll do the work to the best of his ability.well5the best of something used to refer to something very good: We wish him the best of luck with this venture.wellHe hasn’t been in the best of health lately.bewellThey didn’t part on the best of terms.welltermThey became the best of friends (=very close friends).becomewellfriend6with the best of intentions/for the best of reasons used to mean that someone does something with good intentions or for good reasons, even if the result is not always good: I’m sure he went there with the best of intentions.gowellintention7the best of both worldsADVANTAGE a situation in which you have the advantages of two different things without any of the disadvantages: They live in a village but it’s only an hour from London, so they have the best of both worlds.wellworld8at your bestBEST performing as well or effectively as you are able to: At her best, she’s a really stylish player.wellHe was never at his best early in the morning.bewell9make the best of something (also make the best of a bad job/situation etc British English)ACCEPT to accept a situation that is not very good, and do whatever you can to make it better: We are stuck here, so we might as well make the best of it.bestickwell10all the bestLUCKY used to express good wishes to someone for the future: We’d just like to wish him all the best in his new job.wellall the best forAll the best for the New Year!well11at the best of timesNEVER if something is not very good, pleasant etc at the best of times, it is usually even worse than this: It’s crowded at the best of times, but today it was unbearable.crowdwelltimebe12the best of a bad lot/bunch British EnglishBAD the least bad person or thing in a group of not very good people or things13be for the bestGOOD ENOUGH especially spoken used to say that a particular event may seem bad now, but might have a good result later: I still don’t want him to go, but maybe it’s for the best.well14your Sunday bestBEST old-fashioned your best clothes, that you only wear on special occasions
bestverbCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entriesbestbestsbestedbestingbestbest4 verb [transitive]Verb form BEAT/DEFEAT old-fashioned to defeat someone
verb
Word familyDate: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: considerer, from Latin considerare ‘to look at the stars, look at closely, examine’, from com- ( → COM-) + sidus ‘star’ Verb form1think about [intransitive and transitive]THINK ABOUT to think about something carefully, especially before making a choice or decisionconsider doing something
I seriously considered resigning (=almost actually resigned).considerresignconsider the possibility of (doing) somethingHave you considered the possibility of retraining?considerretrainconsider whether (to do something)We are considering whether to change our advice to tourists.beconsidertouristconsider where/how/why etcWe’re still considering where to move to.considerWe will have to consider your offer carefully.be considering your position formal (=be deciding whether or not to leave your job)2opinion [transitive]THINK/HAVE THE OPINION THAT to think of someone or something in a particular way or to have a particular opinionconsider (that)The local authority considered that the school did not meet requirements.considerdorequirementconsider somebody/something (to be) somethingA further increase in interest rates is now considered unlikely.farratebeconsiderLiz Quinn was considered an excellent teacher.beconsiderThey consider themselves to be Europeans.I consider it a great honour to be invited.inviteconsider it necessary/important etc to do somethingI did not consider it necessary to report the incident.doconsider somebody/something to do somethingThe campaign was considered to have failed.beconsiderfailconsider yourself lucky/fortunate (=believe you are lucky etc)Consider yourself lucky you weren’t in the car at the time.consider yourself (to be) something (=think of yourself as a particular type of person)They consider themselves to be middle class.3people’s feelings [transitive]KIND to think about someone or their feelings, and try to avoid upsetting them → considerate: You’ve got to learn to consider other people!getHave you considered my feelings?considerfeeling4important fact [intransitive and transitive] to think about an important fact relating to something when making a judgment → considering: It’s not surprising when you consider that he only arrived six months ago.surprisearrivemonthAll things considered, I’m sure we made the right decision.thingconsidermake5discuss [transitive]DISCUSS to discuss something such as a report or problem, so that you can make a decision about it: The committee has been considering the report.havebeconsider6look at [transitive] formalLOOK AT to look at someone or something carefully: Ben considered the statue with an expert eye.consider7consider it done spoken used to say yes very willingly when someone asks you to do something for them: ‘Could you drive me to the airport tomorrow?’ ‘Consider it done.’candoTHESAURUSconsider verb [transitive not in progressive] formal to have an opinion about someone or something after thinking carefully about them: We do not consider this film suitable for young children.child | She is considered to be one of the finest pianists of her generation.beconsiderfinepianistsee verb [transitive not in progressive] to think about someone or something in a particular way, or as being a particular kind of person or thing: Having a child makes you see things differently.havemakething | America was seen as the land of opportunity.besee | The country sees itself as a bridge between East and West.seeregard/view verb [transitive] to think about someone or something in a particular way, or as being a particular kind of person or thing. Regard/view are a little more formal than see: She regards herself more as an entertainer than a singer.regard | Many people in the industry viewed him with suspicion.viewperceive verb [transitive often passive] formal to think about someone or something in a particular way, or as being a particular kind of person or thing: Historically, nursing has been perceived as a job for women, but things have changed now.nursehavebeperceivewomanthingchange | The group were perceived to have little real talent.beperceive | Do other people perceive us as we perceive ourselves?think of somebody/something as (also look on somebody/something as) to think that someone or something is a particular type of person or thing: He looked on his job as a welcome relief from the problems at home.lookproblem | Even though he’s 18, his parents still think of him as a child.parent | I think of her more as a sister.
suffix [in adjectives and adverbs] NOT HAVEwithout something that you do not want: a trouble-free journeyduty-free cigarettescigarettea salt-free dietThey live in the house rent-free.rend
freeadjectiveCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesfreefreerfreestfreefree1 S1 W1 /friː/
adjective
Word family1FREE/COST NOTHINGno cost something that is free does not cost you any money: Admission is free for children under 9.bechildAll students are offered free accommodation.studentbeofferSend for our free information pack for more details.detailThere’s a special free gift with this month’s magazine.2FREE/COST NOTHINGnot a prisoner not held, tied up, or kept somewhere as a prisoner: He knew he could be free in as little as three years.knowcanyearWith one leap he was free!beHe walked out of the courtroom a free man.walkThey have called on the government to set all political prisoners free.callprisonerHe was found not guilty and walked free from the court.befindwalkThe animals are allowed to run free in the park.animalbeallowHundreds of dogs roam free on the streets.hundreddogstreetbreak/pull/struggle freeShe broke free from her attacker.break3FREE TO DO WHAT YOU WANTnot controlled allowed to do or say whatever you want, or allowed to happen, without being controlled or restricted by anyone or anything: We had a free and open discussion about religion.havefree to do somethingRemember, you are free to say no.befree fromNewspapers today are entirely free from government control.newspaperbeWomen are struggling to break free from tradition.womanbestrugglefree ofI longed to be free of my family.longHe became president following the country’s first free elections last year.becomefollowelectionWe would all support the principle of free speech.willFor the first time in its history, the country has a free press.havePatients are now allowed free access to their medical records.patientbeallowrecordThe legislation will allow the free movement of goods through all the countries in Europe.goodcountry4AVAILABLEnot busy if you are free, or have some free time, you have no work, and nothing else that you must do → available: I’m free next weekend.free forAre you free for lunch tomorrow?befree to do somethingAt last I was free to concentrate on my own research.bea free day/morning/half-hour etcI haven’t got a free day this week.getChildren these days have very little free time.childday5AVAILABLEnot being used something that is free is available to use because it is not already being used: Is this seat free?beI’m afraid we don’t have any free tables this evening.tableevenHe used his free hand to open the door.use6NOT HAVEnot suffering not suffering from somethingfree ofAt last she was free of pain.befree fromA lot of the patients are now free from symptoms.patientbesymptompain-free/trouble-free etca stress-free life7not containing something not containing somethingfree from/ofAll our drinks are free from artificial colourings.drinkbecolouringfat-free/dairy-free etca fat-free yoghurt8tax if something is free of tax, you do not have to pay tax on itfree ofThis income should be free of tax.shalltax-free/duty-free etctax-free earningsan opportunity to buy duty-free goodsgood9feel free spokenLET/ALLOW used to tell someone that they can do something: Feel free to ask questions.question‘Can I use your bathroom?’ ‘Yes, feel free.’10free and easyRELAXED relaxed, friendly, and without many rules: I knew that life wasn’t going to be so free and easy now.knowgothe free and easy atmosphere of university life11free spiritINDEPENDENT PERSON someone who lives as they want to rather than in the way that society considers normal12give somebody a free hand/reinLET/ALLOW to let someone do whatever they want or need to do in a particular situation: The producer was given a free rein with the script.begive13there’s no free lunch (also there’s no such thing as a free lunch) used to say that you should not expect to get something good without having to pay for it or make any effort14it’s a free country British English used, usually humorously, to say that you are or should be allowed to do something, after someone has said that you should not do it: It’s a free country. You can’t stop me.15get/take a free ride informalFREE/COST NOTHING to get something without paying for it or working for it, because other people are paying or working for it: They are encouraging all workers to join the union rather than just taking a free ride on those who do join.beencourageworkertake16be free with somethingGENEROUS to be very generous with something: He seems to be very free with other people’s money.seemShe is always free with her advice.be17make free with something informalUSE STH to use something that belongs to someone else when you should not: I knew that they had been making free with our food.knowhavebemake18GRACEFULnot restricted something that is free is not held, blocked, or restricted: We opened both doors to allow a free flow of air through the building.opendoorbuild19chemicals technical a free chemical substance is not combined with any other substance: the amount of free oxygen in the atmosphereTHESAURUSfree something that is free does not cost you any money: Parking is free after 6 pm.parkbe | ‘How much is it to get into the concert?’ ‘Oh, I think it’s free.’be | They were giving away free tickets for the concert.begiveticket | I’m saving these tokens to get a free poster.savetokenfor nothing/for free without having to pay for something that you would normally have to pay for: He offered to fix the car for nothing.offer | Fans were allowed into the stadium for nothing as a way of celebrating.fanbeallowcelebrate | Children under five can see the show for free.childat no extra cost if a shop or company provides an additional service at no extra cost, they do it without asking you for any more money: The shop will install the cooker for you at no extra cost. | Tours of the city are available from the hotel at no extra cost.tourbecomplimentary [only before noun] free – use this about things that a company, theatre, hotel etc gives people: Karen’s sister works at the New York Ballet and she’s managed to get us some complimentary tickets.workmanageticket | Honeymooners receive a complimentary bottle of champagne in their hotel room.be on the house if food or drinks are on the house, the owner of a bar or restaurant says you do not have to pay for them: These drinks are on the house.drinkbegratis especially written without having to pay for something: Users will be able to listen to tracks (=songs)gratis.usertrack
freeverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesfreefreesfreedfreeingfreefree2 S3 W3 verb (past tense and past participle freed, present participle freeing) [transitive]
Word familyVerb form1FREE/NOT IN PRISONrelease to allow someone to leave prison or somewhere they have been kept as a prisoner SYN release: He expects to be freed quite soon.expectfreeThe terrorists have at last agreed to free the hostages.terroristagreehostagefree somebody from somethingShe was freed from prison last week.befree2not control to allow someone to say and do what they want, after controlling or restricting them in the pastfree somebody from/of somethingThe press has now been freed from political control.havebefreeShe longed to be freed of her responsibilities.longfreeresponsibilityArt frees the imagination.free3LOOSEallow somebody/something to move to move someone or something so that they are no longer held, fixed, or trapped SYN release: He struggled to free himself, but the ropes were too tight.struggleropebeI couldn’t free the safety catch.free somebody/something from somethingAll the victims have now been freed from the wreckage.victimbefree4HELPstop somebody suffering to stop someone suffering from something by removing itfree somebody from somethingnew drugs that can free people from paindrugAt last the country has been freed from its enormous debts.havebefreedebt5make available (also free something ↔ up)AVAILABLE to make something available so that it can be used: I need to free up some of the disk space on my computer.This should free some money for investment.shall6give somebody more time (also free somebody ↔ up) to give someone time to do something by taking away other jobs that they have to dofree somebody (up) to do somethingTaking away the burden of administration will free teachers to concentrate on teaching.taketeacherteachWe have freed up some staff to deal with the backlog of work.free
freeadverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesfreefreefree3 adverbWord family1FREE/COST NOTHINGwithout payment: Children under four can travel free.childYou can get advice free from your local library.for freeHe offered to do the work for free.offerAll these services are available to the public free of charge.servicebe2LOOSEnot fixed or held in a particular place or position: The ropes were now hanging free.ropebehangA gold chain swung free around his neck.swing → freely, scot-free
freenounCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entriesfreefreesfreefree4 noun [countable] British English informal a free transfer; the process by which a player moves from one football club to another, but the new club does not pay any money for him: We got Kevin on a free from Manchester United.getunite
noun
Word family1make somebody/something do what you want [uncountable]CONTROL the ability or power to make someone or something do what you want or make something happen in the way you want: The disease robs you of muscle control.robcontrol of/overBabies are born with very little control over their movements.babybemovementArtists like to have some control over where their works are hung in a gallery.artistworkbehangShe’s a good teacher who has control of her class.haveStudents are encouraged to take control of their own learning, rather than just depending on the teacher.studentbeencouragelearndependExcessive drinking can make you lose control of your own life.drink‘Do you need any help?’ ‘No. It’s under control, thanks.’thankDogs are allowed on the trails if they are kept under control.dogbeallowtrailbekeepThe car spun out of control and hit a tree.spinFlight delays do occur, for reasons that are outside our control.delayreasonbe2power [uncountable]CONTROL the power to make the decisions about how a country, place, company etc is organized or what it does: The press was freed from political control.befreecontrol ofJordan asked for editorial control of the project.askin control (of something)Anti-government forces are still in control of the area.forcebeBy the end of the year, the rebels had control over the northern territories.rebelhaveterritoryThe Johnson family has effective control of the company, owning almost 60% of the shares.haveownshareChina gained control of the island in 1683.gainHis son is being trained to take control of the family business.bebetrainThe Democrats lost control of Congress in the last election.democratloseunder the control of somebodyThe college was under the control of a group of trustees.betrusteeThe whole of this area came under Soviet control after World War II.comeThe Conservatives are hoping to regain control of the city council.conservativebehope3LIMITway of limiting something [uncountable and countable] an action, method, or law that limits the amount or growth of something, especially something that is dangerous: pest controlcontrol ofthe control of inflationcontrol onThe authorities imposed strict controls on the movement of cattle.authorityimposecontrolan agreement on arms control (=control of the amount of weapons a country has)armunder controlFirefighters had the blaze under control by 9:44 p.m.firefighterhaveShea used diet and exercise to bring her weight under control.useThe Federal Reserve Bank raised interest rates to keep inflation under control.raiseraterent/price/wage etc controlsRent controls ensured that no one paid too much for housing.rendcontrolensurepayhousetight/rigid controls (=strict controls)the introduction of tighter controls on immigrationtightcontrolPolice used fire hoses and dogs for crowd control.usehosedog4ability to stay calm [uncountable]CONTROL the ability to remain calm even when you feel very angry, upset, or excited: There were sudden tears in his eyes and he paused, fighting for control.beteareyepausefightDavidson lost control of himself and started yelling.losestartyellSmall children can’t be expected to have the same self-control (=ability to control their emotions and behaviour) as an adult.childexpectunder controlHer voice is under control, but she is almost shaking with anger.bebeshakein controlI felt calm and in control.feel5machine/vehicle [countable]CONTROL the thing that you press or turn to make a machine, vehicle, television etc work: the TV remote controlthe volume control on the radioa car with manual controlscontrolat the controls (=controlling a vehicle or aircraft)Belton, at the controls, made a perfect landing.controlmakeland6people who organize an activity [singular, uncountable] the people who direct an activity or who check that something is done correctly, the place where this is done, or the process of doing it: air-traffic controlPlease stop at passport control.computers used for stock controlcomputeruse7scientific test [countable] a)COMPAREa person, group etc against which you compare another person or group that is very similar, in order to see if a particular quality is caused by something or happens by chancecontrol group/population/sample etcA control group of non-smoking women was compared to four groups of women smokers.smokewomanbecomparegroupwomansmoker b)JUDGEa thing that you already know the result for that is used in a scientific test, in order to show that your method is working correctly → controlled experiment8computer [singular] (also control key) a particular button on a computer that allows you to do certain operations: Press control and F2 to exit. → birth control, quality control, remote control
controlverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplescontrolcontrolscontrolledcontrollingcontrolcontrol2 S2 W1 verb (past tense and past participle controlled, present participle controlling) [transitive]
Word familyDate: 1400-1500Language: Anglo-French
Origin: contreroller ‘to keep a copy of an official document in rolled-up form’, from Medieval Latin contrarotulare, from contrarotulus ‘copy of a roll’, from Latin contra- ( → CONTRA-) + rotulus ‘roll’ Verb form1powerGOVERENMENT to have the power to make the decisions about how a country, place, company etc is organized or what it does:
The Democrats continued to control the Senate until last year.democratcontinuea huge company controlling half the world’s coffee tradecontrolLabour-/Republican-/Democrat- etc controlled2limitCONTROL to limit the amount or growth of something, especially something that is dangerous: a chemical used to control weedsuseweedan economic plan to control inflationDevelopment in areas of outstanding natural beauty is strictly controlled.areabecontrolStrict measures were taken to control the spread of foot and mouth disease.measurebetake3make somebody/something do what you wantCONTROL to make someone or something do what you want, or make something happen in the way that you want: Police had to be called in to control the crowds.havecallcrowda skilled rider controlling a spirited horsecontrolspirit4emotionCONTROL if you control your emotions, your voice, your expression etc, you succeed in behaving calmly and sensibly, even though you feel angry, upset, or excited: Sarah took a deep breath, trying to control her anger.taketryHe controlled the urge to laugh.controlcontrol yourselfNewman controlled himself with an effort.control5machine/process/systemCONTROL to make a machine, process, or system work in a particular way: a radio-controlled toy carcontrolA thermostat controls the temperature in the building.controlbuildcontrol how/what/which etcThe valves in the heart control how quickly the blood is pumped around the body.valvebepump6check somethingCHECK/MAKE SURE to make sure that something is done correctly SYN check, monitor: The company strictly controls the quality of its products.controlproductTHESAURUScontrol to have power over a country, place, company etc, and decide what happens there: The Democrats controlled the US Congress.democratcontrol | Government forces now control the city.forcerun to make the important everyday decisions concerning a company, organization, country etc, so that it can continue to operate: He runs a software company in New York.run | The parents want to run the school themselves.parent | The government is unfit to run the country.be | The charity runs a medical clinic in one of the poorest parts of the city.runpoorpartbe in charge of somebody/something to have control over something, or responsibility for a group of people: She is in charge of training new employees.betrainemployee | I left him in charge of the children while I was out.leavechildbemanage to be in charge of a company, especially one that someone else owns: In 1963, she opened a furniture store, and her son has managed it since 1985.openhavemanagebe in power if a group or leader is in power, they have political control of a country: Abe resigned after less than a year in power.resignlittle | It was the first time a democratically elected government had been in power.beelecthaveberule if a leader or political group rules a country, they have political control of that country: President Assad ruled the country for almost 30 years.ruleyear | The same party has ruled Japan for many years.haveruleyearsupervise to be in charge of a group of workers or students and make sure that they do their work properly: Professor Braude supervised the research team.supervise | He’s supervising the building work.supervisebuild
noun [countable]
Date: 1500-1600Origin: gurle, girle ‘child, young person’ (13-15 centuries), of unknown origin 1childCHILD a female child → boy:
Both boys and girls can apply to join the choir.boygirllittle/small/young girlI’ve known Mollie ever since I was a little girl.knowbefive-year-old girl/girl of ten etcThe patient was a girl of 12.beGirls! Please be quiet.girla teenage girl2daughterCHILD a daughter → boy: They have two girls and a boy.girlsb’s little girlHow old’s your little girl (=sb’s young daughter) now?Time for bed, girls!girl3womanWOMAN a word meaning a woman, especially a young woman, which is considered offensive by some women: I’ll invite some of the girls from the office.girlSteve’s married to a lovely Dutch girl.marry4the girls informalWOMAN a group of women who are friends and often go out together: I’m going out with the girls tonight.gogirl5animal used when speaking to a female animal, especially a dog, cat, or horse → boy: Bring me the stick. Good girl!6girl American English spoken informalWOMAN used by a woman when she is speaking to another woman she knows well: Hey, girl. What’s up?7(you) go, girl! American English spoken informal used to encourage a girl or woman, or to say that you agree with what she is saying8girlfriend old-fashionedGIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND a word for a woman who you are having a romantic relationship with SYN girlfriend9my girl old-fashionedCHILDWOMAN used by an older person when speaking to a girl or woman who is younger than they are, or when they are annoyed: Listen to me, my girl!10factory girl/shop girl/office girl old-fashionedWORKER a young woman who works in a factory, shop, office etc11servant old-fashioned a woman servant → old girlTHESAURUSwoman a female adult person: a young woman with dark brown hairlady a polite word for a woman – used especially when you do not know the woman, or when the person you are talking to does not know the woman: A glass of white wine please, for this lady here. | The young lady stood up and shook my hand.standshakegirl a young female person – usually used about someone younger than about twenty: a very pretty girl | teenage girlsgirlfemale formal a woman – used especially when you are giving information about women, for example in formal surveys and reports: Females account for 46% of Internet users.femaleuser
British English, colorcolorscolor American English /ˈkʌlə $ -ər/ noun
Word family1red/blue/green etc [countable]COLOUR/COLOR red, blue, yellow, green, brown, purple etc: What colour dress did you buy?doWhat colour are his eyes?beeyeThe pens come in a wide range of colours.pencolourlight/bright/pastel etc colourI love wearing bright colours.wearcolourreddish-brown/yellowy-green/deep blue etc colourThe walls were a lovely reddish-brown color.wallbe2colour in general [uncountable] (also colours)COLOUR/COLOR the appearance of something as a result of the way it reflects (=throws back) light, especially when its appearance is very bright or is made up of a lot of different colours: Bright bold accessories are the quickest way to add colour to a room.accessorybequickin colourThe wine was almost pink in colour (=was almost pink).beblaze/riot/mass of colour (=lots of different bright colours)In summer the gardens are a blaze of colour.gardenbea splash of colour (=a small area of a bright colour)The sky began to slowly change colour.beginthe fall colors (=the colours of the trees in autumn)color3sb’s race [uncountable and countable] how dark or light someone’s skin is, which shows which race they belong to: Everyone has a right to a job, regardless of their race, sex, or colour.havepeople of all colorscolorthe continuing battle against colour prejudicecontinue → with flying colours at flying1(2), → nail your colours to the mast at nail2(5), → your true colours at true1(13)COLLOCATIONSadjectivesa red/green/blue etc colour Our door was painted a bright green colour.bepainta reddish/greenish/bluish etc colour (=slightly red, green, blue etc) The glass used for bottles is often a greenish colour.usebottlebea bluey/yellowy/browny colour (=a shade of blue, yellow etc) I like bluey colours best.colourwella bright/strong colour (=strong and noticeable) Bright colours look good in strong sunlight.coloura bold/vivid/vibrant colour (=bright in a way that is exciting) His paintings are known for their use of bold colours.paintingbeknowcoloura rich colour (=strong and beautiful or expensive-looking) I love the rich colours in oriental rugs.colourruga dark colour (=more like black than white) People tend to wear dark colours to work.coloura deep colour (=dark and attractive)a neutral colour (=one that matches other colours easily, for example white or cream)a light/pale colour (=not dark or strong) Light colours make a room look larger.colourlargea pastel colour (=pale blue, pink, yellow or green)a warm colour (=pleasant and containing some red, yellow, or orange) The old farmhouse is beautifully decorated with warm colours.bedecoratecoloura soft colour (=pleasant and not very strong)a subtle colour (=pleasant, not strong, and a little unusual) Italian sweaters come in lovely subtle colours.sweatercoloura loud colour (=very bright in a way that looks unpleasant or funny)a gaudy/garish colour (=loud and usually showing bad taste)contrasting colours (=ones that are different from each other in a way that looks attractive) You need to have one or two contrasting colours in the room.contrastcolourcomplementary colours (=ones that look nice together) Plant the flowers in patches in complementary colours.flowerpatchcoloura matching colour (=one that is the same as something else) I bought some gloves and a scarf in a matching colour.buyglovematcha primary colour (=red, yellow, or blue) Why are children’s toys always in primary colours?bechildtoycolourverbsa colour matches something (=it is the same colour) The colour in this tin of paint doesn’t match the walls.walla colours clashes (with something) (=is different from something in a way that is unattractive) Do you think the colour of this tie clashes with my shirt?clasha colour fades (=loses colour and brightness) The colour of the curtains had faded in the sun.curtainhavefadecolour + NOUNa colour scheme (=the colours that you use in a room, painting etc) Have you decided on a colour scheme?decidea colour combination/combination of colours (=the colours that exist or that you put together) In autumn the leaves create lovely colour combinations.leavecombinationa colour range/range of colours (=a number of colours that you can choose from) There’s a wide colour range to choose from.THESAURUScolour red, blue, yellow etc: Blue is my favourite colour.be | Matisse was famous for his use of colour.beshade a particular type of a colour: The dress is a light shade of pink.be | He uses different shades of green.useshadehue /hjuː/ literary or technical a particular colour or shade of a colour: Her face had lost its golden hue.havelosetint a small amount of a colour in something that is mostly another colour: He wears sunglasses that have a pinky-orange tint.weartone one of the many different shades of a colour, each slightly darker, lighter, brighter etc than the next: Carpets in neutral tones give a feeling of space.carpettonefeeldark coloursdark used about a colour that is strong and fairly close to black: a dark blue suit | His eyes are dark brown.eyebedeep fairly dark – often used when you think this colour looks attractive: His eyes were a beautiful deep blue.eyebe | deep red lipsliprich used about a colour that is fairly dark in a way that gives a pleasant feeling of warmth: The walls were painted a rich red colour.wallbepaintlight colourslight used about a colour that is not dark: a light blue sweater | His T-shirt was light green.bepale used about a colour that is very light: He has very pale blue eyes.haveeyesoft used about a colour that is light in a way that is attractive because it is not too obvious: She wears soft colours such as cream, which match her complexion.wearcolourpastel used about a colour that has a lot of white in it: The girls wore pastel pink sundresses.girlwearsundressbright coloursbright used about a colour that is strong and easy to see: The front door was painted bright red.bepaintbrilliant/vivid used about a colour that is very bright: I looked out at the brilliant blue sky.look | vivid red flowersflowercolourful British English, colorful American English used about things that have many different bright colours: There were window boxes full of colourful flowers.beboxflowermulticoloured British English, multicolored American English used about things that have a pattern of many different bright colours: A multicoloured flag waved in the midday sun.wavegaudy/garish too brightly coloured, in a way that is unattractive: The wallpaper was much too gaudy for me.be | a garish orange tie
colourverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplescolourcolourscolouredcolouringcolourcolour2 British English, colorcolorscoloredcoloringcolor American English verbWord familyVerb form1[transitive]COLOUR/COLOR to change the colour of something, especially by using dye: If I didn’t colour my hair I’d be totally grey.Colour the icing with a little green food colouring.icecolourcolour something red/blue etcSunset came and coloured the sky a brilliant red.comecolour2[intransitive and transitive] (also colour in)PAINT to use coloured pencils to put colours inside the lines of a picture: On the back page is a picture for your child to colour in.beShe has no idea how to colour a picture – she just scribbles all over it.havescribble3[intransitive] literaryEMBARRASSED when someone colours, their face becomes redder because they are embarrassed SYN blush: Her eyes suddenly met his and she coloured slightly.eyemeetcolour4colour sb’s judgement/opinions/attitudes etcEFFECT/INFLUENCE to influence the way someone thinks about something, especially so that they become less fair or reasonable: In my position, I can’t afford to let my judgement be coloured by personal feelings.colourfeeling
colouradjectiveCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplescolourcolourcolour3 British English, colorcolor American English adjectiveWord family colour television/photograph/printer etcCOLOUR/COLOR a colour television, photograph etc produces or shows pictures in colour rather than in black, white, and grey → black and white: a large color TVPlease ask for our free colour brochure.
noun
1price [uncountable and countable]COST the amount of money you have to pay for goods or servicescharge ofan admission charge of $5charge forThere is a charge for the use of the swimming pool.beswimGuided tours are provided at no charge.guidetourbeprovideYour order will be sent free of charge (=with no cost).send2control [uncountable]IN CHARGE OF the position of having control or responsibility for a group of people or an activityin charge (of something)He asked to speak to the person in charge.askthe officer in charge of the investigationStern put Travis in charge of (=gave him control of) the research team.Owens came in and took charge of (=took control of) the situation.cometakeA commander in each county was to have charge of the local militia.be3somebody/something you look after a)be in/under sb’s chargeLOOK AFTER SB if someone or something is in your charge, you are responsible for looking after them: teachers that do their best for the children in their chargeteacherwellchildThe files were left in your charge.filebeleave b)[countable] formalLOOK AFTER SB someone that you are responsible for looking after: Sarah bought some chocolate for her three young charges.buycharge4crime [countable]ACCUSE an official statement by the police that someone may be guilty of a crimecharge againstHe was found guilty of all six charges against him.befindchargecharge ofHiggins is facing a charge of armed robbery.befacearmon a charge (of something)The following morning, he was arrested on a charge of burglary.followbearrest5blame [countable]ACCUSE a written or spoken statement blaming someone for doing something bad or illegal SYN allegationcharge thatthe charge that tobacco companies target young people with their adscompanyadcharge ofa charge of racial discrimination against the companydeny/counter a charge (=say that a charge is untrue)Wallace denied charges that he had lied to investigators.denychargehavelieinvestigatorlay/leave yourself open to a charge of something (=be likely to be blamed for something)The speech laid him open to charges of political bias.laycharge6attack [countable]ATTACK an attack in which soldiers or animals move towards someone or something very quickly7effort lead the charge to make a strong effort to do something: It was small businesses that led the charge against health care changes.bebusinessleadchange8electricity [uncountable] electricity that is put into a piece of electrical equipment such as a batteryon charge (=taking in a charge of electricity)Leave the battery on charge all night.9explosive [countable]EXPLODE an explosive put into something such as a bomb or gun10strength of feelings [singular]STRONG FEELING OR BELIEF the power of strong feelings: Cases of child abuse have a strong emotional charge.case11get a charge out of something American English spokenEXCITED to be excited by something and enjoy it very much: I got a real charge out of seeing my niece take her first steps.getseestep12an order to do something [countable] formalTELL/ORDER SB TO DO STH an order to do somethingcharge to do somethingThe old servant fulfilled his master’s charge to care for the children.fulfilchild → reverse the charges at reverse1(6)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 1ADJECTIVES/NOUN + chargea small charge For a small charge guests can use the hotel sauna.guestan extra/additional charge Breakfast may be served in your bedroom at no extra charge.servefree of charge (=with no cost) Delivery is free of charge.besb’s charges are high/low (=you have to pay a lot/a little) His charges are too high.chargebea fixed charge There’s a fixed charge for having a dental check.fixhavea nominal charge (=a very small amount of money) You can use the tennis courts for a nominal charge.courta minimum charge (=an amount that is the least you can pay) There’s a minimum charge of £10 per person in the Terrace restaurant.a service charge (=for service in a hotel, restaurant etc) The restaurant’s prices include a 10% service charge.pricean admission charge (=for being allowed to enter a place) There is no admission charge.bea call-out charge British English (=that you must pay a workman to come to your home) The electrician said there is a £40 call-out charge.saybea cancellation charge If you change your flight booking, you may have to pay a cancellation charge.booka delivery charge How much is the store’s delivery charge?bebank charges (=fees charged by a bank for some services) You will have to pay bank charges if your account is overdrawn.chargebeverbspay a charge There will be a small charge to pay.make a charge (=ask you to pay a charge) We make no charge for this service.incur a charge formal (=result in you paying a charge) All cancellations incur a charge.cancellationintroduce/impose a charge The government introduced a charge for water.introducewaive a charge (=allow you not to pay it) I’ve asked the bank to waive the charge this time.askCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 4ADJECTIVES/NOUN + chargea murder/burglary/drugs etc charge He appeared in court on fraud charges.appearcharge | Robins was in jail awaiting trial on drugs charges.robinbeawaitdrugchargecriminal charges The investigation resulted in criminal charges against three police officers.resultchargeofficera serious charge Drinking and driving is a very serious charge.drinkdrivebea felony charge American English (=for a serious crime) He pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of cocaine possession.pleadverbspress/bring charges (=make someone be brought to court for a crime) Sometimes the victim of an assault does not want to press charges.dochargeface charges (=have been charged with a crime) A farmer is facing charges of cruelty and neglect.befacechargedeny/admit a charge All three men denied the charge of manslaughter.mandenyplead guilty to a charge (=say formally in court that you are guilty) The youth pleaded guilty to a charge of arson.pleaddrop the charges (=decide not to go on with a court case) The prosecution dropped the charges in 2005.dropchargedismiss the charges (=say that a court case should not continue) If there is insufficient evidence, the court will dismiss the charges.bechargebe released without charge She had been arrested twice and released without charge.havebearrestreleasebe convicted of/on a charge (=be judged to be guilty) McCorley was convicted on a charge of assault.beconvictbe acquitted of/on a charge (=be judged to be not guilty) Both men were acquitted of all charges.manbeacquitcharge
chargeverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3Word sets 1 2 3Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleschargechargeschargedchargingchargecharge2 S1 W2 verb
Date: 1100-1200Language: Old French
Origin: chargier, from Late Latin carricare, from Latin carrus; → CAR Verb form1money a)[intransitive and transitive]COST to ask someone for a particular amount of money for something you are selling:
The hotel charges $125 a night.chargecharge somebody £10/$50 etc (for something)The restaurant charged us £40 for the wine.chargecharge something at somethingCalls will be charged at 44p per minute.callchargecharge forWe won’t charge for delivery if you pay now.wincharge rent/a fee/interest etcThe gallery charges an entrance fee.charge b)charge something to sb’s account/room etc to record the cost of something on someone’s account, so that they can pay for it later: Wilson charged the drinks to his room.chargedrinkUse a courier and charge it to the department. c)[transitive] American EnglishPAY FOR to pay for something with a credit cardcharge something on somethingI charged the shoes on Visa.chargeshoe‘How would you like to pay?’ ‘I’ll charge it.’will2crime [transitive]ACCUSE to state officially that someone may be guilty of a crimecharge somebody with somethingGibbons has been charged with murder.gibbonhavebecharge3blame somebody [transitive] formalBLAME to say publicly that you think someone has done something wrongcharge thatDemonstrators have charged that the police used excessive force against them.demonstratorchargeuse4run [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to deliberately run or walk somewhere quicklycharge around/through/out etcThe boys charged noisily into the water.boycharge5attack [intransitive and transitive]ATTACK to deliberately rush quickly towards someone or something in order to attack them: Then, with a final effort, our men charged the enemy for the last time.manchargecharge at/towards/intoThe bear charged towards her at full speed.charge6electricity [intransitive and transitive] (also charge up) if a battery charges, or if you charge it, it takes in and stores electricity: The shaver can be charged up.charge7order somebody [transitive] formalTELL/ORDER SB TO DO STH to order someone to do something or make them responsible for itcharge somebody with doing somethingThe commission is charged with investigating war crimes.bechargeinvestigatecrime8gun [transitive] old use to load a gun9glass [transitive] British English formalDRINK to fill a glass → charged
verb (past tense became /-ˈkeɪm/, past participle become)Language: Old EnglishOrigin: becuman ‘to come to, become’, from cuman ‘to come’ Verb form1[linking verb]BECOME to start to have a feeling or quality, or to start to develop into something:
The weather became warmer.becomewarmSlowly my eyes became accustomed to the darkness.eyebecomeaccustomHelen became increasingly anxious about her husband’s strange behaviour.becomePollution from cars has become a major problem.carhave2[linking verb]BECOME to start to have a job or position: George became king at the age of 54.becomeWhen did you first want to become a teacher?do3[transitive not in progressive] formalSUITABLE to be suitable for someone, or to look attractive on them SYN suit: Blue really becomes her.becomeDon’t try to be clever – it doesn’t become you.4what became of ...?/whatever will become of ...?HAPPEN used to ask what has happened to someone or something, especially when you have not seen them for a long time, or what will happen to someone that you are worried about: What became of those Chinese vases that Mum used to have?becomevaseuseWhatever will become of Sam when his wife dies?dieTHESAURUSbecome to start to have a feeling or quality, or to start to develop into something: His parents became worried when he was late home from school.parentbecomeworrybe | Violent crime is becoming a major problem.bebecome | She became more confident when she joined a drama group.becomejoinget to start to have a feeling or quality. Get is less formal than become and is much more commonly used in everyday English: I was getting very tired.begettire | Make sure you’re home before it gets dark.getgo to become something – used about things becoming a different colour, or things or people becoming worse in some way: Her hair was going grey.bego | He went blind.go | I think I’m going mad.goturn to become something – used about things becoming a different colour, or the weather or people’s behaviour changing: The water had turned bright green.haveturn | The weather is expected to turn cold again.beexpect | He suddenly turned nasty.turngrow especially written to gradually become something: People were growing impatient.begrow | The rich grew richer.growrichcome undone/loose/apart to become undone, loose, or separated into pieces: The screws had come loose.screwhavechange into something to become something completely different: The caterpillar changed into a beautiful butterfly.change
noun
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: ende 1last part [singular]PART the last part of a period of time, event, activity, or story OPP beginning, startend of
Costs are expected to double by the end of 2012.costbeexpectat the endWhat would she find at the end of her journey?willHooker’s death marked the end of an era.markI played the tape from beginning to end.playbegin2finished [singular]FINISH/COME TO AN END a situation in which something is finished or no longer existsput/bring an end to somethingIt’s hoped the talks may bring an end to the violence.hopetalkcall for/demand an end to somethingThe EU is demanding an end to the ivory trade.bedemandAt last it seemed the war might be coming to an end.seemcomeThe spacecraft is nearing the end of its useful life.benearbe at an endHe rose to indicate that the conversation was at an end.risebeWell, I hope that’s the end of the matter.Another year has passed, with no end in sight to the suffering.havepasssuffer3furthest part [countable]END/POINT the part of a place or object that is furthest from its beginning or centreend ofWe sat at opposite ends of the table.sitendHe wore spectacles perched on the very end of his nose.wearspectacleperchThe end of the pencil snapped.snapJo joined the end of the line.jointhe far end (=furthest from you) of the roomThe channel measures 20 feet from end to end.measurefootstand/place something on end (=in an upright position)He stood the box on end to open it.standlay/place something end to end (=in a line, with the ends touching)bricks laid end to endbricklay4scale [countable usually singular] one of the two points that begin or end a scalelower/cheaper etc endthe cheaper end of the price rangecheapAt the opposite end of the political spectrum are the Marxist theories.betheorySome teenagers are just a nuisance, but at the other end of the scale there are kids who pose a real threat.teenagerbebekid5connection [countable usually singular] one of two places that are connected by a telephone call, journey etcthe end of the phone/lineSometimes, all you need is a calm voice on the end of the phone.beWe’ll get a bus connection at the other end.Any problems at your end (=where you are)?problem6remaining piece [countable] especially British English a small piece of something that is left after you have finished with it: cigarette endsend7aim [usually plural]PURPOSE an aim or purpose, or the result you hope to achievepolitical/military etc ends40% of all research is undertaken for military ends.beundertakeendShe’ll do anything to achieve her own ends.endEvery task has a clear end in view.haveto that end formal: He wants to cut costs, and to that end is looking at ways of cutting the company’s operations.wantcostbelookwaycutoperationan end in itself (=something you do because you want to, not in order to get other advantages)IT is a tool for learning, not merely an end in itself.belearnthe end justifies the means (=used to say that doing bad things is acceptable if they achieve an important result)8part of an activity [singular] informalPART part of a job, activity, or situation that involves or affects one person or group of people: She works in the sales end of things.worksalething9sport [countable] one of the two halves of a sports field10death [countable usually singular] a word meaning death – used to avoid saying this directly: He met his end (=died) in a car accident.meet11at the end of the day spokenBASIC used to give your final opinion after considering all the possibilities: At the end of the day, it’s his decision.12for days/weeks etc on endCONTINUOUS for many days, weeks etc without stopping: He was tortured for days on end.betortureday13in the endEVENTUALLY after a period of time, or after everything has been done: What did you decide in the end?do14end of (story) spoken informal used to mean that you will not say any more about something, or that the situation cannot be changed: I’m not going – end of story.go15FED UPthe end of your tether/rope the point at which you are so angry and tired of a situation that you can no longer deal with it: Frustrated and bitter, Hogan had reached the end of his tether with politics.frustratehavereach16the end of the road/lineFINISH/COME TO AN END the end of a process, activity, or state: Our marriage had reached the end of the line.havereach17make ends meetSURVIVE to have only just enough money to buy the things you need: When Mike lost his job, we could barely make ends meet.losecanend18it’s not the end of the world spokenSERIOUS SITUATION used to tell someone that a problem is not as bad as they think19hold/keep your end up British English informalBRAVE to stay brave and hopeful in a difficult situation20no end spoken informalLOT/VERY MUCH very much: Your letter cheered me up no end.cheer21no end of trouble/problems etc spoken informalLOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT a lot of trouble etc: This will cause no end of trouble.22the living end American English spokenAPPROVEDISAPPROVE used as an expression of slight disapproval – often used humorously: What will she do next? She’s the living end!live23TRY TO DO OR GET STHgo to the ends of the earth literary to do everything possible to achieve something: I’d go to the ends of the earth to be with him.end24to the end of time literary forever → dead end, odds and ends, → be-all and end all at be2(15), → to the bitter end at bitter1(6), → burn the candle at both ends at burn1(19), → jump/be thrown in at the deep end at deep1(17), → go off at the deep end at deep1(18), → be at a loose end at loose1(14), → make sb’s hair stand on end at hair(8), → be on/at the receiving end (of something) at receive(5), → be on the sharp end of at sharp1(19), → come to a sticky end at sticky(6), → the tail end of something at tail1(6), → at your wits’ end at wit(7), → get the wrong end of the stick at wrong1(15)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 1phrasesthe end of the day/week/month etc Karen’s returning to the States at the end of the month.returnstatethe end of March/July/December etc My licence runs out at the end of May.runthe end of the war The two men met once again before the end of the war.manmeetbe/mark the end of an era (=be the end of a period of time in history that is known for a particular event, or for particular qualities) The principal’s death marked the end of an era at the college.markfrom beginning to end Michael Jordon led the race from beginning to end.leadbeginCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2verbscome to an end (=end) Arsenal’s ten-match unbeaten run came to an end with a 3–2 defeat at United.comeunitedraw to an end (=to reach the end) My holiday was drawing to an end.bedrawget to/reach the end of something The 40 year-old power station has now reached the end of its operating life.havereachoperateput an end to something (=make something end) A shoulder injury put an end to his baseball career.bring an end to something/bring something to an end (=make something end) They began peace talks aimed at bringing an end to the civil war.begintalkaimbringcall for/demand an end to something (=publicly ask for something to happen or be done) The union is calling for an end to discrimination.becalladjectivesa sudden/abrupt end (=sudden and unexpected) After the news leaked out, his political career came to a sudden end.leakcomean early end Hopes of an early end to the conflict are fading.hopebefadea fitting end to something (=right for a particular situation or occasion) The fireworks display was a fitting end to the celebrations.fireworkbefitcelebrationphrasesthe end of the matter If you think that’s the end of the matter, you’re mistaken.mistakethe end is in sight (=near) After a three year wait, the end is finally in sight.beTHESAURUSMeaning 3end the part of a place or object that is furthest from the centre or the beginning: the end of the table | the end of the streettip the end of something, especially something pointed: the tip of your nose | an arrow tippoint the sharp end of something: The point of the pencil broke.breakCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 3adjectivesthe opposite/other end (of something) Jon and his girlfriend were sitting at the opposite end of the bar.besitthe far end (of something) (=furthest from you) He walked to the far end of the room and sat at his desk.walksitdeep/shallow end (=used about the ends of a swimming pool where the water is deepest or least deep) The kids were splashing about in the shallow end.kidbesplashphraseslay/place something end to end (=in a line, with the ends touching) The roof tiles are laid end to end.tilebelayCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 8adjectivespolitical/military financial etc ends The government exploited the situation for political ends.exploitendverbsachieve your own ends (=to get what you want, used to show disapproval) Some people would do almost anything to achieve their own ends.willendphrasesto that end (=with that aim or purpose) Our first priority is safety, and the airline is working to that end.bebeworkan end in itself (=the thing that you want to achieve) The programme is not an end in itself, but rather the first step the prisoner takes towards a new life.betakethe end justifies the means (=used to say that something bad is acceptable, if it achieves a good result) Their defence, that the end justifies the means, is not acceptable.justifymeanbea means to an end (=a way of achieving what you want) To Joe, work was a means to an end, nothing more.bemeanwith this end in view (=with this thing in mind as an aim) We need to reduce costs, so with this end in view, the company is switching supplier.costbeswitch
endverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesendendsendedendingendend2 S1 W1 verbWord familyVerb form1a)[intransitive]STOP HAPPENING if an event, activity, or story ends, it stops happening OPP start, begin: World War II ended in 1945.endend withThe festival will end with a spectacular laser show. b)[transitive]STOP HAPPENING to make something stop happening OPP start, begin: The talks are aimed at ending the conflict.talkbeaimend2[intransitive] to finish what you are doing OPP start, begin: I think we'll end there for today.end by doing somethingI’d like to end by inviting questions from the audience.invitequestion3[intransitive] if a road, path, line etc ends, it reaches its final point OPP start, begin: This is where the line ends.beend4[transitive] to reach the final point in a period of time in a particular condition OPP start, begin: They ended the game with a score of 63-42.endThe company ended the year with record profits.endprofit5end your days to spend the last part of your life in a particular place or doing a particular thing: He ended his days in prison.endday6end your life/end it allKILL to kill yourself7the ... to end all ... used to describe something that is the best, most important, or most exciting of its kind: the movie with the car chase to end all car chaseschase8the year/week etc ending something used to refer to the year etc that ends on a particular date: the financial results for the year ending 31 Dec 2008resultendTHESAURUSend if a event, activity, or story ends, it stops happening: How does the story end?do | The school year ends in June.endfinish to end - use this about an organized event such as a meeting, party, or lesson, especially when saying what time it ends: The meeting will finish at 5.30.meet | What time does your Spanish class finish?dobe over if an event, activity, or period of time is over, it has ended: I can’t wait for our exams to be over.exam | The long summer vacation was almost over.become to an end to finally end – used about a period of time, a situation, or an activity that has continued for a long time: The war finally came to an end six years later.comeyearlatedraw to an end/to a close written to end gradually over a period of time – used in written descriptions: These problems still remained as the twentieth century drew to an end.problemremaindrawtime is up if time is up, you are not allowed any more time to do something: I wasn’t able to finish the test before the time was up.betime runs out if time runs out, there is no more time available to do something, especially something important: The desperate search for survivors continues, but time is running out.survivorcontinueberunexpire formal if a ticket, bank card, legal document etc expires, the period of time during which you can use it has ended: I’m afraid we can’t accept this credit card – it expired last week.expirebe at an end if something is at an end, it has ended: We both knew that our marriage was at an end.knowbe | The long wait was at an end.beend in something phrasal verb1EVENTUALLYto finish in a particular way: One in three marriages ends in divorce.marriageend2it’ll (all) end in tears British English spoken used to say that something will have a bad result or not be successfulend up phrasal verb EVENTUALLYto be in a particular situation, state, or place after a series of events, especially when you did not plan it: He came round for a coffee and we ended up having a meal together.comeendhaveI wondered where the pictures would end up after the auction.wonderpicturewillend up doing somethingMost slimmers end up putting weight back on.putend up withAnyone who swims in the river could end up with a nasty stomach upset.swimcanend up asHe could end up as President.canend up likeI don’t want to end up like my parents.parent
noun [countable]
Date: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: Latin facies ‘form, face’, from facere ‘to make’
1front of your headBODY the front part of your head, where your eyes, nose, and mouth are: She had a beautiful face.haveHer face was white with fear.beA big smile spread across his face.I felt like punching him in the face.feelpunch ► You say that something is on sb’s face, not ‘in sb’s face’: You’ve got a mark on your face.2expressionEXPRESSION ON SB'S FACE an expression on someone’s face: I’ll never forget my father’s face – I’d never seen him so upset before.see3keep a straight face to not laugh or smile, even though something is funny4pale-faced/round-faced etc having a face that has a particular colour or shape: a pale-faced youthface → red-faced5grim-faced/serious-faced etcAPPEARANCE showing a particular expression on your face: Negotiators emerged grim-faced after the day’s talks.negotiatoremergefacetalk → barefaced, po-faced, poker-faced, stony-faced6person a personnew/different face (=someone who you have not seen before)There are a few new faces in class this year.befaceGordon is a familiar face (=someone who you know or have seen many times before) at the Shrewsbury Flower Show.beIt’s the same old faces (=people who you see often, especially too often) at our meetings every week.facemeetingfamous/well-known face (=someone who is famous from television, magazines, films etc)She looked around at the sea of faces (=lots of people seen together) in the cafeteria.lookface7face to face a)OPPOSITE/FACEif two people are standing face to face, they are very close and are looking at each othermeet somebody/talk to somebody/explain something etc face to face (=to meet someone and talk to them, instead of just hearing about them, talking to them on the phone etc)I’ve never met her face to face.meet‘You could have just phoned.’ ‘I wanted to explain things face to face.’canphonewantthingcome face to face/find yourself face to face (with somebody) (=to meet someone, especially in a way that surprises or frightens you)At that moment he came face to face with Sergeant Burke.comeThe two men stood face to face without a word.manstand b)DEAL WITHif you come face to face with something difficult, you experience it and have to deal with it: It was the first time he’d ever come face to face with death.bebring somebody face to face with somethingSometimes one is brought face to face with facts which cannot be ignored.bebringfactignore → face-to-face8say something/tell somebody something to their facePERSONALLY/YOURSELF if you say something unpleasant to someone’s face, you say it to them directly, rather than to other people: I told him to his face just what I thought of him.tellthink9face down/downwardsUP with the face or front towards the ground: Keith was lying face down on the bed.belie10face up/upwards with the face or front towards the sky: The body was lying face up in the rain.belie11in the face of somethingDESPITE in a situation where there are many problems, difficulties, or dangers: It is amazing how Daniels has survived in the face of such strong opposition from within the party.beamazehavesurvive12on the face of itSEEM used to say that something seems true but that you think there may be other facts about it which are not yet clear: It looks, on the face of it, like a minor change in the regulations.lookregulationOn the face of it, his suggestion makes sense.make13the face of something a)SEEMthe nature or character of an organization, industry, system etc, and the way it appears to people: technology that has changed the face of societyhavechangeIs this the new face of the Tory party?bethe ugly/unacceptable/acceptable face of something (=the qualities of an organization, industry etc which people find unacceptable or acceptable)the unacceptable face of capitalism b)APPEARANCEthe general appearance of a particular place: the changing face of the landscapechange14mountain/cliff the face of a mountain, cliff etc is a steep vertical surface or sideface ofHe fell and died while attempting to climb the north face of Mont Blanc.falldieattemptThe cliff face was starting to crumble into the sea.bestarta sheer (=very steep) rock face15
clock the front part of a clock or watch, where the numbers and hands are16lose faceASHAMED if you lose face, you do something which makes you seem weak, stupid etc, and which makes people respect you less: He doesn’t want to back down (=accept defeat in an argument) and risk losing face.lose17save faceADMIRE if you do something to save face, you do it so that people will not lose their respect for you: Both countries saved face with the compromise.countrysave18disappear/vanish from/off the face of the earthDISAPPEAR used to say that you have no idea where someone is and have not seen them in a very long time: I haven’t seen Paul in ages; he seems to have vanished off the face of the earth.seeageseemvanish19on the face of the earth used when you are emphasizing a statement to mean ‘in the whole world’: If she were the last woman on the face of the earth, I still wouldn’t be interested!beinterest20sb’s face doesn’t fitWRONG/UNSUITABLE used to say that someone will not get or keep a particular job because they are not the kind of person that the employer wants21set your face against something especially British EnglishAGAINST/OPPOSE to be very determined that something should not happen: The local Labour Party has set its face against the scheme.have22mine the part of a mine from which coal, stone etc is cut → coalface23outside surface one of the outside surfaces of an object or building: A cube has six faces.haveface24sport the part of a racket or bat etc that you use to hit the ball25in your face spoken informalHONEST behaviour, criticisms, remarks etc that are in your face are very direct and often shocking or surprising: Bingham has a very ‘in your face’ writing style.havewrite26get in sb’s face spoken informal if someone gets in your face, they really annoy you27get out of my face spoken informal used to tell someone in an impolite way to go away because they are annoying you28what’s his face/what’s her face spoken informalNAME OF A PERSON used as a way of talking about someone when you cannot remember their name: I saw old what’s his face in school yesterday.see29put your face on informal to put make-up on: I just need to run upstairs and put my face on. → blow up in sb’s face at blow up(7), → put on a brave face at brave1(3), → do something till you’re blue in the face at blue1(4), → have egg on your face at egg1(5), → face-to-face, → fly in the face of at fly1(18), → laugh in sb’s face at laugh1(11), → long face at long1(12), → not just a pretty face at pretty2(4), → show your face at show1(15), → shut your face at shut1(2), → a slap in the face at slap2(2), → be staring somebody in the face at stare1(2), → a straight face at straight2(8), → wipe something off the face of the earth at wipe1(8), → wipe the smile/grin off sb’s face at wipe1(7), → have something written all over your face at write(10)COLLOCATIONSMeanings 1 & 2adjectivespretty/beautiful/handsome etc Her face was beautiful in the morning light.beround/oval/square Her face was round and jolly.bethin/narrow Tears rolled down her thin face.tearrollpale/dark His face suddenly became pale and I thought he was going to faint.becomethinkbegoan angular face (=so thin that you can see the bones) She stared at his dark, angular face.staresad/serious Maggie looked at him with a sad face.lookhappy/smiling Shelley looked at the children’s happy faces.lookchildfacea grinning face He looked down at the boy’s grinning face.lookgrinangry Beth’s angry face stared fiercely at her husband.stareworried/anxious My father watched us go with a worried face.watchworrypuzzled He looked at his son’s puzzled face.lookpuzzleblank/impassive (=showing no emotion or thoughts) What was she really thinking behind that blank face?bethinkwrinkled/lined (=with a lot of small lines, especially because of old age) His wrinkled face must once have been handsome.wrinklebescowling (=one that shows you are not pleased about something) He looked around and saw his boss's scowling face behind him.lookseescowla long face (=an unhappy expression) What’s the long face for?verbssb’s face goes/turns red (=becomes red) His face went red with embarrassment.gosb’s face goes/turns pale (=becomes pale) I saw her face go pale when he walked in.seewalksb’s face lights up/brightens (=they start to look happy) Denise’s face lit up when she heard the news.lighthearsb’s face darkens (=they start to look angry or threatening) She handed him the letter and his face darkened.handdarkensb’s face falls (=they look sad or disappointed) Her face fell when she saw who it was.fallseebepull/make a face (=to change your expression to make people laugh or to show you are angry, disappointed etc) Here’s a funny photo of Joe pulling a face.pullsb’s face is contorted with anger/rage (=someone’s face is twisted out of its normal shape because they are angry) Eve’s face was contorted with anger as she picked up the broken vase.becontortpickbreakphrasesa look/expression on sb’s face She had a rather surprised look on her face.havesurprise | I could tell by the look on Dan’s face that he was disappointed.canbedisappointa smile/grin/frown on sb’s face There was a mischievous grin on her face.be | He was reading the newspaper with a frown on his face.bereadyou can see something in sb’s face (=you know what someone is feeling from the expression on their face) She could see the despair in his face.cansomething is written all over sb’s face (=their feelings can be seen very clearly in their expression) You’re jealous – it’s written all over your face!writeyou should have seen sb’s face (=used to say that someone was very angry, surprised etc) You should have seen his face when I told him that I was resigning.shallseetellberesigna face like thunder (=a very angry expression) The boss had a face like thunder when he arrived this morning.havearriveTHESAURUSexpression a look on someone’s face that shows what they are thinking or feeling: His expression became more serious as he listened to her story.becomelisten | She had a contented expression.havecontent | He has a very different expression in the next picture.havelook an expression – used especially with adjectives that describe the expression. Look sounds less formal than expression: She had a sad look on her face.have | With a look of relief, he handed her the baby.hand | What’s that look for? | She gave me a dirty look (=a look that showed she was angry).giveface used when talking about someone’s expression, especially in the following phrases: You should have seen his face!shallsee | Look at my face. Am I bothered?bebother | The boys were making faces (=making strange, silly, or rude expressions which show that you dislike someone)through the window.boybemakeface
faceverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesfacefacesfacedfacingfaceface2 S1 W1 verb [transitive]
Verb form1difficult situationDEAL WITH if you face or are faced with a difficult situation, or if a difficult situation faces you, it is going to affect you and you must deal with it: Emergency services are facing additional problems this winter.servicebefaceproblemThe President faces the difficult task of putting the economy back on its feet.faceputfootMcManus is facing the biggest challenge of his career.befacebigAs the project comes to an end, many workers now face an uncertain future.comeworkerHe must face the prospect of financial ruin.be faced with somethingI was faced with the awful job of breaking the news to the girl’s family.befacebreakthe difficulties faced by the policedifficultyfaceIf he is found guilty, he faces up to 12 years in jail.befindfaceyearface charges/prosecution (=have legal charges brought against you)He was the first member of the former government to face criminal charges.becharge2admit a problem existsDEAL WITH (also face up to something) to accept that a difficult situation or problem exists, even though you would prefer to ignore it: Many couples refuse to face the fact that there are problems in their marriage.couplebeproblemYou’ve got to face facts, Rachel. You can’t survive on a salary that low.getfactHe had to face the awful truth that she no longer loved him.havelongloveFace it, kid. You’re never going to be a rock star.go3can’t faceCAN'T if you can’t face something, you feel unable to do it because it seems too unpleasant or difficult: I don’t want to go back to college – I just can’t face it.I can’t face the thought of going into town when it’s this hot.thinkgoShe couldn’t face the prospect of another divorce.can’t face doing somethingHe couldn’t face driving all the way to Los Angeles.drive4talk/deal with somebodyDEAL WITH to talk or deal with someone, when this is unpleasant or difficult for you: You’re going to have to face him sooner or later.gosoonlateI don’t know how I’m going to face her after what happened.gohappenThe accident left her feeling depressed and unable to face the world (=be with people and live a normal life).leavefeeldepress5be oppositeOPPOSITE/FACE to be opposite someone or something, or to be looking or pointing in a particular direction: The two men stood facing each other, smiling.manstandfacesmileWhen he turned to face her, he seemed annoyed.turnseemannoyLunch is served on the terrace facing the sea.beservefacesouth-facing/west-facing etca south-facing gardenfaceface north/east etcThe dining room faces east.dineface6opponent/teamPLAY A GAME OR SPORT to play against an opponent or team in a game or competition: Martinez will face Robertson in tomorrow’s final.7PUNISHface the music informal to accept criticism or punishment for something you have done8building be faced with stone/concrete etc a building that is faced with stone, concrete etc has a layer of that material on its outside surfacesCOLLOCATIONSnounsface a problem She told me about some of the problems she was facing.tellproblembefaceface a difficulty The hotel’s owners were facing financial difficulties.ownerbefacedifficultyface a challenge The coal industry faces serious challenges.facechallengeface the task of doing something He faced the task of preparing a three-course meal for 50 people.faceprepareface a danger He has the courage to face danger in spite of fear.haveface opposition (=deal with strong disagreement) The government faced opposition from the Liberal Democrats.facedemocratface charges (=be accused of a crime and have to go to a court of law) He faces charges of fraud and theft.facechargeface an uncertain/difficult future The company is facing an uncertain future.befaceface the prospect of something (=something in the future is going to affect you and you will have to deal with it) Many coastal cities face the prospect of disastrous flooding.cityfloodface somebody ↔ down phrasal verb especially American English DEAL WITHto deal in a strong and confident way with someone who opposes you: Harrison successfully faced down the mob of angry workers.faceworkerface off phrasal verb American English to fight, argue, or compete with someone, or to get into a position in which you are ready to do this: The two candidates will face off in a televised debate on Friday.candidateteleviseface up to something phrasal verb DEAL WITHto accept and deal with a difficult fact or problem: They’ll never offer you another job; you might as well face up to it.She had to face up to the fact that he was guilty.havebe
noun [countable]Date: 1500-1600Language: Latin
Origin: ‘piece of flat ground’ 1AREAa particular part of a country, town etc:
Only cheeses made in this area may be labelled ‘Roquefort.’cheesemakelabelCrime rates are much higher in urban areas.ratebehighareaarea ofMany areas of Africa have suffered severe drought this year.areasuffer2AREAa part of a house, office, garden etc that is used for a particular purpose: a no-smoking areasmokeTheir apartment has a large kitchen area.haveCome through into the dining area.dinethe reception area of the hotela storage area on the ground floorgrind3AREA OF KNOWLEDGE, DUTIES, STUDY ETCa particular subject, range of activities, or group of related subjects: The course covers three main subject areas.coverareaThis study has clearly identified a major problem area for the National Health Service.haveidentifyWe’re funding research into new areas such as law enforcement technology.fundareaarea ofreforms in the key areas of health and educationreformarea4SIZEthe amount of space that a flat surface or shape coversarea ofan area of 2,000 square milesmila formula to calculate the area of a circle → grey area at grey1(7)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 1ADJECTIVES/NOUN + areaa rural area (=in the countryside) Schools in rural areas are often very small.schoolareabean urban area (=in a town or city) 90% of the English population live in urban areas.areaa remote/isolated area (=a long way from towns and cities) a remote area of northeast Afghanistanthe local area He quickly made friends in the local area.makefriendthe surrounding area (=the area around a place) The tourist office will have a map of the surrounding area.surroundoutlying areas (=far from the centre of a town, village etc) The programme also includes plans to reforest outlying areas of the city.includeplanareaa wooded area The plane crashed into trees in a heavily wooded area.crashtreea mountainous area the mountainous areas of the Massif Centralareaa coastal area The bird is found mainly in coastal areas.befindareaa desert area The hot, dry wind blows in from the desert areas of North Africa.blowareaa residential area (=a part of a town where people live) They had a large house in a pleasant residential area.havean industrial area People living in industrial areas are exposed to these types of chemicals.liveareabeexposetypechemicala built-up area (=with a lot of buildings close together) New development will not be allowed outside the existing built-up area.allowexistbuilda deprived area (=where many poor people live) He grew up in one of the toughest and most deprived areas of Glasgow.growtoughdepriveareaan inner-city area (=the central part of a city, where many poor people live) When will something be done to improve our inner-city areas?doareaa middle-class/working-class etc area (=where a particular class of people live) She was born in a working-class area of London.beworka metropolitan area (=a very large city) major metropolitan areas such as Delhi, Bombay, and Calcuttaareaa conservation area (=for preserving nature or old buildings) a new scheme to create a nature conservation areaa geographical area (=one that is shown on a map) The survey took place in three geographical areas.takeareaverbsmove into/out of an area She had just moved into the area and knew very few people.havemoveknow | Many young people are moving out of rural areas.bemoveareakeep/stay away from an area The police ordered people to stay away from the area.orderbe spread out over a wide area The town is spread out over a wide area.bebe scattered over a wide area Parts of the plane were scattered over a wide area.partbescatterCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2ADJECTIVES/NOUN + areathe kitchen/dining/bedroom/bathroom area The kitchen area is rather small.bethe living area (=the main room in a house, where people relax) The main living area was on the second floor.livebea reception area (=a desk where visitors arriving in a hotel or large organization go first) Visitors should please report to the reception area.visitorshalla storage area (=a place for keeping things that are not being used) There’s a temporary storage area where you can put those boxes.boxa picnic area (=an area outdoors where you can eat a meal) We pulled off the highway into a picnic area for lunch.pulla play area (=a place for children to play) There’s a nice play area for the kiddies.kiddiea no-smoking/non-smoking area The airport terminal is a no-smoking area.besmokea smoking area Employers do not have to provide smoking areas.employersmokeareaTHESAURUSarea a part of a town or country, or of the world: They live in a very wealthy area. | coastal areasarearegion a large area of a country or the world: the northwest region of Russia | desert regionsregionzone an area that is different from other areas around it in some way: a war zone | a no-parking zonepark | We crossed two different time zonesareas where there is a particular time compared to the rest of the world.crossbecomparedistrict one of the areas a city or town is officially divided into, or an area of a city where a particular group live or an activity happens: the Chelsea district of Manhattan | the business/financial/theatre etc district: the financial district of Londonneighbourhood British English, neighborhood American English /ˈneɪbəhʊd $ -ər-/ an area of a town where people live: a friendly neighbourhood | There are lots of trees in our neighborhood.belottreesuburb an area outside the centre of a city, where people live: a suburb of Bostonquarter an area of a town or city where people of a particular nationality live: the French quarter of New Orleansslum an area of a city that is in very bad condition, where many poor people live: He grew up in the slums of East London.growslumghetto an area of a city where poor people of a particular race or class live: a black baby born in the ghetto
verb [transitive]Word familyDate: 1400-1500Language: Latin
Origin: includere, from claudere ‘to close’ Verb form1[not in progressive]INCLUDE if one thing includes another, the second thing is part of the first:
Does the price include postage?doHis job includes looking after under-21 teams.includelookteamThe curriculum includes courses in computing.includecoursecompute2INCLUDEto make someone or something part of a larger group or set OPP exclude: The team is stronger now they’ve included Roscoe.bestrongincludeinclude something in/on somethingService is included in the bill.beincludeWould you include a Walkman on your list of essentials?willessential
noun
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: gamen 1activity or sport [countable] a)an activity or sport in which people compete with each other according to agreed rules:
We used to love playing games like chess or backgammon.useplaygame b)an occasion when a game is played → match: Did you see the game on TV last night?doa game of tennis/football etcWould you like to have a game of tennis?willgame against/withEngland’s World Cup game against Holland → ball game, board game, video game, war game2games [plural] a)a large organized sports event: the Olympic Gamesgame b)British English organized sports as a school subject or lesson SYN PE: We have games on Thursdays.gamea games lessongame3part of a match [countable] one of the parts into which a single match is divided, for example in tennis or bridge1(4): Graf leads, two games to one.leadgame4children [countable] a children’s activity in which they play with toys, pretend to be someone else etcgame ofa game of hide-and-seekThe boys were playing a game in the backyard.boybeplay5skill sb’s game how well someone plays a particular game or sportimprove/raise your gameLiam’s taking lessons to improve his game.takelessonthe strongest aspect of his gamestrong6give the game awayTELL A SECRET to spoil a surprise or secret by doing or saying something that lets someone guess what the secret is: Lynn gave the game away by laughing when Kim walked in.givelaughwalk7beat somebody at their own game (also play somebody at their own game British English)COMPETE WITH/TRY TO BEAT to beat someone or fight back against them by using the same methods that they use8not serious be a gamePRETEND to be something that you do to enjoy yourself rather than for a serious purpose: It’s just a game to them. They don’t care what happens.happen9play games (with somebody) a)TRICK/DECEIVEto behave in a dishonest or unfair way in order to get what you want: Are you sure he’s really interested, and not just playing silly games with you?beinterestplaygame b)to not be serious about doing something: We want a deal. We’re not interested in playing games.interestplaygame10animals/birds [uncountable] wild animals, birds, and fish that are hunted for food, especially as a sport: game birdsbird → big game11the only game in town used to say that something is the only possible choice in a situation: The Church of England is no longer the only game in town.belong12business [singular] informalJOB/WORK an area of work or business: I’ve been in this game for over ten years.beyear13what’s her/your etc game? British English spokenREASON used to ask what the true reason for someone’s behaviour is: Reg is being very nice all of a sudden. What’s his game?bebe14the game’s up spokenFIND OUT used to tell someone that something wrong or dishonest that they have done has been discovered: Come out, Don. The game’s up.15a game of chance a game in which you risk money on the result: Poker is a game of chance.be16somebody got game American English informal used to say that someone is very skilful at doing something, especially a sport17be on the game British English informalSEX/HAVE SEX WITH to be a prostitute18game on spoken said when the balance of a sports match or competition changes, and both sides suddenly have a chance of winning19game over informal said to emphasize that an event or activity is completely finished20make game of somebody old-fashionedLAUGH to make fun of someone → fair game, → fun and games at fun1(5), → the name of the game at name1(10), → a mug’s game at mug1(5)COLLOCATIONSverbsplay a game They explained how to play the game.explainsee/watch a game Did you see the game last night?dohave a game British English They were having a game of pool.behavewin/lose a game A.C. Milan won the game with a last-minute goal.win | Arsenal lost the game because of a mistake by their goalkeeper.losethe game is tied (=both teams or players had the same score) The game was tied 10-10 at halftime.betiedraw a game British English (=end the game with the same score as the opposing team or player) We played badly and were lucky to draw the game.playbeNOUN + gamea computer/video game He was up all night playing computer games.beplaygamea card game Bridge is a card game for four people.bea board/ball game board games such as Monopoly and Scrabblegamea team game I wasn't very good at team games when I was at school.gamebea party game What's your favourite party game?a basketball/baseball etc game He was watching a baseball game on TV.bewatcha home game (=played at a team's own sports field) Next Saturday Liverpool have a home game against Manchester United.unitean away game (=played at an opposing team's sports field) We didn't win any away games last season.gamea league game (=played as part of a league competition) There's a big league game against Chelsea on Saturday.a cup game (=played as part of a cup competition) He hopes to play in the cup game on Wednesday.hopea playoff game American English (=one of a series of games played by the best teams in a competition to decide the final winner ) This is the first of their five playoff games.begamea play-off game British English (=played to decide the winner after a previous game ended with both teams having equal points)an indoor game There is a hall for indoor games and social functions.begamefunctionan outdoor game Outdoor games are affected by the weather.gamebeaffectphrasesthe rules of the game It's against the rules of the game to pick up the ball.rule
gameadjectiveCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplesgamegamergamestgamegame2 adjectiveSense 1:Date: 1700-1800
Origin: → GAME1Sense 2:
Date: 1700-1800
Origin: Perhaps from Old French gambi ‘bent’ 1WILLINGwilling to try something dangerous, new, or difficult:
Okay. I’m game if you are.begame forHe’s always game for a laugh.game to do something‘Who’s game to have a try?’2game leg old-fashioned an injured or painful leg—gamelygamely adverb
gameverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplesgamegamesgamedgaminggamegame3 /ɡeɪm/ verb American EnglishVerb form game the system to use rules or laws to get what you want in an unfair but legal way
verb (past tense and past participle built /bɪlt/)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: byldan Verb form1make somethingMAKE STH [intransitive and transitive]BUILD to make something, especially a building or something large:
The purpose is to build new houses for local people.behouseThe road took many years to build.takeyearThey needed $3 million to build the bridge.needIt is the female birds that build the nests.bebirdnestDevelopers want to build on the site of the old gasworks.developera row of recently built housesbuildhousebuild somebody somethingHe’s going to build the children a doll’s house.gochild2make something develop (also build up) [transitive]DEVELOP to make something develop or form: She had built a reputation as a criminal lawyer.havebuildShe’s been busy building her career.bebuildRoss took 20 years to build up his business.takeyearbuild (up) a picture of somebody/something (=form a clear idea about someone or something)We’re trying to build up a picture of what happened.tryhappen3be built of somethingBUILD to be made using particular materials: The church was built of brick.bebuild4feelingFEELING (also build up) [intransitive and transitive]INCREASE IN ACTIVITY, FEELINGS ETC if a feeling builds, or if you build it, it increases gradually over a period of time: Tension began to build as they argued more frequently.beginargueIn order to build your self-esteem, set yourself targets you can reach.target5build bridgesFRIENDLY to try to establish a better relationship between people who do not like each other: Peter needs to try and build bridges with Lizzie.needbridgeTHESAURUSbuild to make a house, road, wall, bridge etc using bricks, stone, wood, or other materials: A new stadium will be built for the Olympics.buildconstruct to build a building, bridge, machine etc. Construct is more formal than build: The council plans to construct two new schools.planschoolput up something to build a wall, fence, or building, or put a statue somewhere. Put up is less formal than build: The neighbours have put up a new wooden fence.neighbourerect formal to build a wall, fence, or building, especially a public building, or put a statue somewhere: A monument to the Canadian soliders was erected in Green Park.beerectthrow something up British English informal to build something very quickly: Developers have hastily thrown up family homes in the area.developerthrowhomeput together to make something from its parts, for example a piece of furniture: It took an hour to put the bookcase together.takeassemble formal to put all the parts of something such as a machine or a piece of furniture together: A line of robots assemble the cars.robotcarbuild something around something phrasal verb to base something on an idea or thing and develop it from there: Successful businesses are built around good personal relationships.businessbebuildrelationshipbuild something ↔ in phrasal verb BUILDto make something so that it is a permanent part of a wall, room etc: You could build in a wardrobe with mirrored doors.canmirrordoor → built-inbuild something into something phrasal verb1BUILDto make something so that it is a permanent part of a wall, room etc: There are three cash machines built into the wall.bemachinebuild2INCLUDEto make something a permanent part of a system, agreement etc: Opportunities for reviewing the timings should be built into the plan.opportunityreviewtimingshallbuildbuild on phrasal verb1build something on something to base something on an idea or thing: Our relationship is built on trust.bebuild2build on somethingINCREASE IN NUMBER OR AMOUNT to use your achievements as a base for further development: The new plan will build on the success of the previous programme.3BUILDto add another room to a building in order to have more spacebuild something ↔ onWe’re planning to build on a conservatory.planbuild up phrasal verb1increase graduallyINCREASE IN ACTIVITY, FEELINGS ETC if something builds up somewhere, or if you build it up, it gradually becomes bigger or greater: the rate at which the pension builds upbuildbuild something ↔ upThe museum has built up a fine art collection.havebuild → build-up2develop build something ↔ up to make something develop or formbuild something ↔ up intoHe’s built up the family firm into a multinational company.build3feelingINCREASE IN ACTIVITY, FEELINGS ETC if a feeling builds up, or if you build it up, it increases gradually over a period of time: If you don’t express your feelings, frustration and anger can build up.feelingbuild up somethingYou have to build up trust.4make healthy build somebody/something ↔ upCURE to make someone well and strong again, especially after an illness: Taking exercise will build up your strength.take5praise build somebody/something ↔ upPRAISE to praise someone or something so that other people think they are really good, or so that they have more confidence: The coach has been building his men up before the match.havebebuildman6HOPEbuild up sb’s hopes (also build somebody's hopes up) to unfairly encourage someone to think that they will get what they hope for: Don’t build your hopes up too much.hopebuild up to something phrasal verb INTRODUCEto prepare for a particular moment or event: I could tell she was building up to some kind of announcement.canbebuild
buildnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesbuildbuildsbuildbuild2 noun [singular, uncountable]Word family BODYthe shape and size of someone’s body → built: a woman of slim buildYou’re a surprisingly strong swimmer for one of such a slight build.I wanted a more athletic and muscular build.wantCOLLOCATIONSadjectivesmedium/average build He was of medium build and wearing a light-coloured jacket.bewearcolourslim/slender build She was very strong despite her slender build.bethin build He had the thin build of a long-distance runner.haveslight build (=fairly thin) Simpson was of slight build and shy in character.bestocky build (=not very tall, but broad and strong) The man was described as of stocky build with dark hair.bedescribesturdy build (=not very tall but strong and healthy) an eight-year-old boy of sturdy buildmuscular build These exercises will help you achieve a strong muscular build.exerciseathletic build She admired his athletic build.admireTHESAURUSbody the shape, size, and appearance of someone’s body: Many women are not happy with their bodies.womanbebody | His clothes emphasized his strong body.clotheemphasizefigure a woman’s figure is the shape of her body – used especially when it is attractive: She has a really nice figure.have | Freya had an enviably slim figure.havebuild the size and shape of someone’s body – used in the following phrases: Police described the man as tall and of medium build.describe | He was of heavy build.be | She has a very slight build.havephysique the size and appearance of someone’s body – used especially about men who look attractive: He was over 1.8 m tall with a muscular physique.be | Ben has a very athletic physique.have
verb (past tense came /keɪm/, past participle come) [intransitive]
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: cuman Verb form1move towards somebody/somethingGO TO/ATTEND to move towards you or arrive at the place where you are OPP go:
Let me know when they come.Can you come here for a minute?Come a bit closer and you’ll be able to see better.biteclosewellWhat time will you be coming home?comecome in/into/out of etcThere was a knock on the door and a young woman came into the room.becomecome to/towardsI could see a figure coming towards me.cancomecome across/down/up etcAs they came down the track, the car skidded.comeskidcome to do somethingI’ve come to see Philip.come and do somethingI’ll come and help you move the rest of the boxes.boxCome and look at this!come running/flying/speeding etcJess came flying round the corner and banged straight into me.comeflybangcome to dinner/lunchWhat day are your folks coming to dinner?befolkcomehere comes somebody/something spoken (=used to say that someone or something is coming towards you)Ah, here comes the bus at last!come2MOVE WITH SBgo with somebodyGO if someone comes with you, they go to a place with you: We’re going for a drink this evening. Would you like to come?goevenwillcome withI asked Rosie if she’d like to come with us.askcome alongIt should be good fun. Why don’t you come along?shall3travel to a placeTRAVEL to travel to or reach a place: Which way did you come?docome through/across/by way of etcThey came over the mountains in the north.comemountaincome fromLegend has it that the tribe came from across the Pacific Ocean.havecomecome by car/train/bus etcWill you be coming by train?comeHave you come far (=travelled a long way) today?I’ve come a long way to see you.come 50/100 etc miles/kilometresSome of the birds have come thousands of miles to winter here.birdmil4postARRIVE if a letter etc comes, it is delivered to you by post SYN arrive: A letter came for you this morning.comeThe phone bill hasn’t come yet.5TIME/EVENThappenHAPPEN if a time or an event comes, it arrives or happens: At last the day came for us to set off.comeThe moment had come for me to break the news to her.haveThe time will come when you’ll thank me for this.Christmas seems to come earlier every year.seemearlybe/have yet to come (=used when something has not happened yet but will happen)The most exciting part is yet to come.excitebeI knew he’d be able to take care of himself, come what may (=whatever happens).know6reach a level/place [always + adverb/preposition]REACH to reach a particular level or placecome up/downShe had blonde hair which came down to her waist.havecomeThe water came up as far as my chest.come7be produced/sold [always + adverb/preposition]EXIST to be produced or sold with particular featurescome inThis particular sofa comes in four different colours.comecolourCats come in many shapes and sizes.catshapesizecome withThe computer comes complete with software and games.comegame8order [always + adverb/preposition]BE to be in a particular position in an order, a series, or a listcome before/afterP comes before Q in the alphabet.comecome first/second etcShe came first in the 200 metres.comemetre9come open/undone/loose etcBECOME to become open etc: His shoelace had come undone.haveundoThe rope came loose.come10come to do something a)to begin to have a feeling or opinion: He came to think of Italy as his home.comeI came to believe that he was innocent after all.comebe b)to do something by chance, without planning or intending to do it: Can you tell me how the body came to be discovered?comediscovercome to be doing somethingI often wondered how I came to be living in such a place.wondercomelive11come and go a)to be allowed to go into and leave a place whenever you want: The students can come and go as they please.student b)to keep starting and stopping: The pain comes and goes.comego12take something as it comes to accept something as it happens, without trying to plan for it or change it: We just take each year as it comes.comeHe takes life as it comes.takecome13have something coming (to you) informalPUNISH to deserve to be punished or to have something bad happen to you: I do feel sorry for him, but I’m afraid he had it coming.havecome14as nice/as stupid etc as they come informalVERY extremely nice, stupid etc: My uncle Walter is as obstinate as they come.be15for years/weeks/days etc to comeFUTURE used to emphasize that something will continue for a long time into the future: This is a moment that will be remembered and celebrated for years to come.beremembercelebrateyear16in years/days to come in the future: In years to come, some of the practices we take for granted now will seem quite barbaric.yearpracticegrant17have come a long wayPROGRESS to have made a lot of progress: Computer technology has come a long way since the 1970s.have18come as a surprise/relief/blow etc (to somebody) to make someone feel surprised, relieved, disappointed etc: The decision came as a great relief to us all.comeThe news will come as no surprise to his colleagues.colleague19come easily/naturally (to somebody)BE to be easy for someone to do: Public speaking does not come easily to most people.speakdoWriting came naturally to her, even as a child.writecome20come of age a)to reach the age when you are legally considered to be an adult: He’ll inherit the money when he comes of age.come b)to develop into an advanced or successful form: Space technology didn’t really come of age until the 1950s.21come right out with something/come right out and say something informalHONEST to say something in a very direct way, often when other people think this is surprising: You came right out and told him? I don’t know how you dared!cometelldare22come clean informal to tell the truth about something you have donecome clean aboutI think you should come clean about where you were last night.shallbe23not know whether you are coming or going informalCONFUSED to feel very confused because a lot of different things are happening: I don’t know whether I’m coming or going this week.comego24come good/rightSUCCEED IN DOING STH British English informal to end well, after there have been a lot of problems: Don’t worry, it’ll all come right in the end.25come to pass literaryHAPPEN to happen after a period of time: It came to pass that they had a son.comehave26SEXsex informalSEX/HAVE SEX WITH to have an orgasmSPOKEN PHRASES27come in! used to tell someone who has knocked on your door to enter your room, house etc: She tapped timidly on the door. ‘Come in!’ boomed a deep voice from inside.tapboom28how come?REASON used to ask someone why or how something happened: How come you’ve ended up here?end‘Last I heard, she was teaching in Mexico.’ ‘How come?’hearbeteach29come to think of it/come to thatADD used to add something that you have just realized or remembered: Come to think of it, George did seem a bit depressed yesterday.dobitedepressHe had never expected to have a wife, or even a girlfriend come to that.haveexpect30come July/next year/the next day etcFUTURE used to talk about a particular time in the future: Come spring, you’ll have plenty of colour in the garden.31come again?REPEAT used to ask someone to repeat what they have just said32don’t come the innocent/victim/helpless male etc with me British EnglishPRETEND used to tell someone not to pretend that they are something they are not in order to get sympathy or help from you: Don’t come the poor struggling artist with me. You’re just lazy!struggle33come (now) old-fashioned used to comfort or gently encourage someone34come, come!/come nowACCEPT old-fashioned used to tell someone that you do not accept what they are saying or doingcome about phrasal verb1HAPPENto happen, especially in a way that is not planned: The opportunity to get into computing came about quite by accident.computecomeHow did this situation come about?do2if a ship comes about, it changes directioncome across phrasal verb1come across somebody/somethingCHANCE/BY CHANCE to meet, find, or discover someone or something by chance: I came across an old diary in her desk.comeI’ve never come across anyone quite like her before.We’ve come across a few problems that need resolving.problemresolveRegisterIn written English, people often use encounter when writing about problems or difficulties because this sounds more formal than come across:The team of researchers had encountered similar problems before.researcherhaveencounterproblem2if an idea comes across well, it is easy for people to understand: Your point really came across at the meeting.comemeet3if someone comes across in a particular way, they seem to have particular qualities SYN come overcome across asHe comes across as a very intelligent sensitive man.comeShe sometimes comes across as being rather arrogant.comebeI don’t think I came across very well (=seemed to have good qualities) in the interview.comecome across with something phrasal verb PROVIDEto provide money or information when it is needed: I hoped he might come across with a few facts.hopefactcome after somebody phrasal verb LOOK FORto look for someone in order to hurt them, punish them, or get something from them: She was terrified that Trevor would come after her.beterrifywillcome along phrasal verb1be coming along informalDEVELOPPROGRESS to be developing or making progress SYN progress: He opened the oven door to see how the food was coming along.openbecomeYour English is coming along really well.become2ARRIVEHAPPENto appear or arrive: A bus should come along any minute now.shallTake any job opportunity that comes along.come3a)FOLLOWto go to a place with someone: We’re going into town – do you want to come along?go b)GOto go somewhere after someone: You go on ahead – I’ll come along later.late4come along! a)HURRYused to tell someone to hurry up SYN come on: Come along! We’re all waiting for you!wait b)HELPused to encourage someone to try harder SYN come on: Come along! Don’t give up yet!come apart phrasal verb1BREAKto split or fall into pieces: I picked the magazine up and it came apart in my hands.pickcomehand2BREAKto begin to fail: The whole basis of the agreement was coming apart.becomeShe felt as if her life was coming apart at the seams (=failing completely).feelbecomeseamcome around phrasal verb1 (also come round British English)VISIT to come to someone’s home or the place where they work in order to visit them SYN come over: I’ll come around later and see how you are.latebeWhy don’t you come round for lunch?2(also come round British English)CHANGE YOUR MIND to change your opinion so that you now agree with someone or are no longer angry with themcome around toIt took him a while to come around to the idea.takeDon’t worry – she’ll come round eventually.3(also come round British English)HAPPEN if a regular event comes around, it happens as usual: By the time the summer came around, Kelly was feeling much better.comebefeelwell4American EnglishCONSCIOUS to become conscious again after you have been unconscious SYN come round British English: When she came around her mother was sitting by her bed.comebesitcome around fromYou might feel a little sick when you come around from the anesthetic.come at somebody/something phrasal verb1ATTACKto move towards someone in a threatening way: Suddenly, he came at me with a knife.come2CONFUSEDif images, questions, facts etc come at you, you feel confused because there are too many of them at the same time: Questions were coming at me from all directions.questionbecomedirection3informalDEAL WITH to consider or deal with a problem in a particular way SYN approach: We need to come at the problem from a different angle.come away phrasal verb1BREAKto become separated from the main part of something SYN come off: One of the wires in the plug had come away.wirehaveI turned some of the pages and they came away in my hand.turnpagecome2to leave a place with a particular feeling or idea: We came away thinking that we had done quite well.comethinkhavedocome away withI came away with the impression that the school was very well run.comebecome back phrasal verb1to return to a particular place or person SYN return: My mother was scared that if I left home I’d never come back.bescareleaveGinny’s left me, and there’s nothing I can do to persuade her to come back.leave2FASHIONABLEto become fashionable or popular again → comeback: Who’d have thought hippy gear would ever come back!thinkwillHigh heels are coming back into fashion.heelbecome3to appear or start to affect someone or something again SYN return: The pain in her arm came back again.comeIt took a while for my confidence to come back.take4REMEMBERif something comes back to you, you remember it or remember how to do it: As I walked the city streets, the memories came flooding back.walkstreetmemorycomefloodcome back toI can’t think of her name at the moment, but it’ll come back to me.5CRITICIZEto reply to someone quickly, often in an angry or unkind way → comebackcome back atHe came back at me immediately, accusing me of being a liar.comeaccusebecome before somebody/something phrasal verb formal SENDto be brought to someone in authority, especially a judge in a law court, to be judged or discussed by them: When you come before the judge, it’s best to tell the truth.wellThe case will come before the courts next month.courtcome between somebody phrasal verb1PROBLEMto make people argue and feel angry with each other, when they had been friends before: Nothing will ever come between us now.I didn’t want to come between a husband and wife.2PREVENTto prevent someone from giving enough attention to something: She never let anything come between her and her work.come by phrasal verb1GETcome by something to manage to get something that is rare or difficult to get: How did you come by these pictures?dopictureJobs were hard to come by.jobbe2come by (something)VISIT to make a short visit to a place on your way to somewhere else: He said he’d come by later.saylateI’ll come by the house and get my stuff later, OK?latecome down phrasal verb1BECOME LOWER a)DOWNif a price, level etc comes down, it gets lower: It looks as if interest rates will come down again this month.lookrate b)SELLto accept a lower pricecome down toHe’s asking £5,000, but he may be willing to come down to £4,800.askwill2TRAVEL SOUTHTRAVELif someone comes down to a place, they travel south to the place where you are: Why don’t you come down for the weekend sometime?come down toAre you coming down to Knoxville for Christmas?become3BUILDINGDESTROYto fall to the ground: A lot of trees came down in the storm.treecomeWe were still out in the fields when the rain started coming down.befieldstartcome4come down on the side of somebody/something (also come down in favour of somebody/something)DECIDE to decide to support someone or something: The committee came down in favour of making the information public.comemake5informal to start to feel normal again after you have been feeling very happy and excited: He was on a real high all last week and he’s only just come down.be6DRUGS informal to stop feeling the effects of a strong drug: When I came down, I remembered with horror some of the things I’d said.comerememberthingsay7LEAVE UNIVERSITY British English old-fashioned to leave a university after completing a period of studycome down on somebody phrasal verb STRICTto punish someone or criticize them severely: We need to come down hard on young offenders.offenderI made the mistake of answering back, and she came down on me like a ton of bricks (=very severely).makeanswercomebrickcome down to somebody/something phrasal verb1RESULTif a complicated situation or problem comes down to something, that is the single most important thing: It all comes down to money in the end.come2SURVIVEif something old has come down to you, it has been passed between people over a long period of time until you have it: The text which has come down to us is only a fragment of the original.havebecome down with something phrasal verb GETto get an illness: I think I’m coming down with a cold.comecome for somebody/something phrasal verb1ARRIVEto arrive to collect someone or something: I’ll come for you at about eight o'clock.2ARRIVEto arrive at a place in order to take someone away by force: Members of the secret police came for him in the middle of the night.membercomecome forward phrasal verb OFFERto offer help to someone, or offer to do something: So far, only one candidate has come forward.haveThe police appealed for witnesses to come forward with information.appealwitnesscome from somebody/something phrasal verb1COME FROM/ORIGINATEif you come from a place, you were born there or lived there when you were young: I come from London originally.2to be obtained from a place, thing, or person, or to start or be made somewhere: A lot of drugs come from quite common plants.drugplantMy information comes from a very reputable source.comeThe idea came from America.come3RESULTto happen as the result of doing somethingcome from doing somethingMost of her problems come from expecting too much of people.problemexpect4coming from him/her/you etc spokenCRITICIZEOPPOSITE/REVERSE used to say that someone should not criticize another person for doing something, because they have done the same thing themselves: You think I’m too selfish? That’s rich coming from you!come5where somebody is coming from informal the basic attitude or opinion someone has, which influences what they think, say, or do: I see where you’re coming from now.comecome in phrasal verb1ARRIVEARRIVEif a train, bus, plane, or ship comes in, it arrives at a place: What time does your train come in?docome in toWe come in to Heathrow at nine in the morning.2if money or information comes in, you receive it: Reports are coming in of a massive earthquake in Mexico.reportbecomeWe haven’t got enough money coming in.getcome3BE INVOLVEDto be involved in a plan, deal etc: We need some financial advice – that’s where Kate comes in.comecome in onYou had the chance to come in on the deal.have4to join in a conversation or discussion: Can I come in here and add something to what you’re saying?say5BECOME FASHIONABLEFASHIONABLEto become fashionable or popular OPP go out: Trainers really became popular in the 1980s, when casual sportswear came in.trainerbecomecome6FINISH DOING STHto finish a racecome in first/second etcHis horse came in second to last.come7if the tide comes in, the sea moves towards the land and covers the edge of it OPP go outcome in for something phrasal verb come in for criticism/blame/scrutinyCRITICIZE to be criticized, blamed etc for something: The government has come in for fierce criticism over its handling of this affair.havehandlecome into something phrasal verb1GETto receive money, land, or property from someone after they have died: She’ll come into quite a lot of money when her father dies.die2TAKE PART/BE INVOLVEDto be involved in something: Josie doesn’t come into the movie until quite near the end.Where do I come into all this?3come into view/sight if something comes into view, you begin to see it: The mountains were just coming into view.mountainbecome4come into leaf/flower/blossom to start to produce leaves or flowers: The roses are just coming into flower.rosebecome5not come into it spokenCONNECTED WITH used to say that something is not important: Money doesn’t really come into it.6come into your ownSUCCEED IN DOING STH to become very good, useful, or important in a particular situation: On icy roads, a four-wheel drive vehicle really comes into its own.roadcomecome of something phrasal verb RESULTto happen as a result of something: I did ask a few questions, but nothing came of it.doquestioncomeThat’s what comes of not practising – you’ve forgotten everything!comepractiseforgetcome off phrasal verb1BREAKcome off (something) to become removed from something: The label had come off, so there was no way of knowing what was on the disk.havebeknowbe2come off (something) British English to fall off something: Dyson came off his bike as he rounded the last corner, but wasn’t badly hurt.comeround3informal if something that has been planned comes off, it happens: In the end the trip never came off.come4SUCCEED IN DOING STH informal to be successful: It was a good idea, but it didn’t quite come off.beThe performance on the first night came off pretty well.come5come off something to stop taking a drug that you have been taking regularly: It wasn’t until I tried to come off the pills that I realized I was addicted.trypillrealizebe6come off best/better/worst etc British English to be the most or least successful, or get the most or least advantages from a situation: As far as pensions go, it’s still women who come off worst.pensionwomanill7come off it! British English spoken used to tell someone that you do not believe what they are saying: Oh come off it! You can’t seriously be saying you knew nothing about this.sayknowcome on phrasal verb1come on! spoken a)HURRYused to tell someone to hurry: Come on, we’ll be late! b)used to encourage someone to do something: Come on, you can do it!Come on, cheer up! c)UNTRUEused to tell someone that you know that what they have just said was not true or right: Oh come on, don’t lie! d)ANGRYused to make someone angry enough to want to fight you: Come on, then, hit me!2come on in/over/up etc spoken used to tell someone to come in, over, up etc, usually in a friendly way: Come on in – I’ve made some coffee.make3if a light or machine comes on, it starts working: A dog started barking and lights came on in the house.startbarklightcome4if an illness comes on, you start to be ill with it: I can feel a headache coming on.come5if a television or radio programme comes on, it starts: Just at that moment, the news came on.come6if rain or snow comes on, it starts: The rain came on just before lunchtime.come7to come onto a stage or sports field: He scored only two minutes after he’d come on.scoreminute8PROGRESSto improve or make progress: The children are really coming on now.childbecomeYour English is coming on really well.become9come on somebody/somethingDISCOVERCHANCE/BY CHANCE to find or discover someone or something by chance: We came on a group of students having a picnic.comestudenthave10come on strong informalATTRACTED TO SB to make it very clear to someone that you think they are sexually attractivecome on to somebody/something phrasal verb1START DOING STHto start talking about a new subject: I’ll come on to this question in a few moments.moment2informalATTRACTED TO SB if someone comes on to another person, they make it very clear that they are sexually interested in them → come-on: The way she was coming on to Jack, I’m amazed he managed to get out alive!becomeamazemanagecome out phrasal verb1if something comes out, it is removed from a place: These stains will never come out!stain2if information comes out, people learn about it, especially after it has been kept secret: No doubt the truth will come out one day.It’s come out that several ministers received payments from the company.ministerreceivepayment3PHOTOGRAPHif a photograph comes out, it shows a clear picture: I took some photographs, but they didn’t come out.takephotographThe wedding photos have come out really well.photo4BECOME AVAILABLEAVAILABLEif a book, record etc comes out, it becomes publicly available: When is the new edition coming out?become5FINISH IN A PARTICULAR WAYif something comes out in a particular way, that is what it is like after it has been made or produced: I’ve made a cake, but it hasn’t come out very well.makeThe cover has come out a bit too big.havebite6BE SAIDSAY/STATEif something you say comes out in a particular way, that is how it sounds or how it is understood: His words came out as little more than a whisper.wordcomeThat didn’t come out the way I meant it to.meanI tried to explain everything to her, but it came out all wrong (=not in the way I intended).trycome7if someone comes out in a particular way, that is the situation they are in at the end of an event or series of events: The more experienced team came out on top.experiencecomecome out ofShe came out of the divorce quite well.come8BECOME CLEARCLEAR/EASY TO UNDERSTANDto be easy to notice: His right-wing opinions come out quite strongly in his later writings.opinionlatewriting9SAY PUBLICLYSUPPORT A PERSON, GROUP, OR PLANto say publicly that you strongly support or oppose a plan, belief etccome out in favour ofThe board of directors has come out in favour of a merger.directorhavecome out againstTeachers have come out against the proposed changes.teacherproposechangeAt least he’s got the courage to come out and say what he thinks.littlegetthink10SUNAPPEARif the sun, moon, or stars come out, they appear in the sky: The sky cleared and the sun came out.clearcome11FLOWEROPENif a flower comes out, it opens: The snowdrops were just starting to come out.snowdropbestart12GAYif someone comes out, they say that they are gay when this was a secret beforecome out toThat summer, I decided to come out to my parents.decideparent13STOP WORKING/GO ON STRIKE British English informal to refuse to work, as a protest: Nurses have threatened to come out in support of their pay claim.nursethreatenWe decided to come out on strike.decide14if a young woman came out in the past, she was formally introduced into upper-class society at a large formal dancecome out at something phrasal verb if something comes out at a particular amount, that is the amount it adds up to: The whole trip, including fares, comes out at $900.includefarecomecome out in something phrasal verb come out in spots/a rash etcILL if you come out in spots etc, spots appear on your body: If I eat eggs, I come out in a rash.eggcome out of something phrasal verb1to no longer be in a bad situation: There are signs that the country is coming out of recession.besignbecome2to happen as a result of something: One or two excellent ideas came out of the meeting.ideacomemeet3come out of yourself informal to start to behave in a more confident way: Penny’s really come out of herself since she started that course.startcome out with something phrasal verb SAY/STATEto say something, especially something unusual or unexpected: The things he comes out with are so funny!thingcomebecome over phrasal verb1a)VISITif someone comes over, they visit you at your house: Do you want to come over on Friday evening?even b)TRAVELif someone comes over, they come to the country where you arecome over to/fromWhen did your family first come over to America?do2come over somebodyFEEL HAPPY/FRIGHTENED/BORED ETC if a strong feeling comes over you, you suddenly experience it: A wave of sleepiness came over me.comeI’m sorry about that – I don’t know what came over me (=I do not know why I behaved in that way).come3if an idea comes over well, people can understand it easily: I thought that the points he was making came over quite clearly.thinkpointbemakecome4if someone comes over in a particular way, they seem to have particular qualities SYN come across: He didn’t come over very well (=seem to have good qualities) in the interview.come over asShe comes over as a very efficient businesswoman.come5come over (all) shy/nervous etcBECOME informal to suddenly become very shy, nervous etccome round phrasal verb British English VISITto come aroundcome through phrasal verb1if a piece of information, news etc comes through, it arrives somewhere: We’re still waiting for our exam results to come through.waitresultThere is news just coming through of an explosion in a chemical factory.become2to be made official, especially by having the correct documents officially approved: I’m still waiting for my divorce to come through.wait3come through (something)SURVIVE to continue to live, be strong, or succeed after a difficult or dangerous time SYN survive: If he comes through the operation OK he should be back to normal within a month.comeshallIt’s been a tough time, but I’m sure you’ll come through and be all the wiser for it.bewisecome through with something phrasal verb GIVEto give someone something they need, especially when they have been worried that you would not produce it in time: Our representative in Hong Kong finally came through with the figures.comefigurecome to phrasal verb1come to a decision/conclusion/agreement etc to decide something, agree on something etc after considering or discussing a situation SYN reach: We came to the conclusion that there was no other way back to the camp.comebeIf they don’t come to a decision by midnight, the talks will be abandoned.talkabandon2come to a halt/stop a)to slow down and stop SYN stop: The train came to a stop just yards from the barrier.comeyard b)to stop operating or continuing: After the election our funding came to an abrupt halt.fundcome3come to somethingREACH A STATE to develop so that a particular situation exists, usually a bad one: I never thought it would come to this.thinkwillWe need to be prepared to fight, but hopefully it won’t come to that (=that won’t be necessary).preparewinAll those years of studying, and in the end it all came to nothing.yearstudycomeIt’s come to something when I’m not allowed to express an opinion in my own house!allowwhat is the world/the country etc coming to? (=used to say that the world etc is in a bad situation)4come to somethingTOTAL to add up to a total amount: That comes to £23.50.comeThe bill came to £48.50.come5come to somebodyIDEA if a thought or idea comes to you, you realize or remember something: The answer came to me in a flash.comeI’ve forgotten her name, but maybe it’ll come to me later.forgetlate6CONSCIOUSto become conscious again after you have been unconscious: When he came to, he was lying on the floor with his hands tied behind his back.comebeliehandtie7when it comes to something informal when you are dealing with something or talking about something: He’s a bit of an expert when it comes to computers.bitecomecomputercome under something phrasal verb1come under attack/fire/scrutiny etcBE to be attacked, shot at etc: The government has come under attack from opposition leaders over proposals to cut health spending.haveleaderproposalspend2CONTROLto be governed or controlled by a particular organization or person: The organization comes under the authority of the EU.come3CONNECTED WITHif a piece of information comes under a particular title, you can find it under that title: The proposals come under three main headings.proposalheadingcome up phrasal verb1MOVE NEARNEARif someone comes up to you, they come close to you, especially in order to speak to you: One of the teachers came up and started talking to me.teachercomestarttalkcome up toA man came up to him and asked for a light.comeask2TRAVEL NORTHTRAVELif someone comes up to a place, they travel north to the place where you arecome up toWhy don’t you come up to New York for the weekend?3APPEAR OR HAPPENif a subject comes up, people mention it and discuss it SYN arise: His name came up in the conversation.comeThe subject of salaries didn’t come up.salary4PROBLEMHAPPENif a problem or difficulty comes up, it appears or starts to affect you SYN arise: I’m afraid I’ll have to cancel our date – something’s come up.The same problems come up every time.problem5if a job or an opportunity comes up, it becomes available: A vacancy has come up in the accounts department.haveaccount6to be dealt with in a law court: Your case comes up next week.come7be coming up to be going to happen soon: With Christmas coming up, few people have much money to spare.come8SUN/MOONif the sun or moon comes up, it moves up into the sky where you can see it SYN rise: It was six o'clock, and the sun was just coming up.bebecome9if a plant comes up, it begins to appear above the ground: The first spring bulbs are just coming up.bulbbecome10if food comes up, it goes back through your mouth from your stomach after being swallowed → vomit11coming (right) up! spokenREADY used to say that food or drink will be ready very soon: ‘Two Martinis, please.’ ‘Coming up!’martinicomecome up against something/somebody phrasal verb PROBLEMto have to deal with problems or difficulties: We may find we come up against quite a lot of opposition from local people.You’ve got no idea of what you’re going to come up against.getgocome up for something phrasal verb1come up for discussion/examination/review etcFUTURE to be discussed, examined etc: This matter will come up for discussion at next month’s meeting.meetThe regulations come up for review in April.regulation2come up for election/re-election/selection etcVOTE/ELECT to reach the time when people have to vote about whether you should continue in a political position: The governors come up for re-election next year.governorcome upon somebody/something phrasal verb1CHANCE/BY CHANCEto find or discover something or someone by chance: We came upon a cottage just on the edge of the wood.come2literary if a feeling comes upon you, you suddenly feel it: A wave of tiredness came upon her.comecome up to something/somebody phrasal verb1REACHto reach a particular standard or to be as good as you expected: This doesn’t come up to the standard of your usual work.The resort certainly failed to come up to expectations.failexpectation2be (just) coming up to something to be nearly a particular time: It’s just coming up to 11 o'clock.comecome up with something phrasal verb1INVENTto think of an idea, answer etc: Is that the best excuse you can come up with?bewellWe’ve been asked to come up with some new ideas.beaskidea2PAY FOR informal to produce an amount of money: We wanted to buy the house but we couldn’t come up with the cash.wantHow am I supposed to come up with $10,000?besupposeTHESAURUSarrive to get to the place you are going to: I arrived at the party at around 7 o'clock.arrive | They were due to arrive home from Spain yesterday.beget to arrive somewhere. Get is much more common in everyday English than arrive: What time do you usually get to work? | I’ll call you when I get home.reach to arrive somewhere, especially after a long journey: When we finally reached the port, we were all very tired.reachbetirecome if someone comes, they arrive at the place where you are: She came home yesterday.come | What time did the plumber say he’d come?doturn up (also show up) informal to arrive somewhere, especially when someone is waiting for you: I’d arranged to meet Tom, but he never turned up.arrangeturnroll in informal to arrive somewhere later than you should and not seem worried about it: Rebecca usually rolls in around noon.rollget in to arrive somewhere – used especially about people arriving home, or a plane, train etc arriving at an airport, station etc: I usually get in at around 6 o'clock. | What time did your plane get in?docome in if a plane, train, or ship comes in, it arrives in the place where you are: We liked to watch the cruise ships come in.likeshipland if a plane or the passengers on it land, they arrive on the ground: We finally landed at 2 a.m.land | They watched the planes taking off and landing.watchplanetakeland
comenounCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entriescomecomecome2 noun [uncountable] informalDate: 1900-2000Origin: → COME119 SEX/HAVE SEX WITHa man’s semen (=the liquid he produces during sex)
noun
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: lagu 1system of rules [uncountable] (also the law)LAW the whole system of rules that people in a particular country or area must obey:
Elected officials ought to obey the law.electofficialby lawBy law, seat belts must be worn by all passengers.beltwearpassengerunder English/international etc lawThis is illegal under English law.be2a rule [countable]RULE/REGULATION a rule that people in a particular country or area must obey: laws passed by Parliamentlawpassunder a lawFive people arrested under anti-terrorism laws were released without charge.arrestlawbereleaselaw onEuropean laws on equal opportunitieslawopportunitylaw againstThe laws against drug use were very strict.lawbe3law and orderCONTROL a situation in which people respect the law, and crime is controlled by the police, the prison system etc: We are concerned about the breakdown of law and order in the country.beconcern4police the law the police: I think she may be in trouble with the law.5NORMALwhat always happens [countable] something that always happens in nature or society, or a statement that describes thislaw ofthe law of supply and demandthe laws of naturelawthe law of gravity6study/profession [uncountable] (also the law) law as a subject of study, or the profession of being a lawyer: She’s studying law in London.study7sport/activity [countable]RULE/REGULATION one of the rules which controls a sport or activity: the laws of footballlaw8the law of the jungle a)COMPETE WITH/TRY TO BEATthe idea that people should only look after themselves and not care about other people if they want to succeed b)COMPETE WITH/TRY TO BEATthe principle that only the strongest creatures will stay alive9the law of averages the probability that one result will happen as often as another if you try something often enough: The law of averages says we’ll win at least once.averagesaylittle10be a law unto himself/herself etcINDEPENDENT PERSON to behave in an independent way and not worry about the usual rules of behaviour or what other people do or think: Boys his age are a law unto themselves.boybe11take the law into your own handsPUNISH to do something illegal in order to put right something that you think is not fair, for example by violently punishing someone instead of telling the police: vigilantes who take the law into their own handsvigilantehand12go to lawTRIAL to go to court in order to settle a problem: the right of consumers to go to law if they need toconsumer13be above the law someone who is above the law does not have to obey the law: Many ministers seem to regard themselves as being above the law.ministerbe14there’s no law against something spokenLEGAL used to tell someone who is criticizing you that you are not doing anything wrong15there ought to be a law against something spoken used to say that you do not think something should be accepted or allowed: There ought to be a law against cutting off power supplies in the middle of February.cutsupply16sb’s word is law used to say that someone is always obeyed without argument → sod’s law, → lay down the law at lay down(3), → unwritten law at unwrittenCOLLOCATIONSMeanings 1 & 2verbsobey the law Citizens have a duty to obey the law.citizenbreak the law (=do something illegal) Is the company breaking the law?bebreakpass a law New Jersey passed a law requiring helmets for scooter riders.passrequirehelmetriderbecome law (=officially be made a law) For a bill to become law, it must be approved by both Houses of Parliament.approvehousemake laws Part of the function of Parliament is to make laws.belawintroduce a law In 1989, a new law was introduced to protect the Polish language.beintroduceenforce a law (=make people obey a law) It is the job of the police to enforce the law.beflout a law (=deliberately disobey a law) Employers who flout the law should be properly punished.employershallpunishrepeal a law (=officially end a law) Many people want the law to be repealed.repeala law prohibits something (=says that it is not allowed) The law prohibits possession of these animals.prohibitanimalphrasessomething is against the law (=it is illegal) The children knew that shoplifting was against the law.childknowshopliftbestay/act within the law (=not do illegal things) The security forces must act within the law.forceADJECTIVES/NOUN + lawstrict/tough the country’s strict anti-tobacco lawslawtax/copyright/divorce etc law(s) an accountant who knows about tax lawknowcriminal law (=laws concerning crimes) Criminal law contains definitions of such crimes as murder, rape, and robbery.containdefinitioncrimecivil law (=laws concerning disagreements between people, rather than crimes) The punishment for breaking civil law is usually a fine.breakbeinternational law (=laws that all countries agree to obey) Under international law, the countries must respect the treaty.countryEnglish/German etc law This is not an offence under English law.befederal law (=the law of the US, not a particular state) Under federal law, it is illegal to discriminate against employees because of race or sex.beemployeestate law (=the law in a US state) Under state law it was illegal for any public official to receive gifts worth more than $100.begiftcommon law (=laws that have come from customs and the decisions of judges) In common law, if a house is rented out, it is expected that the house is safe to live in.berentbeexpectbecase law (=law based on previous court cases) There is little case law covering this issue.becoverTHESAURUSrule an instruction that says what people are allowed to do or not allowed to do, for example in a game, school, or company: the rules of baseballrule | He disobeyed the school rules.disobeyrulelaw an official rule that everyone in a country, city, or state must obey: It is against the law to carry a concealed weapon.beconceal | The law requires motorcyclists to wear helmets.requirehelmetregulation an official rule or order, which is part of a set of rules made by a government or organization: the regulations for applying for a passportregulationapply | building regulationsbuildregulation | environmental regulations on air pollutionregulationrestriction an official rule that limits what people can do: new restrictions on immigrationrestriction | The government is planning to impose regulations on the amount of alcohol you can bring into the country.beplanregulationguidelines rules or instructions about the best way to do something: the Department of Health’s guidelines for a healthy dietguideline | guidelines for classroom teachersguidelineteachercode a set of rules that people or organizations agree to obey but are not forced to obey: The school has a dress code for its students.havestudent | the company’s code of conductstatute formal a law that has been officially approved by a parliament, council etc, and written down: The statute banned corporal punishment.banordinance American English a law, made by a city or town, that forbids or restricts an activity: A local ordinance limited speed in the parks to ten miles an hour.limitparkmil
verb (past tense and past participle bought /bɔːt $ bɒːt/)Language: Old EnglishOrigin: bycgan Verb form1a)[intransitive and transitive]BUY to get something by paying money for it OPP sell:
Where did you buy that dress?doRicky showed her the painting he’d bought that morning.showpaintbuybuy somebody somethingLet me buy you a drink.buy something for somebody/somethingThe money will be used to buy equipment for the school.usebuy (something) from somebodyIt’s cheaper to buy direct from the manufacturer.cheapbuy something for $10/£200 etcDan bought the car for $2,000.buyIt’s much cheaper to buy in bulk (=buy large quantities of something).cheap b)[transitive]BUY if a sum of money buys something, it is enough to pay for it: $50 doesn’t buy much these days.daybuy somebody something$15 should buy us a pizza and a drink.shall2buy (somebody) timeTIME/HAVE TIME to deliberately make more time for yourself to do something, for example by delaying a decision: ‘Can we talk about it later?’ he said, trying to buy a little more time.latesaytry3[transitive] informalBELIEVE to believe something that someone tells you, especially when it is not likely to be true: ‘Let’s just say it was an accident.’ ‘He’ll never buy that.’be4[transitive]PAY FOR informal to pay money to someone, especially someone in a position of authority, in order to persuade them to do something dishonest SYN bribe: People say the judge had been bought by the Mafia.havebebuy5buy something at the cost/expense/price of something to get something that you want, but only by losing something else: The town has been careful not to buy prosperity at the expense of its character.havebe6somebody bought it old-fashioned informalDIE someone was killed7buy off-plan if you buy property off-plan, you buy a house, flat etc that is just starting to be built, with an arrangement to pay part of the cost of the property at that time and the balance when the property is finishedTHESAURUSbuy to pay money for something so that you can own it: I’ve just bought a new car.buy | The painting was bought by a museum in New York.paintbebuypurchase formal to buy something, especially something large or expensive, in a business deal or by a legal contract: They purchased 5,000 acres of land.purchaseacreacquire formal to become the owner of something large or expensive such as property, a company, or a valuable object: In 2007 the business was acquired by a Dutch company.beacquire | Television companies were then allowed to acquire more stations.companybeallowstationget especially spoken to buy something, especially ordinary things such as food, clothes, or things for your house: Did you remember to get some bread?do | I never know what to get Dad for his birthday.snap something up informal to buy something immediately, especially because it is very cheap, or because you want it very much and you are worried that someone else might buy it first: Real estate in the area is being snapped up by developers.bebesnapdeveloperpick something up informal to buy something, especially something ordinary such as food or a newspaper, or something that you have found by chance and are pleased about owning: Could you pick up some milk on your way home?can | It’s just a little thing I picked up when I was in Kathmandu.pickbestock up to buy a lot of something you use regularly, because you may not be able to buy it later, or because you are planning to use more of it than usual: The supermarkets are full of people stocking up for the New Year’s holiday.supermarketbestock | We always stock up on cheap wine when we go to France. | Before the blizzard, we stocked up on food.stocksplash out British English informal, splurge American English informal to buy something you would not usually buy, because it is too expensive, in order to celebrate an event or make yourself feel good: Why don’t you splash out on a new dress for the party? | We splurged on an expensive hotel for the last night of the vacation.splurgebuy something ↔ in phrasal verb BUYto buy something in large quantities: Companies are buying in supplies of paper, in case the price goes up.companybebuysupplygobuy into something phrasal verb1informalBELIEVE to accept that an idea is right and allow it to influence you: I never bought into this idea that you have to be thin to be attractive.buy2BUYto buy part of a business or organization, especially because you want to control it: Investors were invited to buy into state-owned enterprises.investorbeinviteownenterprisebuy somebody ↔ off phrasal verb PAY FORto pay someone money to stop them causing trouble or threatening you SYN bribebuy out phrasal verb1buy somebody/something ↔ out to buy someone’s share of a business or property that you previously owned together, so that you have complete control → buyout2buy somebody out of somethingLEAVE A JOB OR ORGANIZATION to pay money so that someone can leave an organization such as the army before their contract has endedbuy something ↔ up phrasal verb BUYto quickly buy as much of something as possible, for example land, tickets, or goods: Much of the land was bought up by property developers.bebuydeveloper
buynounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6Phrases from other entriesCorpus examplesbuybuysbuybuy2 noun [countable, usually singular]1CHEAPsomething that is worth buying, because it is cheap, good quality, or likely to gain in valuea good/excellent etc buyThe wine is a good buy at $6.50.beIt’s worth shopping around for the best buy (=what you want at the lowest price).shopwell2informal an act of buying something, especially something illegal SYN deal
adjectiveLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: betera 1[comparative of good]BETTER more useful, interesting, satisfactory, effective, suitable etc OPP worse:
Your stereo is better than mine.bewellThere must be a better way to do this.wella better-quality carwellmuch/a lot/far betterWe now have a much better understanding of the disease.wellunderstandbetter still/even betterIt was even better than last year.bewell ► Better is a comparative form. Do not say ‘more better’.2[comparative of well] a)BETTERmore healthy or less ill or painful than before OPP worse: She is a little better today, the doctor says.bewellsayI’m feeling much better, thank you.feelwell b)HEALTHYcompletely well again after an illness: When you’re better we can see about planning a trip.wellplanI hope he gets better (=recovers from an illness) soon.getwell3it is better/it would be better used to give your opinion or make a suggestion about what you think should be done or happenit is better to do somethingIt’s much better to get a proper written agreement.wellwriteit is better/it would be better ifIt might be better if you stayed here.wellstay4get betterIMPROVE to improve: Her English isn’t really getting any better.getwellThings can only get better.thingwell5no better a)not better than something else or something before: The following day the weather was no better.followbewell b)used to say that something is the bestthere is no better way/example/place etcThere’s no better way of exploring the region.wellexplore6nothing better a)used to say that you really like something or think that something is very goodlike/love/enjoy nothing better (than)She likes nothing better than a nice long walk along the beach.likewellThere’s nothing better than beating someone who’s playing well.wellbeatplay b)used to say that a thing or situation is not very good, but is the only thing possible or availablehave nothing better to doHave you got nothing better to do than sit there playing that silly game?getwellplayI only picked it up because there was nothing better to read.pickbewell7that’s better spoken used to say that something has improved, that you are happier or more comfortable, or to encourage someone: Ah, that’s better. I needed to sit down.wellneed‘Can you turn it down?’ ‘Is that better?’bewell8LATEbetter late than never spoken used to say that even if something happens late or someone arrives late, this is better than it not happening or their not arriving at all → your better half/other half at half2(8), → the best/better part of something at part1(9), → against your better judgment at judgment(1), → sb’s better nature at nature(2), → better luck next time at luck1(14), → better the devil you know at devil(11), → have seen better days at see1(30)THESAURUSbetter the comparative of good: She wants a better job.wantwell | The sales figures were far better than expected.salefigurebewellexpect | Lucy’s better at French than I am.wellbesuperior better, especially in quality: German cars are far superior.carbe | a superior product | He thinks men are superior to women.thinkmanbewomanpreferable formal more suitable or useful – used when saying which one you prefer: Cash would be preferable.will | Anything would be preferable to the system we have now.willbe an improvement on something to be better than something that existed before: The engine is a huge improvement on previous diesel engines.beenginehave the edge to be slightly better than another person or thing – used especially when saying which one will win in a game or competition: Federer is likely to have the edge in Sunday’s game.be | For me, this film has the edge over the others.havebe miles ahead (of somebody/something) (also be streets ahead (of somebody/something) British English) informal to be very much better than someone or something that you are competing against: The company is streets ahead of its rivals.bestreetrivalthere’s no comparison spoken used to emphasize that one person or thing is clearly much better than someone or something else: There’s no comparison between the two teams.team | ‘Which apartment do you prefer?' 'Well, there’s no comparison. The first one we saw is bigger, quieter, and has much nicer furniture.'seebebigquiethavenice
betteradverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesbetterbetterbetter2 S1 W1 adverb [comparative of well]1BETTERto a higher standard or quality OPP worse: He can speak French a lot better than I can.wellYour bike will run better if you oil it.well → fare better at fare22BETTERto a higher degree SYN more: She knows this town better than you do.knowwellI think I like the red one better.wellPotter is better known for his TV work.bewellknow3had better a)ADVISEused to give advice about what someone should do, or to say what you should do or need to do: I’d better go and get ready.wellI think you’d better ask Jo first.wellYou had better not tell Oliver (=it is not a good idea).havewell b)THREATENused to threaten someone: You’d better keep your mouth shut about this.well ► In speech, people usually shorten had to ‘d, and may not pronounce it at all. But do not leave out had or ’d in writing: You’d better (NOT You better) come here!4do betterBETTER to perform better or reach a higher standard: We did better than all the other schools.dowellschoolYou can do better than that!well5the sooner the better/the bigger the better etcPREFER used to emphasize that you would prefer something to happen as soon as possible, want something to be as big as possible etc: School finishes at the end of the week, and the sooner the better as far as I’m concerned.finishsoonwellconcernThe younger you start learning a language, the better you’ll speak it.younglearnwell6go one better (than somebody) informalSUCCESSFUL to do something more successfully than someone else: The following year Lewis went one better by winning the gold medal.followgowellwinOf course, they had to go one better and have the whole garden redesigned.havewellredesign → better off
betternounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplesbetterbettersbetterbetter3 noun1the betterBETTER the one that is higher in quality, more suitable etc when you are comparing two similar people or things: It’s hard to decide which one’s the better.well2get the better of somebody a)DO STH/TAKE ACTIONif your feelings or wishes get the better of you, they make you behave in a way you would not normally behave: My curiosity finally got the better of me and I opened the letter.getwellopenI think her nerves got the better of her.nervegetwell b)BEAT/DEFEATto defeat someone or deal successfully with a problem3for the betterIMPROVE in a way that improves the situation: a definite change for the betterwellThe president’s fortunes seem, at last, to have taken a turn for the better (=started to improve).fortunetakewell4so much the betterBETTER used to say that something would be even better or bring even more advantages: If they can do them both at the same time, then so much the better.well5be all the better for somethingIMPROVE to be improved by a particular action, change etc: I think it’s all the better for that extra ten minutes’ cooking.wellminutecook6for better or (for) worseACCEPT used to say that something must be accepted, whether it is good or bad, because it cannot be changed: Work is, for better or worse, becoming more flexible nowadays.bewellillbecome7your bettersADMIRE old-fashioned people who are more important than you or deserve more respect →, → elders and betters at elder2(2)
betterverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesbetterbettersbetteredbetteringbetterbetter4 verb [transitive]Verb form1BETTERto be higher in quality, amount etc than someone or something else: His total of five gold medals is unlikely to be bettered.medalbebetter2better yourselfIMPROVE to improve your position in society by getting a better education or earning more money3formalIMPROVE to improve something: bettering the lot of the working classesbetterworkclass
noun [countable]
Date: 1100-1200Language: Old Norse
Origin: klubba ‘heavy stick’ 1FOR AN ACTIVITY/SPORTfor an activity or sport a)[also + plural verb British English] an organization for people who share a particular interest or enjoy similar activities, or a group of people who meet together to do something they are interested inrugby/golf/squash etc club
Our chess club really needs new members.needmemberclub fora club for unemployed young peopleIt costs £15 to join the club.costShe belongs to a local health club.belong b)the building or place where the members of a particular club meet or play sport: We could have dinner at the golf club.can → country club, fan club, youth club2professional sport [also + plural verb British English] especially British English a professional organization including the players, managers, and owners of a sports team: Manchester United Football Clubunite3for dancing/music a place where people go to dance, listen to music, and meet socially: a jazz clubShall we go to a club?I’m not into the club scene at all.4traditional men’s club especially British English a)an organization, traditionally for men only, which provides a comfortable place for its members to relax, eat, or stay the night: I always stay at my London club. b)the building where this organization is based5book/record/wine etc clubORGANIZATION an organization which people join to buy books, records, wine etc cheaply6golf (also golf club) a long thin metal stick used in golf to hit the ball7weapon a thick heavy stick used to hit people8in card gamesIN CARD GAMES a)clubs one of the four suits (=types of cards) in a set of playing cards, which has the design of three round black leaves in a group togetherten/king etc of clubsthe ace of clubsclub b)a card from this suit: You have to play a club.9in the clubBABY/HAVE A BABY British English old-fashioned if a woman is in the club, she is going to have a baby – used humorously SYN pregnant10join the club (also welcome to the club American English)SERIOUS SITUATION spoken used after someone has described a bad situation that they are in, to tell them that you are in the same situation: ‘He never listens to me.’ ‘Join the club.’listenCOLLOCATIONStypes of cluba football/tennis/golf etc club There’s a football club for the young people in the area.a sports club Why don’t you join one of the school sports clubs?sportcluba youth club (=for young people) The youth club is on Thursday nights in the village hall.benighta social club (=where you meet people and talk) Older people may benefit from joining a social club.oldjoina health club (=where you go to do physical exercise) The hotel has its own health club with saunas, solarium and work-out equipment.havesaunaa fan club (=for people who like a particular team, band, person etc) I used to be a member of the Take That fan club.usea country club (=a sports and social club, usually in the countryside) Ted was a member of an exclusive country club.beverbsjoin a club I decided to join the computer club.decidebelong to a club Do you belong to any university clubs or societies?clubsocietyform a club (=start one) It’s always possible to form your own club.run a club (=organize one) My Dad helps to run the rowing club.helprowa club welcomes somebody (=is happy to accept new members) The chess club welcomes both beginners and experienced players.welcomebeginnerexperienceplayerclub + NOUNa club member/member of a club There’s a monthly magazine for club members.memberclub membership Club membership costs £300 per year.costa club chairman/president Reg took over as club chairman three years ago,takeyeara club secretary For further information about membership, contact the club secretary.fara club official (=someone with a position of authority in the club) At this meeting we will elect new club officials.meetofficial
clubverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesclubclubsclubbedclubbingclubclub2 verb (past tense and past participle clubbed, present participle clubbing) [transitive]Verb form HITto hit someone hard with a heavy object: baby seals being clubbed to deathsealbeclubclub together phrasal verb SHAREif people club together, they share the cost of something: We clubbed together to buy her a present.club
modal verb (negative short form can’t)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: cunnan 1CANability to be able to do something or to know how to do something:
You can swim, can’t you?Even a small personal computer can store vast amounts of information.amountGabriella can speak French fluently.I’m afraid Mr Harding can’t see you now – he’s busy.The police are doing all they can to find her.bedo2requesting spokenASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STH used to ask someone to do something or give you something: Can I have a cigarette, please?Can you help me lift this box?3LET/ALLOWallowed to be allowed to do something or to have the right or power to do something: You can’t park here – it’s a no parking zone.park‘Can we go home now, please?’ ‘No you can’t.’Any police officer can insist on seeing a driver’s license.see4POSSIBLEpossibility used to say that something is possible: I am confident a solution can be found.befindThere can be no doubt that he is guilty.beThe boxes can be stored flat.boxstoreCan he still be alive after all this time?5CANseeing/hearing etc used with the verbs ‘see’, ‘hear’, ‘feel’, ‘taste’, and ‘smell’, and with verbs connected with thinking, to mean that someone sees something, hears something etc: Here they are – I can see their car.beCan you smell something burning?burnI can’t understand why you’re so upset.He can’t remember where he put the tickets.ticket6not true [in negatives] used to say that you do not believe that something is true: This can’t be the right road.It can’t be easy caring for a man and a child who are not your own.carebe7should not [in questions and negatives] used to say that someone should not or must not do something: You can’t expect the world to change overnight.We can’t go on like this.Jill’s left her husband, but can you blame her after the way he treated her?leavetreat8SURPRISEDsurprise/anger [usually in questions and negatives] spoken used when you are surprised or angry: You can’t be serious!They can’t have arrived already, surely!arriveHow can you be so stupid!9SOMETIMESsometimes used to say what sometimes happens or how someone sometimes behaves: It can be quite cold here at night.Peter can be really annoying.annoy10MUSTgiving orders spoken used to tell someone in an angry way to do something: And you can stop that quarrelling, the pair of you.quarrelIf you won’t keep quiet, you can get out.win11no can do spoken used to say that it is impossible for you to do what someone has asked you to do: Sorry, John, no can do.THESAURUSto be able to do somethingcan do something to have the ability, opportunity, time, or equipment that you need in order to do something. Could is used as the past form, and is also used to say what is or may be possible: ‘I don’t think Mike can drive.’ ‘Yes, he can.’ | He can run faster than me.fast | Can you see the TV, or should I move?shall | This program can translate your e-mail into other languages.language | How many hamburgers do you think you can eat?hamburger | Adrian could read when he was four.canbe | If we had a boat we could row across to the island.havecan | Why didn’t they ask me? I could have done it for them for half the price.cando | She could win.canbe able to do something used when talking about ability or success in the past or ability in the future, or when you need to use an infinitive. It is also used instead of can in more formal English: I was able to get a good job (=I got one).be | Will you be able to carry those bags on your own?bag | If you want to join the expedition, you must be able to speak Spanish. | The young birds are now able to fly.birdbebe capable of something to have the ability, energy, or qualities needed to do something, especially something very difficult or unusual – use this about people or machines: She’s perfectly capable (=completely capable) of dealing with the situation.deal | The car is capable of a top speed of 200 mph.be | No one thought he was capable of murder.thinkbehave the ability to do something to be able to do something, especially something that is unusual or that most people cannot do: She seemed to have the ability to make people do anything she wanted.seemwant | I believe the team definitely has the ability to win the championship.havebe in a position to do something to be able to do something because you have enough knowledge, power, money, or equipment to do it: We will have to run more tests before we are in a position to say whether the document is authentic or not.testbebe | They expect be in a position to begin construction within two years.yearmanage to do something to succeed in doing something difficult, especially after trying very hard: He finally managed to find an apartment near his office.manage | At least three of the hostages managed to escape.littlehostagemanageto be unable to do somethingcan’t/cannot do something to be unable to do something because you do not have the ability, opportunity, time, or equipment that you need. Couldn’t/could not is used as the past form: Louise can’t see anything without her glasses.glass | He couldn’t remember where he had left the car.haveleave | ‘Will you help me move this?’ ‘I’m sorry, I can’t – my back’s still giving me trouble.’give | I couldn’t have done it without your help.do | I could never have climbed that ridge – I’m too out of shape.canclimb | Scientists still cannot explain exactly how the virus reproduces.scientistreproduce | Sarah could not understand why anyone would want to hurt her.canwillnot be able to do something used when talking about inability in the past or the future, when you need to use an infinitive, and in more formal English: Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to help them. | I don’t think I’ll be able to come to the meeting after all.meet | The doctor told Tina she wouldn’t be able to have children.tellchild | I’ve looked all over the house but I haven’t been able to find my keys anywhere.lookbekeybe unable to do something especially written to not be able to do something, especially something important that you want to do or need to do: He was unable to sleep and lay awake all night.belie | Many passengers were unable to reach the lifeboats in time.passengerbelifeboatnot be in a position to do something (also be in no position to do something) formal to not be able to do something because you do not have enough knowledge, power, money, or equipment to do it: I’m afraid I’m not in a position to answer your questions.question | Having committed military force there, America is in no position to repeat this strategy elsewhere.havecommitbenot be capable of something (also be incapable of something) to not have the physical strength or mental ability to do something – often used when criticizing someone: My son seems to be incapable of keeping a job.seemkeep | She’s not capable of looking after herself any more.look | Her father was a man who was utterly incapable of pity or sympathy.bebe
cannounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplescancanscancan2 S2 /kæn/ noun [countable]Language: Old EnglishOrigin: canne
1 a metal container in which food or drink is preserved without air: a Coke cancan ofAll we’ve got is a couple of cans of soup.getbecan2a special metal container that keeps the liquid inside it under pressure. The liquid is released as a spray when you press the buttoncan ofa can of hairspray3especially American English a metal container with a lid that can be removed, used for holding liquid: Two large cans of paint ought to be enough.can4can of wormsCOMPLICATED a very complicated situation that causes a lot of problems when you start to deal with it: I just don’t know what to do – every solution I can think of would just open up a whole new can of worms.willworm5in the can informal a film that is in the can is complete and ready to be shown6the can informal a)PRISONa prison b)American EnglishTOILET a toilet → carry the can at carry1(26)
canverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplescancouldcanscannedcanningcancan3 verb (past tense and past participle canned, present participle canning) [transitive] American EnglishVerb form1to preserve food by putting it into a metal container from which all the air is removed SYN tin British English → canned2LEAVE A JOB OR ORGANIZATION informal to dismiss someone from a job SYN sack3can it!QUIET spoken used to tell someone to stop talking or making a noise
verb
Word familyDate: 1200-1300Origin: Probably from an unrecorded Old English cyllan Verb form1make somebody/something die [intransitive and transitive]KILL to make a person or animal die:
Why did she kill her husband?doMurray held a gun to his head and threatened to kill him.holdthreatenFour people were killed when a train plunged into a flooded river.bekillplungefloodbe killed instantly/outright (=immediately)The driver was killed instantly.bekillBleach kills household germs.killgermSmoking kills.smokekill2kill yourself a)to cause your own death: You’re going to kill yourself on that bike.goAfter her husband died, Mary tried to kill herself.dietry b)to work very hard to achieve something, in a way that makes you ill or tired: It’s not worth killing yourself over it.killkill yourself to do somethingHe about killed himself to make the business go.kill3make something stop/fail [transitive]STOP STH THAT IS HAPPENING to make something stop operating or fail: Joe pulled in and killed the engine.pullkillThe out-of-town shopping centre will kill local trade.shopkill your speed (=drive slowly)4be angry with somebody [transitive] informalANGRY to be very angry with someone: Mom will kill me if I’m late.5annoyed/sad [transitive]TIREDSAD/UNHAPPY to make someone feel annoyed, sad, concerned etcit kills somebody to do somethingIt kills me to see him working so hard.killworkWhat happened next? The suspense is killing me.happenbekill6would/could kill for something (also would kill to do something) to want something so much that you will do almost anything to get it or do it: I could kill for a smoke right now.canIn those days, actors would kill to break into film.dayactorwill7my head/back etc is killing me spokenPAIN used to say that a part of your body is hurting a lot: I’ve walked miles and my feet are killing me.walkmilfootbekill8kill time/an hour etcSPEND TIME to spend time doing something which is not important, while you are waiting to do something important or waiting for something else to happen: With time to kill, he took a cab to the centre.take9kill a beer/bottle of wine etc spoken to drink or finish drinking a beer etc quickly: Let’s kill these beers and go.beer10make somebody laugh [transitive]FUNNY to make someone laugh a lotkill yourself laughingThey weren’t bothered – in fact, they were killing themselves laughing.botherbekilllaugh11ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STHit won’t/wouldn’t kill somebody (to do something) spoken used to say that someone could easily do something, and ought to do it: It wouldn’t kill you to help out once in a while.12(even) if it kills me spoken used to emphasize that you are determined to do something, even though it is very difficult: I’m completing this course, even if it kills me.completekill13kill two birds with one stoneDO to achieve two things with one action14kill the goose that lays the golden egg to destroy the thing that brings you profit or success15kill the fatted calfCELEBRATE to welcome someone home with a big meal etc after they have been away for a long time16kill somebody with kindness to be too kind to someone, in a way that actually harms them17kill or cure used to say that something you are going to do will be either successful or fail completely → dressed to kill at dressed(3)THESAURUSkill to make someone die: The driver and his passenger were killed in the crash.bekill | He was killed by rival gang members.bekillmembermurder to deliberately kill someone – used when talking about this as a crime: He was convicted of murdering his wife.beconvictmurdercommit manslaughter to kill someone without intending to – used when talking about this as a crime: The court ruled that the guard had committed manslaughter.rulehavecommitassassinate to deliberately kill an important person, especially a politician: He was part of a plot to assassinate Hitler.beslay to kill someone or something in a violent way – used in newspaper reports and also in old stories: Two teenagers were slain in the shootings.teenagerbeslayshooting | St. George slew the dragon.slay | The king was slain at the battle of Hastings.beslayexecute formal (also put somebody to death) to kill someone as a punishment for a crime: McVeigh, who killed 168 people in a bombing attack, was executed by lethal injection.killbombbeexecuteeliminate to kill someone in order to prevent them from causing trouble: a ruthless dictator who eliminated all his rivalseliminaterivaltake somebody out informal to kill someone in order to get rid of them, especially an enemy or someone who is causing trouble for you: US forces used air strikes to take out the enemy positions.forceusestrikeposition | One of the other drug dealers may have decided to take him out.dealerdecidebump somebody off humorous informal to kill someone: He was so irritating I felt like bumping him off myself.beirritatefeelbumpdo away with somebody informal to kill someone: The settlers in Jamestown had been done away with, but no one knew how.settlerhavebedoknowto kill yourselfcommit suicide to kill yourself: He committed suicide after the death of his girlfriend.committake your own life formal to kill yourself: He had taken his own life while he was severely depressed.havetakebedepress | They believe that it is a sin to take your own life.beto kill a large number of peoplemassacre to kill a large number of people in a violent way: Thousands of peaceful demonstrators were massacred by the soldiers.demonstratorbemassacresoldierslaughter to kill a large number of people in a violent way. Slaughter is also used about killing animals for food: The army slaughtered thousands of civilians in an effort to stop the revolt.slaughtercivilian | The pigs were slaughtered on the farm.pigbeslaughterexterminate to kill large numbers of a particular group, so that they no longer exist: Hitler’s goal was to exterminate the Jews.bekill something ↔ off phrasal verb1KILLto cause the death of a lot of living things SYN destroy: Pollution is rapidly killing off plant life.bekill2to stop or remove something completely SYN destroy: These figures kill off any hope that the economy is poised for recovery.figurebepoise
killnounCollocations from other entriesPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleskillkillskillkill2 nounWord family1KILL[countable usually singular] the act of killing a hunted animal: He raised his knife for the kill.raise2move in/close in for the killCATCH to come closer to something in order to kill, defeat, or destroy it: Enemy submarines were moving in for the kill.submarinebemove3[singular]KILL an animal that is killed by another animal: The cubs will share the remains of the kill.cubremain
verb (past tense knew /njuː $ nuː/, past participle known /nəʊn $ noʊn/)Language: Old EnglishOrigin: cnawan Verb form1have information [intransitive, transitive not in progressive]KNOW STH to have information about something:
Who knows the answer?knowThere are instructions telling you everything you need to know.beinstructiontellDidn’t you know that?know what/how/where etcDo you know what time it is?beI don’t know where to go.know (something/nothing etc) about somethingI need to know more about the job before I decide whether to apply for it.Little is known about the author’s childhood.beknowI know all about David and what he’s been up to!beknow (something/nothing etc) of somethingI wonder if he knew of the plan?knowDo you know of any good restaurants in the area?restaurantYou know nothing of this business.know (that)We know that greenhouse gases can affect the climate.gasLet me know (=tell me) what time you’re planning to arrive.planI thought you’d want to know immediately.thinkIf you must know, I was with James last night (=used when you are angry because someone wants to know something).bewithout somebody/sb’s knowingHe slipped out of the house without his parents knowing (=secretly).slipparentknowHow did he know (=how did he find information about) our names?donameas you/we know‘I’m divorced, as you know,’ she said briefly.divorcesaybe known to do somethingSmoking is known to increase a person’s risk of developing lung cancer.smokebeknowdevelop2be sure [intransitive, transitive not in progressive]SURE to be sure about something: ‘Are you seeing Jim tomorrow?’ ‘I don’t know yet.’beseeknow (that)I know I won’t get the job.winRuth knew that she couldn’t continue in the relationship for much longer.knowlongknow what/why/how etcI know exactly what you need!know if/whetherThe boy stared at him uncertainly, not knowing whether to believe him.stareknowI don’t know if I’ll be able to come.knowing (that)She forced herself to go out, knowing that she would feel more depressed if she stayed at home.forceknowwilldepressstayHow do you know (=what makes you sure) he won’t do it again?winknow somebody/something to be somethingIt’s a story that I know to be true.I think he’s still living in Chicago, but I don’t know for sure.liveAs far as I know, they’re arriving on Saturday (=used when you think something is true but are not sure).arriveI doubt I’ll win, but you never know (=used when you cannot be sure about something, but something good might happen).3be familiar with somebody/something [transitive not in progressive]KNOW SBKNOW STH to be familiar with a person, place etc: I’ve known her for twenty years.knowyearAre you really thinking of leaving Kevin for a guy you barely know?bethinkleaveDo you know the nightclub on the corner of Maine Street?I don’t know him very well.We’re still getting to know each other really.getknow somebody from somethingI know her from school.know somebody as somethingMany people knew him as a local businessman.knowHepburn is best known for (=people are most likely to be familiar with) her roles in classic films such as ‘My Fair Lady’.bewellknowrolefilmThe museum outlines the development of the city as we know it today.outlineDoes he know the way to your house (=know how to get there)?doI grew up here; I know the place like the back of my hand (=I know it very well).growI only know her by sight (=I often see her but have not really spoken to her).She didn’t know me from Adam (=she did not know me at all), but she was really helpful.beknowing somebody/if I know somebody (=used to say that you expect someone to behave in a particular way because you know them well)Knowing Sumi, my note’s probably still in her pocket.knowHe’ll be chatting up the women, if I know Ron!chatwoman4realize [intransitive and transitive]REALIZE to realize, find out about, or understand something: Hardly knowing what he was doing, Nick pulled out a cigarette.knowbedopullShe knew the risks involved.knowriskinvolveknow (that)Suddenly she knew that something was terribly wrong.knowbeknow how/what/why etcI didn’t know how difficult it would be.willknow to do somethingShe knows not to tell anyone.know(do you) know what I mean? (=used to ask if someone understands or has the same feeling as you)It’s nice to have a change sometimes. Know what I mean?if you know what I meanSometimes it’s better not to ask too many questions, if you know what I mean.wellquestion‘I just felt so tired.' ‘Yeah, I know what you mean.’ (=I understand, because I have had the same experience).feeltireI should have known it wouldn’t be easy.shallknowI might have known (=I am annoyed but not surprised) you would take that attitude.knowwillknow exactly/preciselyI know exactly how you feel.know perfectly well/full well/only too wellHe knew full well that what he was doing was dangerous.knowbedobesomebody will never know/no one will ever knowJust take it. No one will ever know.‘That’s not what I mean, and you know it,’ he protested.protestif I had known/if I’d have knownI wouldn’t have come if I’d known you were so busy.knowbeLittle did she know (=she did not know) that years later she would have her own pool and luxury apartment in Florida.doyearlatewillShe knew nothing of what had happened earlier that day.knowhavehappenearly5skill/experience [transitive not in progressive]EXPERIENCE to have learned a lot about something or be skilful and experienced at doing something: I don’t know enough history to make a comparison.I taught him everything he knows.teachknowI know some French.know how to do somethingDo you know how to change a fuse?know aboutI have a friend who knows about antiques.knowantiqueBessie knew nothing about football.knowPoliticians know all about the power of language.politicianI don’t know the first thing about (=I know nothing about) looking after children.lookchildI don’t really know what I’m doing (=I do not have enough skill and experience to deal with something) when it comes to cars.docomecarThe staff are dedicated people who clearly know what they are talking about.bededicatebetalkShe knew from experience that exams made her very nervous.knowexammakeknow your job/subject/stuff (=be good at and know all you should about a job or subject)a decent manager who knows the ropes (=has a lot of experience)knowropeMy cousin knows a thing or two (=knows a lot) about golf.knowknow a song/tune/poem etc (=be able to sing a song, play a tune, say a poem etc because you have learned it)Do you know all the words to ‘As Time Goes By’?wordgo6know sb’s qualities [transitive not in progressive] to think that someone has particular qualitiesknow somebody as somethingI knew him as a hard-working, modest, and honest politician.knowworkknow somebody for somethingIn fact, I knew her for a tough-minded young woman.knowmind7know better a)SENSIBLEto be wise or experienced enough not to do something: It’s just prejudice from educated people who should know better.educateshallwellEva knew better than to interrupt one of Mark’s jokes.knowwelljoke b)KNOW STHto know or think you know more than someone else: Everyone thought it was an accident. Only Dan knew better.thinkbeknowwell8not know any better used to say that someone does something bad or stupid because they have not been told or taught that it is wrong: Drugs are being sold to children who don’t know any better.drugbebesellchildwell9know something inside out (also know something backwards British English, know something backwards and forwards American English) to be very familiar with something, especially because you have learned about it or because you have a lot of experience: Erikson knows the game inside out.know10know your way around something a)to be so familiar with something that you are confident and good at using it: She knows her way around a wine list.know b)to be familiar with a place so that you know where things are: I don’t know my way around the city yet.11make yourself known (to somebody) formal to introduce yourself to someone: After she had gone, Paul made himself known to Dr Heatherton.havegomakeknow12recognize [transitive]RECOGNIZE to be able to recognize someone or something: Honestly, it had been so long, I hardly knew her.havebeknowknow somebody/something by somethingHe looked very different, but I knew him by his voice.lookknow13know somebody/something as something to have a particular name: The main street between the castle and the palace is known as ‘the Royal Mile’.beknowNitrous oxide is commonly known as laughing gas.beknowlaugh14know something from somethingUNDERSTAND to understand the difference between one thing and another: Lloyd doesn’t even know his right from his left.leaveAt what age do children start to know right from wrong?child15experience [transitive]EXPERIENCE to have experience of a particular feeling or situation: I don’t think he ever knew true happiness.knowknow aboutI know all about being poor.beI’ve never known (=have never experienced) this to happen in all the time I’ve worked here.knowworkI’ve never known him to shout (=he never shouts).know16somebody/something is not known to be something or somebody/something has never been known to do somethingNOT DO STH used to say there is no information that someone or something has particular qualities: This species is not known to be vicious.beknow17I’ve known somebody/something to do something or somebody/something has been known to do somethingSOMETIMES used to say that someone does something sometimes or that something happens sometimes, even if it is unusual: People have been known to drive 500 miles just to visit the shop.beknowmilThis type of fish has been known to live for 10 years or more.havebeknowyearSPOKEN PHRASES18you know a)EMPHASIZEused to emphasize a statement: There’s no excuse, you know. b)used to make sure that someone understands what you are saying: I felt very upset, you know?feel c)ATTENTIONused when you want to keep someone’s attention, but cannot think of what to say next: Well, you know, we’ve got a job to do here.get d)EXPLAINused when you are explaining or describing something and want to give more information: That flower in the garden – you know, the purple one – what is it?be19you know/do you knowMENTION used to start talking about something, or make someone listen: You know, I sometimes feel I don’t know him at all.Do you know, when I went out this morning that man was still there.gobe(do) you know what/something?You know what? I think he’s lonely.20I know a)AGREEused to agree with someone or to say that you feel the same way: ‘We have to talk about it, Rob.’ ‘Yeah, I know.’ b)THINK STH/HAVE A THOUGHTused to say that you have suddenly had an idea, thought of a solution to a problem etc: I know! Let’s go out for a meal on your birthday. c)AGREEused to stop someone from interrupting because they have an opinion about what you are saying: It sounds silly, I know, but I will explain.soundI know, I know, I should have had the car checked out before now.shallhavecheck21I don’t know a)NOT KNOWused to say that you do not have the answer to a question: ‘When did they arrive?’ ‘I don’t know.’do b)SUREused when you are not sure about something: ‘How old do you think he is?’ ‘Oh, I don’t know – sixty, seventy?’beI don’t know what/how/whether etcI don’t know whether to call him.I don’t know thatI don’t know that you need a passport for travelling within the EU.travel c)DISAGREEused to show that you disagree slightly with what has just been said: ‘I couldn’t live there.’ ‘Oh, I don’t know. It might not be so bad.’ d)ANNOY British English used to show that you are slightly annoyed: Oh, I don’t know! You’re hopeless!22I don’t know how/why etcCRITICIZE used to criticize someone: I don’t know how people could keep an animal in those conditions.cancondition23I don’t know about you, but ...THINK/HAVE THE OPINION THAT used to give your opinion, decision, or suggestion when you are not sure that the person you are talking to will feel the same way: I don’t know about you, but I’ll be glad when Christmas is over.be24I don’t know how to thank you/repay youTHANK used to thank someone25wouldn’t you know (it) used to say that something is not at all surprising: I was told in no uncertain terms that Helen, wouldn’t you know it, didn’t approve.betellterm26you don’t know used to emphasize how strong your feelings are: You don’t know how much I missed him.miss27I wouldn’t know used to say that you do not know the answer to something and that you are not the person who would know28what does somebody know? used to say angrily that someone’s opinion is wrong or that it is not important: What does she know about relationships?dorelationship29how should I know?/how am I to know?/how do I know?NOT KNOW used to say that it is not reasonable to expect that you should know something: ‘When will they be back?’ ‘How should I know?’shall30how was I to know?/how did I know?NOT KNOW used as an excuse when something bad has happened: How was I to know that the file was confidential?bebe31be not to know British English used to say that you do not mind that someone has made a mistake because they could not have avoided it: ‘Sorry, I didn’t realize you had guests.’ ‘That’s all right – you weren’t to know.’haveguest32I ought to knowKNOW STH used to emphasize that you know about something because you made it, experienced it etc: ‘Are you sure there’s no sugar in this coffee?’ ‘Of course. I ought to know – I made it!’bemake33for all I knowNOT KNOW used to emphasize that you do not know something and say that it is not important to you: I don’t know where she is. She could have been kidnapped for all I know.becanbekidnap34not that I know of used to say that you think the answer is ‘no’ but there may be facts that you do not know about: ‘Did he call earlier?’ ‘Not that I know of.’doearly35Heaven/God/who/goodness knows! a)used to say that you do not know the answer to a question: ‘Where do you think he’s disappeared to this time?’ ‘God knows!’disappearknowGoodness knows why she didn’t go herself.know b)used to emphasize a statement: Goodness knows, I’ve never liked the woman, but I didn’t know how bad it would be to work with her.knowlikewill36knowing my luckUNLUCKY used to say that you expect something bad will happen because you are usually unlucky: Knowing my luck, the train will be late.know37(well,) what do you know?SURPRISED used to express surprise: Well, what do you know? Look who’s here!38if you know what’s good for youTHREATEN used to tell someone that they should do something, or something bad will happen: You’ll keep your mouth shut about this if you know what’s good for you!39you know who/whatNAME OF A PERSON used to talk about someone or something without mentioning their name: I saw you know who yesterday.see40there’s no knowingNOT KNOW it is impossible to know: There was no knowing who might have read the letter.beknow41let it be known/make it known (that) formal to make sure that people know something, especially by getting someone else to tell them: Farrar let it be known that he saw nothing wrong with the proposed solutions.knowseeproposesolution42not want to know British English informalREFUSE to not be interested in someone and what they want to say: She’d approached several model agencies but they just didn’t want to know.approachagency43know the score informal to understand a situation and all the good and bad features about it: I knew the score before I started the job.knowstart44not know what hit you informal to feel shocked and confused because something happens when you are not expecting it to: Poor man – I don’t think he knew what hit him.know45know your place used to say that someone understands that they are less important than other people – usually used humorously: I know my place. I’ll get back to the kitchen!46know no bounds formal if a feeling or quality knows no bounds, it is not limited in any way: His enthusiasm knew no bounds.knowbound47somebody knows bestKNOW STH used to say that someone should be obeyed or that their way of doing things should be accepted because they are experienced: She always thinks she knows best.thinkknowwellI have always hated the attitude that ‘the doctor knows best’.hateknowwell48before you know it used to say that something happens very quickly and when you are not expecting it: You’ll be home before you know it.49know different/otherwise informal to know that the opposite of something is true: He told people he didn’t care about her, but deep down he knew different.tellknow50know your own mindINDEPENDENT PERSON to be confident and have firm ideas about what you want and like51you will be delighted/pleased etc to know (that) formalHAPPY used before you give someone information that they will be pleased to hear: You will be pleased to know that we have accepted your offer.pleaseaccept52it’s ...#u2fc098491a42200a.6e2b450a.1150433a334.-251c"> the next thing I/she etc knew at next1(6)THESAURUSknow to recognize someone or something. Know is often used in everyday English instead of recognize: How do you know that it is real gold?be | I know him from somewhere. | I can’t remember his name, but I know his face.can tell to be able to recognize someone or something: I could tell that it was him by his voice.canbe | Can you tell that it’s not real leather? | It’s difficult to be able to tell them apart (=to recognize that they are different).
knownounCollocations from other entriesThesaurus 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesknowknowsknowknow2 noun in the know informalKNOW STH having more information about something than most people: People in the know say that interest rates will have to rise again soon.rateTHESAURUSsure adjective believing that something is definitely true or correct: I’m sure that you’re right. | ‘The car was a BMW’ ‘Are you sure?’bebe | I’m not sure what the best thing to do is.wellbecertain adjective completely sure. Certain is more formal than sure, and it is very commonly used in writing: The police were certain that they had found the killer.behavefind | I think he’s married, but I’m not certain about it.marryconvinced adjective sure that something is true, even though you cannot prove it: She became convinced that her boyfriend was seeing someone else.becomeconvincebesee | Brown’s wife was convinced of his innocence.beconvincepositive adjective especially spoken completely sure that something is true, especially when other people are not sure: She said she was positive that the exam was next Tuesday.saybebe | I’m absolutely positive I haven’t made a mistake.makesatisfied adjective sure that you know the truth about something that has happened, because you have enough information: The authorities are now satisfied that her death was an accident.authoritybesatisfybeconfident adjective sure that something good will happen or that you will achieve something: Doctors are confident that he’ll make a full recovery.doctorbe | A spokesman said the government was confident of winning the vote.saybewinhave no doubt (also be in no doubt) verb phrase to have no doubts in your mind about something: I have no doubt that his story is true.be | He was in no doubt about what he should do next.beshallknow verb to have a strong feeling that something is true or correct: I just know that she will love this necklace. | When the phone rang, we knew something terrible must have happened.ringknowhappen
verb (past tense drew /druː/, past participle drawn /drɔːn $ drɒːn/)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: dragan Verb form1WITH PENCILpicture [intransitive and transitive]DRAW to produce a picture of something using a pencil, pen etc:
Katie had drawn a cottage with a little stream running next to it.havedrawrunShe asked the little girl to draw a picture of the man she’d spoken to.askspeakKeith was drawing a complicated-looking graph.bedrawcomplicatelookI’ve never been able to draw very well.bedraw somebody somethingCan you draw me a map of how to get there?2draw (sb’s) attentionATTENTION to make someone notice somethingdraw (sb’s) attention toI have been asked to draw your attention to the following points.beaskfollowpointA dark house can draw attention to the fact that the house is empty.bedraw attention to yourselfHe didn’t want to draw attention to himself.The case drew international attention.draw3draw a conclusionTRUE to decide that a particular fact or principle is true according to the information you have been givendraw a conclusion fromIt would be unwise to draw firm conclusions from the results of a single survey.willconclusionresultRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say reach a conclusion or come to a conclusion.4draw a comparison/parallel/distinction etcCOMPARE to compare two people or things and show how they are similar or differentdraw a comparison/parallel/distinction etc betweenThe author draws a comparison between East and West Germany and the North-South divide in England.drawThe report draws a distinction between various forms of health care.drawformRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say make a comparison or distinction (but NOT make a parallel).5GET A REACTIONGETget a reaction [transitive] to get a particular kind of reaction from someonedraw something from somebodyHis remarks drew an angry response from Democrats.remarkdrawdemocratdraw praise/criticismThe movie drew praise from critics.drawcritic6attract [transitive]ATTRACT to attract someone or make them want to do somethingdraw somebody to somethingWhat first drew you to teaching?drawteachBeth felt strangely drawn to this gentle stranger.feeldrawstrangeThe festival is likely to draw huge crowds.becrowd7GET STH IMPORTANTget something you need [transitive]GET to get something that you need or want from someone or somethingdraw something from somethingI drew a lot of comfort from her kind words.drawwordPlants draw nourishment from the soil.plant8PERSUADE SBgive information be drawn [usually in negatives]PERSUADE to give information in reply to questions about something: She refused to be drawn on the subject.refusedraw9MOVE IN ONE DIRECTIONmove [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]MOVE/CHANGE POSITION to move in a particular direction: She drew away, but he pulled her close again.drawpullThe boat drew alongside us and a man appeared on the deck.drawappearI arrived just as the train was drawing into the station.arrivebedrawRegisterIn everyday English, people usually use pull rather than draw:The train was pulling into the station.bepull10draw near/closerNEAR to become closer in time or space: Maria grew anxious as the men drew closer.growmandrawcloseChristmas is drawing near.bedrawRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say get nearer/closer:Christmas is getting nearer.begetnear11draw level to move into a position where you are equal to someone else in a race, game, or competition: Black drew level with the other runners.drawrunner12PULLpull somebody/something [transitive always + adverb/preposition]MOVE/CHANGE POSITION to move someone or something in a particular direction by pulling them gentlydraw somebody/something aside/up/across etcBobby drew a chair up to the table.drawHussain drew me aside to whisper in my ear.drawdraw the curtains/a blind etc (=close them by pulling them gently)13PULL A VEHICLEpull a vehicle [transitive]PULL if an animal draws a vehicle, it pulls it along: a carriage drawn by six horsesdrawhorsean ox-drawn cartdraw14TAKE OUTtake something out [transitive]TAKE STH FROM SOMEWHERE to take something out of a container, pocket etcdraw something out/from somethingAli reached into his pocket and drew out a piece of paper.reachdrawdraw a gun/sword/weapon etcMaria drew her gun nervously and peered out into the gloom.drawpeerRegisterIn everyday English, people usually use pull something out or take something out rather than draw something out:Ali reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.reachpull15draw a line (between something)DIFFERENT to think or show that one thing is different from another: Adolescents often use drugs simply to try to draw a line between their own and their parents’ way of life.adolescentdrugparent16draw the line (at something) to allow or accept something up to a particular point, but not beyond it: I don’t mind doing some gardening but I draw the line at digging.dogardendig17where do you draw the line? spoken used to say it is impossible to decide at which point an acceptable limit has been reached: Some say 50 is too old to have a baby, but where do you draw the line?be18draw a line under somethingFINISH/COME TO AN END to say that something is completely finished and you will not think about it again: I just want to draw a line under the relationship.19draw sb’s eye (to something)INTERESTING if something draws your eye, it makes you notice it: My eye was drawn to a painting on the wall.bedrawpaint20FROM YOUR BANK ACCOUNTfrom a bank (also draw out) [transitive] to take money from your bank account SYN withdraw: Hughes had drawn $8,000 in cash from a bank in Toronto.havedraw21BE PAIDreceive money [transitive] to receive an amount of money regularly from a government or financial institution: How long have you been drawing unemployment benefit?bedrawI’ll be drawing my pension before he’ll ever get around to asking me to marry him!drawask22draw a cheque (on something) British English, draw a check (on something) American English to write a cheque for taking money out of a particular bank account23INTO YOUR LUNGSbreathe [intransitive and transitive] to take air or smoke into your lungs: She drew a deep breath.drawRuth paused to draw breath, her voice barely hiding her excitement.pausehidHe lit his pipe and drew deeply.lightdraw24draw breathREST to find time to have a rest when you are busy: I’ve hardly had a moment to draw breath.have25take liquid from something [transitive] a)to take a liquid from something such as a barrel or tap b)to take water from a well26FIRE/CHIMNEYfire [intransitive]BURN if a fire or chimney draws, it lets the air flow through to make the fire burn well27PLAYING CARD/TICKETchoose [intransitive and transitive] to choose by chance a ticket etc that will win a prize: The winning ticket will be drawn at the Christmas Party.windraw28draw lots/strawsDECIDE to decide who will do something by taking pieces of paper out of a container or choosing straws of hidden lengths: We drew lots to see who would go first.drawlotwill29draw the short strawUNLUCKY used to say that someone has been unlucky because they were chosen to do something that no one else wanted to do: He drew the short straw and had to drive everyone to the party.drawhave30GAMEgame [intransitive and transitive] especially British English to finish without either side winning in a game such as football SYN tie: They drew 3–3.drawdraw withLiverpool drew with Juventus.draw31be drawn against somebody British English to be chosen by chance to play or compete against someone: England have been drawn against France in next month’s game.bedraw32draw a blank informalFAIL to be unsuccessful in finding information or the answer to a problem: All his investigations have drawn a blank so far.investigationdraw33draw to a halt/stop if a vehicle draws to a halt or stop, it slows down and stops34draw to a close/endFINISH/COME TO AN END to end: Festival-goers began to drift off as the evening drew to an end.goerbeginevendraw35draw a veil over somethingSECRET to deliberately keep something unpleasant or embarrassing from being known: I’d rather draw a veil over what happened last night.happen36draw blood a)to make someone bleed: The dog bit her so hard that it drew blood.bitedraw b)to make someone angry or embarrass them in an argument, especially a public one: Barker sought to draw blood by mentioning his rival’s weakness of character.seekmention37draw a bow to bend a bow by pulling back the string in order to shoot an arrow38ship [transitive] technical if a ship draws a particular depth, it needs that depth of water to float in → be at daggers drawn at dagger(3)THESAURUSdraw to make a picture, pattern etc using a pen or pencil: The children were asked to draw a picture of their families.childbeaskfamily | I’m going to art classes to learn how to draw.goclasssketch /sketʃ/ to draw a picture of something or someone quickly and without a lot of detail: Roy took a pencil and sketched the bird quickly, before it moved.takesketchmoveillustrate to draw the pictures in a book: It’s a beautiful book, illustrated by Arthur Rackham.illustratedoodle /ˈduːdl/ to draw shapes or patterns without really thinking about what you are doing: He was on the phone, doodling on his notepad as he spoke.bedoodlespeakscribble to draw shapes or lines without making a definite picture or pattern. Small children do this before they have learned to draw or write: At the age of two, she loved scribbling with crayons and coloured pencils.lovescribblecrayoncolourpenciltrace to copy a picture by putting a piece of thin paper over it and drawing the lines that you can see through the paper: First trace the map, and then copy it into your workbooks.workbookdraw back phrasal verb1MOVE/CHANGE POSITIONto move backwards, especially because you are frightened or surprised: Suddenly, she drew back, startled.drawstartledraw back in horror/shock/fear etcShe peeped into the box and drew back in horror.peepdraw2WILLINGto decide not to do something, especially because you think it would be bad for you SYN withdrawdraw back fromThe government drew back from their extreme standpoint.drawdraw something ↔ down phrasal verb to obtain money that it has been agreed that you can borrow, or to use money that has been saved: He drew down the final $25 million of the loan.drawdraw in phrasal verb1British English if the days or nights draw in, it starts to get dark earlier in the evening because winter is coming: In October the nights start drawing in.nightdraw2TAKE PART/BE INVOLVEDdraw somebody ↔ in to get someone involved in something: We should use the demonstration as an opportunity to draw more supporters in.shallsupporterDespite himself, he found himself being drawn in by the man’s warmth and ease.findbedraw3draw in your horns British EnglishSPEND MONEY to spend less money because you have financial problemsdraw somebody into something phrasal verb TAKE PART/BE INVOLVEDto make someone become involved in something, especially when they do not want to be involved: He tried to draw her into conversation.tryShe found herself drawn into a disagreement between two of her neighbours.finddrawneighbourdraw something ↔ off phrasal verb LIQUIDto remove some liquid from a larger supply: The cold water is heated as it is drawn off.beheatbedrawdraw on phrasal verb1draw on/upon somethingPURPOSE to use information, experience, knowledge etc for a particular purpose: His work draws heavily on learning theories of the 1980s.drawlearntheoryShe has 20 years’ teaching experience to draw on.haveyearteach2draw on something to use part of a supply of something such as money: I drew on my savings to pay for the repairs.drawsavingrepair3draw on a cigarette/cigar etc to breathe in smoke from a cigarette etc4NEAR British English formal if a period of time or an event draws on, it comes closer to its end: Winter is drawing on.bedrawAs the journey drew on, he started to feel tired.drawstarttireCOLLOCATIONSnounsdraw on somebody's experience The books have drawn on the experience of practising teachers.bookdrawpractiseteacherdraw on somebody's knowledge Fortunately I was able to draw on my own knowledge of the law.bedraw on somebody's resources The committee has drawn on the resources and skills of several local people.havedrawresourceskilldraw on somebody's ideas We hope that we will be able to draw on these ideas to develop the work further.ideafardraw on somebody's expertise (=expert knowledge and experience) Now we can draw on the expertise of some of the most talented network engineers.engineerdraw out phrasal verb1draw something ↔ out to take money from your bank account2TALK TO SBdraw somebody ↔ out to make someone feel less shy and more willing to talk: She just needed someone to draw her out and take an interest in her.need3draw something ↔ out formal to mention a particular piece of information and explain it clearly and in detail: There are two major themes to be drawn out in this discussion.bethemedraw4PASS/TIME PASSINGdraw something ↔ out to make an event last longer than usual: The final question drew the meeting out for another hour.drawmeet → drawn-out5British English if the days or nights draw out, it stays light until later in the evening because summer is comingdraw up phrasal verb1LIST/CONTRACT ETCdraw something ↔ up to prepare a written document, such as a list or contract: Draw up a list of all the things you want to do.thingdraw up plans/proposalsHe was asked to draw up proposals for reforming the law.beaskproposalreformThe contract was drawn up last year.bedraw2VEHICLEARRIVEif a vehicle draws up, it arrives somewhere and stops: A taxi drew up at the gate.draw3draw up a chair to move a chair closer to someone or something4draw yourself up (to your full height)STAND to stand up very straight because you are angry or determined about something: He drew himself up and said, ‘This has gone far enough’.drawsayhavego5draw your knees upBEND to bring your legs closer to your body: Ruth sat, knees drawn up under her chin, and waited.sitkneedrawwaitCOLLOCATIONSnounsdraw up a plan/scheme Local authorities have drawn up new plans for waste disposal.authoritydrawplandraw up a proposal The European Communities were drawing up proposals to control the export of chemicals.communitybedrawproposalchemicaldraw up a list They drew up a list of suitable candidates for the job.drawcandidatedraw up guidelines A committee of teachers has drawn up guidelines for schools on how to deal with difficult students.teacherhavedrawguidelineschoolstudentdraw up a report Environmental organizations have been involved in drawing up the report.organizationbeinvolvedrawdraw up a contract/agreement Some people draw up a contract when they get married.marrydraw up a timetable/schedule They haven’t yet drawn up a timetable for the elections.drawelectiondraw up a programme A small team has drawn up a programme of action.havedrawdraw up a constitution (=set of laws and principles that govern a country) The first Czech constitution was drawn up here in 1920.bedrawdraw up a budget (=plan of how to spend the money that is available) Each year business managers draw up a budget.manager
drawnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4Word sets 1 2Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesdrawdrawsdrawdraw2 S3 noun [countable]1the final result of a game or competition in which both teams or players have the same number of points SYN tie: The match ended in a draw.end2an occasion when someone or something is chosen by chance, especially the winning ticket in a lottery, or the teams who will play against each other in a competition: England has been selected to play Germany in the draw for the first round of the World Cup.havebeselect3British English a competition in which people whose names or tickets are chosen by chance win money or prizes: Congratulations! You have been entered into our £100,000 prize draw!congratulationbeenter4a performer, place, event etc that a lot of people come to see: It is hoped that the new art gallery will be a big draw for visitors.behopevisitor5when you breathe in smoke from a cigarette SYN drag: Maltravers took a long draw on his cigarette.take → the luck of the draw at luck1(18), → quick on the draw at quick1(9)THESAURUSattraction noun [uncountable and countable] a feature or quality that makes people like, want, or feel interested in something: The excitement is part of the attraction of the job.be | For many mothers, the attraction of childcare in the workplace is the chance to be near their children.motherbechild | The idea of living in another country does have a certain attraction.livedoappeal noun [uncountable and countable] a quality that makes people like something or someone: Much of Corfu’s appeal lies in its lively night life.lie | I don’t understand the appeal of this kind of music.the lure of something noun [singular] a very attractive quality that makes you want something very much – often used about something that has a bad effect or influence: It’s hard to resist the lure of credit cards and easy money.card | The lure of urban life is especially powerful for the young.becharm noun [uncountable and countable] a pleasant quality that someone or something has that makes people like them, feel attracted to them, or be influenced by them: He was physically attractive and possessed considerable personal charm.bepossess | The book captures Savannah’s old Southern charm perfectly.captureglamour noun [uncountable] the attractive and exciting quality that is connected with wealth and success: the glamour of Monte Carlo | Hollywood glamour | The world of modelling is famous for its glitz and glamour.modelbedraw noun [singular] something that makes people want to do something or go somewhere: The money is a big draw for many players.beplayer | The island’s main draw is its wonderful beaches.bebeach
noun
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: eage
1for seeing with [countable] one of the two parts of the body that you use to see with: He’s got beautiful eyes.geteyeThere were tears in her eyes as she listened to the story.beteareyelistenOw! I’ve got something in my eye!getblue-eyed/one-eyed/bright-eyed etca brown-eyed girleye → wide-eyed2way of seeing/understanding [countable usually singular] a particular way of seeing, judging, or understanding something: Go through your shopping list with a critical eye for foods with a high fat content.shopfoodwith the eye of somebodyThe magazine combines the accuracy of the scientist with the eye of the artist.combineto sb’s eye(s)The picture quality, to my eye, is excellent.bethrough the eyes of somebody (=from the point of view of a particular person)The story is told through the eyes of a refugee child.betelleyein the eyes of somebody (=according to a particular person or group)Carl could do no wrong in the eyes of his parents.caneyeparent3keep an eye on something/somebodyLOOK AFTER SB to look after someone or something and make sure that they are safe: Mary will keep an eye on the kids this afternoon.kidWe keep a watchful eye on our elderly neighbors.neighbor4have/keep your eye on somebodyWATCH to carefully watch everything that someone does, especially because you do not trust them: We want Taylor in jail where we can keep an eye on him.5eye contact when you look directly at someone at the same time as they are looking at you: People who are lying tend to avoid eye contact.belieIn a formal interview, try to maintain good eye contact with the interviewers.interviewer6keep/have one eye/half an eye on somebody/something to be watching someone or something at the same time that you are doing something else: Louise was stirring the soup with half an eye on the baby.bestir7have your eye on somethingWANT to want something that you think might become available: He has his eye on the bigger apartment next door.havebig8the naked eyeSEE if you can see something with the naked eye, you can see it without using any artificial help such as a telescope or microscopewith the naked eyeIt’s just about possible to see the planet with the naked eye on a clear night.visible/invisible to the naked eyeDust mites are tiny creatures, invisible to the naked eye.mitebecreature9before your very eyes (also (right) in front of your eyes) especially spokenSEE if something happens before your very eyes, it happens where you can clearly see it: The murder had apparently taken place before our very eyes.havetakeeye10can’t take your eyes off somebody/somethingWATCH to be unable to stop looking at someone or something, especially because they are extremely interesting or attractive: She looked stunning. I couldn’t take my eyes off her all evening.lookeyeeven11under the (watchful/stern etc) eye of somebody while being watched by someone who is making sure that you behave properly or do something right: We went to dances, but only under the watchful eye of our father.godance12run/cast your eye over somethingLOOK AT to look at something quickly: She cast her eye over the front page of the paper.13set/lay/clap eyes on somebody/something spokenSEE to see something or meet someone, especially for the first time: I loved that house from the moment I clapped eyes on it.loveclapeye14keep an eye open/out (for somebody/something)WATCH to watch carefully so that you will notice when someone or something appears: Keep an eye out for rabbits in the field.rabbit15with an eye to (doing) somethingTO/IN ORDER TO if you do something with an eye to doing something else, you do it in order to make the second thing more likely to happen: Most novels are published with an eye to commercial success.novelbepublish16close/shut your eyes to somethingIGNORE to ignore something or pretend that you do not know it is happening: Most governments know that we’re heading for an environmental catastrophe but they shut their eyes to it.governmentheadeye17have an eye/a good eye for somethingTASTE IN CLOTHES, MUSIC ETC to be good at noticing a particular type of thing, especially something attractive, valuable, of good quality etc: Ernest has an eye for detail.haveShe’s definitely got a good eye for a bargain.get18keep your eyes peeled/skinned spokenWATCH to watch carefully and continuously for somethingkeep your eyes peeled/skinned forShe stumbled along, keeping her eyes peeled for a phone box.stumblekeepeyepeel19with your eyes openKNOW STH knowing fully what the problems, difficulties, results etc of a situation might be: I’ve no-one to blame but myself – I went into this deal with my eyes open.goeye20can do something with your eyes shut/closedEASY to be able to do something very easily: Believe me, you could run that place with your eyes closed.caneyeclose21make eyes at somebody/give somebody the eyeLOOK AT informal to look at someone in a way that shows you think they are sexually attractive: Don’t look now, but that guy over there is really giving you the eye.begive22an eye for/on/to the main chanceUSE A PERSONUSE STH if you have an eye for the main chance, you will take advantage of any possible opportunity to get what you want – used to show disapproval23one in the eye for somebody British English spokenPROUD something that will annoy someone or give them a disadvantage – used especially when you think this is a good thing: This latest judgement will definitely be one in the eye for the fast food corporations.latecorporation24an eye for an eyeREVENGE the idea that if someone does something wrong, you should punish them by doing the same thing to them: An eye for an eye is no way to run a civilised justice system.be25for sb’s eyes onlySECRET used to say that something is secret and must only be seen by one particular person or group: The information is for police eyes only.beeye26have eyes in the back of your headNOTICE to know what is happening all around you, even when this seems impossible: We’ll have to be really careful – old Jonesey has eyes in the back of his head.haveeye27get/keep your eye in British English informal to practise or to continue practising an activity so that you become good at it28have eyes like a hawkNOTICE to notice every small detail or everything that is happening, and therefore be very difficult to deceive: We never got away with anything in Mrs. Podell’s class – she had eyes like a hawk.gethaveeye29his/her etc eyes were popping (out of his/her etc head) British English especially spokenSURPRISED to be very surprised, shocked, or excited by something you see30be up to your eyes in something British English informal to be very busy doing something: He’s up to his eyes in paperwork.eye31have eyes bigger than your bellyGREEDY spoken used to say that you have taken more food than you are able to eat32only have eyes for somebodyFAITHFUL if someone only has eyes for someone, they love and are interested in that person only33my eye! old-fashioned spokenSURPRISED used to say that you do not believe something34all eyes are on/watching/fixed on etcWATCH a)used to say that everyone is looking at someone or something: All eyes were on the speaker, and nobody noticed me slip into the hall.eyebenotice b)used to say that a lot of people are paying attention to a particular person or situation: For the time being, all eyes are on the White House.beeyebe35in a pig’s eye! American English spokenBELIEVE used to show that you do not believe what someone is saying36camera [singular] the eye of the camera is the way that you appear in photographs: Fashion models are completely comfortable with the eye of the camera.modelbe37needle [countable] the hole in a needle that you put the thread through38for fastening clothes [countable] a small circle or U-shaped piece of metal used together with a hook for fastening clothes39storm [singular] the calm centre of a storm such as a hurricane40potato [countable] a dark spot on a potato that a new plant can grow from → bird’s-eye view, black eye, Catseye, private eye, red eye, → the apple of sb’s eye at apple(2), → not bat an eye at bat2(2), → turn a blind eye (to something) at blind1(3), → see something out of the corner of your eye at corner1(8), → the evil eye at evil1(5), → give somebody the glad eye at glad(6), → look somebody in the eye/face at look1(7), → in your mind’s eye at mind1(40), → here’s mud in your eye at mud, → open sb’s eyes (to) at open2(17), → in the public eye at public1(4), → make sheep’s eyes at at sheep(4), → a sight for sore eyes at sight1(14), → in the twinkling of an eye at twinkling, → keep a weather eye on at weather1(5), → pull the wool over sb’s eyes at wool(4)COLLOCATIONScolourbrown/blue/grey/green Both their children have blue eyes.childeyedark brown/pale brown His eyes are dark brown.eyebedeep blue/pale blue She looked into his deep blue eyes.lookeye | The tiny child 's pale blue eyes stared up at her appealingly.eyestarehazel (=pale brown and slightly green or golden) He was a quiet, kindly man, with hazel eyes.beeyesleepy/tired (also weary literary) He rubbed his tired eyes and yawned.rubtireeyeyawnmoist/watery/tearful (=full of tears) Bethan’s eyes grew moist as she talked about her family.eyegrowtalksad He gazed at her with sad eyes as she slowly walked away.gazeeyewalkcold/cruel (=unfriendly or unkind) He smiled, but his blue eyes were cold and cruel.smileeyebeshape/positionbig She looked at me with those big brown eyes.lookeyesmall His small cold eyes seemed full of menace.eyeseemround/wide The children gazed at the screen, their eyes wide with excitement.childgazeeyenarrow He has a thin face and narrow eyes.haveeyebulging (=round and sticking far out) His bulging eyes made him rather look like a frog.bulgeeyemakebeady eyes (=small round and bright, and noticing a lot of things) His beady eyes darted around the room.eyedartdeep-set (=far back in someone's face) Mac’s eyebrows were thick and dark, above deep-set eyes.eyebrowbeeyeclose-set (=close together) He had a small nose and close-set eyes.haveeyewide-set (=wide apart) Claudette studied the wide-set eyes that looked so innocent.studyeyelooksunken (=having fallen inwards, especially because of age or illness) The man's eyes were sunken, with deep black rings around them.eyeberingshowing your feelings/charactersleepy/tired His eyes looked sleepy.eyelook | Her hair was a mess and her eyes were tired.beeyebetiresad Her beautiful eyes suddenly looked sad.eyelooktearful/moist/misty (=feeling that you want to cry) As she left a village, people waved at her with tearful eyes.leavewaveeyebright (=happy or excited) the bright eyes of the childreneyechildcold (=unfriendly and not showing any emotion) Her eyes were cold and uncaring.eyebered/bloodshot (=red because you are upset, tired, ill etc) My mother's eyes were red from crying.eyebecrypuffy (=swollen because you are ill or upset) The girl's eyes were puffy and full of tears.eyebetearsoulful eyes (=showing strong emotions, especially sadness) The dog looked up at her with big soulful eyes.lookeyewild/mad eyes (=very angry, afraid etc) He stared at them with wild eyes.stareeyehungry/greedy eyes (=showing that you want something very much ) The men looked around the room with their greedy eyes.manlookeyeverbsopen your eyes I slowly opened my eyes.openeyesb’s eyes open Suddenly his eyes opened.eyeopenclose/shut your eyes Joe closed his eyes and tried to get back to sleep.closeeyetrysb’s eyes close She let her eyes close for just a moment.eyerub your eyes Anna rubbed her eyes wearily.rubeyeshade/shield your eyes (=protect them from a bright light or the sun) They gazed out to sea, shielding their eyes from the sun.gazeshieldeyenarrow your eyes (=partly close them, especially to show that you do not trust someone) She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.narroweyesb’s eyes narrow (=become half closed, especially because someone does not trust another person) Her dark eyes narrowed for a moment.eyenarrowsb’s eyes widen (=become more open because they are surprised) His eyes widened in shock.eyewidensb’s eyes sparkle/shine (=show that they are very happy) Jenny’s eyes sparkled with excitement.eyesparklesomebody's eyes light up (=become excited) His eyes lit up when I mentioned the word money.eyelightmentiondrop/lower your eyes (=look down at the ground) The servants lowered their eyes as the countess walked past.servantlowereyewalkavert your eyes literary (=look away from something) He averted his eyes from the body.averteyephraseskeep your eyes open (=prevent them from closing) I was so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open.betirecaneyehave/keep etc your eyes glued to something (=be watching something with all your attention) Ted sat with his eyes glued to the television.siteyegluesb’s eyes are full of tears When she put the phone down, her eyes were full of tears.eyebetearsb’s eyes are full of hatred/fear etc The prisoners stared at him, their eyes full of hatred.prisonerstareeyeeye + NOUNan eye test (also an eye exam American English) (=to find out how well you can see) You should have an eye test every couple of years.shallyeareye make-up (=make-up that you put on your eyelids or eyelashes) She never leaves the house without lipstick and eye make-up.leaveCOMMON ERRORS ► Do not say 'black eyes' when you mean dark brown eyes. You normally use 'black eye' when someone has a bruise around their eye, after being hit by someone.
eyeverbCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleseyeeyeseyedeyeingeyingeyeeye2 verb (present participle eyeing or eying) [transitive]Verb form LOOK ATto look at someone or something carefully, especially because you do not trust them or because you want something: The man behind the desk eyed us suspiciously.eyeA crowd of local children gathered around, eying us in silence.childgathereyeeye somebody ↔ up phrasal verb LOOK AT informal to look at someone in a way that shows you think they are sexually attractive: There was a group of lads at the bar, eyeing up every girl who walked in.beladeyewalk
verb (past tense flew /fluː/, past participle flown /fləʊn $ floʊn/)
Verb form1travel by plane [intransitive] to travel by plane: She’s flying back to the States tomorrow.flystateWill you take the train there or fly?Maurice is nervous about flying, so he usually travels overland.beflytravelfly toThe prime minister will be flying to Delhi later today for a three-day visit.flylatefly from/out of/in etcHe was arrested at Heathrow after flying from Brussels airport.bearrestflyLewis stopped off in Jamaica before flying on to Toronto.stopfly2move through the air [intransitive] if a plane, spacecraft etc flies, it moves through the air: The plane was attacked as it flew over restricted airspace.beattackflyrestrict3control a plane [intransitive and transitive] to be at the controls of a plane and direct it as it flies: She was the first woman to fly Concorde.beThe pilot was instructed to fly the plane to Montreal airport.beinstructSonny learnt to fly when he was 15.learnbe4send somebody/something by plane [transitive] to take goods or people somewhere by plane: The injured boy was flown by air ambulance to the Royal London Hospital.injurebeflyfly something into/out of etc somethingUS planes have been flying food and medical supplies into the area.planebeflysupply5use air company/service [intransitive and transitive] to use a particular airline or use a particular type of ticket when you travel by plane: We usually fly economy class.Millions of passengers fly British Airways every year.passengerairway6cross sea by plane [transitive] to cross a particular ocean or area of sea in a plane: Who was the first person to fly the Atlantic?be7birds/insects [intransitive] to move through the air using wings: The mother bird will feed her chicks until they are able to fly.chickbeThe evening air was clouded with mosquitoes and other flying insects.evenbecloudmosquitoflyinsectfly away/off/in etcAt that moment, a wasp flew in through the open window.flyThe robin shook its feathers and flew away.shakefeatherfly8move somewhere quicklyHURRY [intransitive] a)to move somewhere quickly and suddenlyfly down/across/out of etcEllen flew across the room and greeted her uncle with a kiss.flygreetRachel’s hand flew to her mouth.flyfly open/shutThe door flew open and a child rushed out.flyrush b)to move quickly and suddenly through the air: There was a loud explosion, and suddenly there was glass flying everywhere.bebeflyWilliam hit Jack on the head and sent his glasses flying.sendglassflyThe ball bounced off the wall and went flying into the garden next door.bouncegofly9kite [transitive] to make a kite fly in the air: In the park people were walking their dogs or flying their kites.bewalkdogflykite10(I) must fly spokenLEAVE A PLACE used to say that you must leave quickly11move freely [intransitive]MOVE STH OR SB to move freely and loosely in the air: Harriet ran after him, her hair flying behind her.runfly12flag [intransitive and transitive]ATTACH if a flag flies, or if you fly it, it is fixed to the top of a tall pole so that it can be easily seen: After the invasion, people were forbidden to fly their national flag.beforbidThe flags were flying cheerfully in the breeze.flagbeflyThe government ordered that all flags should be flown at half mast (=halfway down the pole, in order to express public sadness at someone’s death).orderflagshallfly13COUNTRY/NATIONfly the flag to behave in a way that shows that you are proud of your country, organization etc14time flies (also the hours/the days etc fly)PASS/TIME PASSING used to say that a period of time seems to pass very quickly: ‘Is it midnight already?’ ‘Well, you know what they say – time flies when you’re having fun!’beflyhavetime flies byThe following weeks flew by, and soon it was time to leave.followweekflybe15fly into a rage/temper/panic etc to suddenly get extremely angry, extremely worried etc: Rebecca flew into a rage when she realized no-one had been listening to her.flyrealizehavebelisten16fly off the handle informalANGRY to suddenly get very angry: Calm down – there’s no need to fly off the handle.17let fly (something) a)SHOUTto suddenly start shouting angrily at someone SYN let loose: The prisoner let fly with a torrent of abuse. b)ATTACKto suddenly attack someone, especially with bullets or a weapon that is thrownlet fly (something) withThe soldiers let fly with a hail of machine-gun fire.soldier18fly in the face of somethingOPPOSITE/REVERSE to be the opposite of what most people think is reasonable, sensible, or normal: He likes to fly in the face of convention.like19escape [transitive]ESCAPE formal to leave somewhere in order to escape SYN flee: By the time the police arrived, the men had flown.arrivemanhavefly20be flying high to be having a lot of success: The architectural firm has been flying high recently.havebefly21fly the nest a)if a young bird flies the nest, it has grown old enough to look after itself and is no longer dependent on its parents b)if a young person flies the nest, he or she moves out of their parents’ home in order to live independently: Now that the kids have flown the nest, I’m thinking about taking a job abroad.kidflythinktake22plan [intransitive] American EnglishUSEFUL a plan that will fly will be successful and useful: News is that the plan for the new hotel isn’t going to fly.bego23fly a kite to tell people about an idea, plan etc in order to get their opinion: In my latest book, I wanted to fly the kite for an unfashionable theory.latewant → kite-flying(2)24ANNOYgo fly a kite American English spoken used to tell someone to go away, stop saying something, or stop annoying you25rumours/accusations etc are flyingSAY when a lot of people are talking about something, saying someone has done something wrong etc: Rumours were flying as to how the fire started.rumourbeflystart26fly the coop American English informalESCAPE to leave or escape: All my children have flown the coop now.childfly27fly by the seat of your pants informalGUESS to have to deal with a situation by guessing what to do, because you know very little about it SYN wing it: Sometimes you’ll get back and find that things have changed, so you’ll be flying by the seat of your pants for a while.thingchangeflypant → the bird has flown at bird(8), → as the crow flies at crow1(3), → sparks fly at spark1(6)THESAURUStake to move or go with someone or something from one place to another: Don’t forget to take your keys.key | Shall I take you home? | I took Alice a cup of tea.takebring to take someone or something to the place where you are now: We’ve brought someone to see you!bring | Will you bring your photos with you when you come?phototransport to take large quantities of goods from one place to another in a plane, train, ship etc: The plane is used for transporting military equipment.beusetransport | The coal was transported by rail.betransportdeliver to take goods, letters, newspapers etc to someone’s home or office: Unfortunately, the package was delivered to the wrong address.bedeliverfly to take someone or something somewhere by plane: The bread is specially flown in from Paris.beflyship to take goods from one place to another – this can be by ship, truck, plane, or train: Half the whisky is shipped to Japan and the US.beshipcarry to take people or goods somewhere – used especially when saying how many people or things, or what kind: The new plane can carry up to 600 passengers.passenger | The ship was carrying a full cargo of oil.becarrylead to take someone to a place by going in front of them: He led Julia through the house to his study.lead | Roland led the way back to the car in silence.leadguide to take someone to a place and show them the way: Emily guided him through a side gate into a large garden.guideescort to take someone to a place and protect or guard them: The prisoner was escorted into the room by two police officers.beescortofficer | The singer was escorted by her assistant and her bodyguard.beescortusher to politely lead someone somewhere and show them where to go, especially because it is your job to do this: We were ushered into the lift by a man in uniform.beusherfly at somebody (also fly into somebodyfly into somebody) American English phrasal verb ANGRYto suddenly rush towards someone and try to hit them because you are very angry with them
flyverbCollocations from other entriesWord sets 1Phrases from other entriesCorpus examplesflyfliesflewfliedflownflyingflyfly2 verb (past tense and past participle flied, present participle flying, third person singular flies) [intransitive]Verb form to hit a ball in baseball high into the air
flynounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1 2 3 4Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesflyfliesflyfly3 noun (plural flies) [countable]
Sense 1, 3-7, 9:Language: Old English
Origin: fleogeSense 2, 8, 10:
Date: 1800-1900
Origin: FLY1 1insect a small flying insect with two wings:
There were flies buzzing all around us.beflybuzz2trousers especially American English (also flies [plural] British English) the part at the front of a pair of trousers which you can open: He quickly did up his fly.doYour flies are undone.flybeundo3somebody wouldn’t hurt/harm a fly informalKIND used to say that someone is very gentle and is not likely to hurt anyone4be dying/dropping etc like flies informal used to say that a lot of people are dying or becoming ill5a fly in the ointment informalSPOIL the only thing that spoils something and prevents it from being successful: The only fly in the ointment was Jacky.be6WATCHbe a fly on the wall to be able to watch what happens without other people knowing that you are there: I wish I’d been a fly on the wall during that conversation.be → fly-on-the-wall7there are no flies on somebody British English spokenSTUPID/NOT SENSIBLE used to say that someone is not stupid and cannot be tricked8on the fly a)technical while a computer program is actually running: The code is translated on the fly.betranslate b)while dealing with a situation, rather than before dealing with it: So far, policy is being made on the fly.bebemake9fishing a hook that is made to look like a fly and is used for catching fish10baseball a fly ball
flyadjectiveCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesflyflierfliestflyfly4 adjectiveDate: 1800-1900Origin: Probably from FLY1 1informal very fashionable and attractive:
Wear something really fly for your Friday date.2British English old-fashionedINTELLIGENT clever and not easily tricked: He’s a bit of a fly character.bite
nounDate: 1600-1700Origin: committee ‘person something is committed to’ (15-17 centuries), from commit [countable also + plural verb British English]GROUP OF PEOPLE a group of people chosen to do a particular job, make decisions etccommittee of
the International Committee of the Red Crosscommittee ona ministerial committee on security affairsaffairon a committeeHe’s on the finance committee.a committee meetingmeetCOLLOCATIONSverbsa committee meets (=has a meeting) The environmental health committee will meet again next Wednesday.be on a committee (=be a member of a committee) I was on the parents' committee at my kids' school.beparentkidserve/sit on a committee (=be a member of an important committee) Our organization is always in need of volunteers to serve on the committee.bevolunteerchair a committee (=be the person in charge of a committee) Professor Peacock was appointed to chair the committee.beappointappoint/set up/form a committee The council appointed a special committee to study the issue.appointjoin a committee I was invited to join a committee to plan the summer carnival.beinviteleave a committee After three years, she decided to leave the committee.yeardecidestand down from a committee (=leave it) Everyone was sorry when he stood down from the committee.bestandcommittee + NOUNa committee meeting There's a committee meeting once a month.meeta committee member Four committee members did not attend the meeting.memberdomeetthe committee chairman/chair There will be a new committee chairman next year.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + committeea special committee A special committee of scientists was set up to study the disease.scientistbean executive committee (=that manages an organization and makes decisions for it) He sat on the firm's Executive Committee.sitan advisory committee a government advisory committeea standing committee (=a permanent one)a joint committee (=involving two or more groups)a steering committee (=one that directs a particular activity)a select committee (=one of politicians and advisers who look at a particular subject)a management committee The scheme will be overseen by a management committee.overseea government/departmental/ministerial committeea planning committee British English (=one that considers requests to build new buildings) Several concerns were raised at the planning committee.concernberaiseplanthe finance/education etc committee
verb
Date: 1100-1200Language: Old Norse
Origin: kalla Verb form
1telephoneTELEPHONE [intransitive and transitive] to telephone someone: She calls her father every couple of days.calldayI’ll call you soon.What time did Tony call?docall a doctor/the police/a cab etc (=telephone someone and ask them to come to you)I think we should call a doctor.shallI’m gonna call the cops!cop ► Do not say ‘call to someone’. Say call someone.2describeCALL/DESCRIBE AS [transitive] to use a word or name to describe someone or something in a particular waycall somebody somethingAre you calling me a liar?becallYou may call it harmless fun, but I call it pornography.call somebody names (=use insulting names for someone)The other kids used to call me names, but I tried to ignore them.kidusenametry3have a name [transitive]NAME OF A PERSON to have a particular name or title, or use a particular name or title for someone or somethingbe called somethingOur son is called Matthew.becallThe arrow that appears on the screen is called a cursor.appearbecallcall somebody somethingMy name’s Virginia, but my friends call me Ginny.friendDo you want to be called Miss or Ms?callcall somebody by somethingI prefer to be called by my middle name.call4give somebody/something a nameNAME OF A PERSONNAME OF A THING [transitive] especially British English to give someone or something the name they will be known by in the future SYN name American English: What are you going to call the new puppy?begocall somebody somethingThey’ve decided to call the baby Louise.decide5ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STHask/order by speaking [transitive] to ask or order someone to come to youcall somebody into/over/across etcPeter called the waitress over and ordered a large brandy.callorderMarcie was called up to the principal’s office.becall6arrangeARRANGE A MEETING, EVENT ETC [transitive] to arrange for something to happen at a particular timecall a meeting/strike/election etcThe Security Council has called an emergency session to discuss the crisis.havecallAccording to the law, the election must be called within the next two months.accordcallmonth7say/shout [intransitive and transitive]SAY/STATE to say or shout something loudly so that someone can hear you: I heard someone calling in the distance.hearcall‘I’m coming!’ she called down the stairs.comecallstairSheila was just sneaking out when her mother called her.besneakcallShe heard him call her name.hear8call yourself somethingCALL/DESCRIBE AS to say that you are a particular type of person, although you do nothing to show this is true: How could Julian call himself a friend and then let me down so badly?can9call the shots/tune informalIN CHARGE OF to be in a position of authority so that you can give orders and make decisions: It was a job in which she was able to call the shots.bebeshot10call it a day informalSTOP DOING STH to decide to stop working, especially because you have done enough or you are tired: Come on, let’s call it a day and go home.11call collect American English to make a telephone call that is paid for by the person who receives it SYN reverse the charges British English12read names [transitive] (also call out)SHOUT to read names or numbers in a loud voice in order to get someone’s attention: When I call your name, go and stand in line.13court [transitive usually passive]TELL to tell someone that they must come to a law court or official committeecall somebody to do somethingThey were called to give evidence at the trial.becall14call (something) into questionUNCERTAIN to make people uncertain about whether something is right, good, or true: I feel that my competence is being called into question here.bebecall15be/feel called to do somethingRELIGION to feel strongly that you should do something: He felt called to write to all his fellow investors, warning them of the impending crisis.feelcallinvestorwarnimpend16call somebody/something to order formalOBEY to tell people to obey the rules of a formal meeting17visit [intransitive] (also call round British English)VISIT to stop at a house or other place for a short time to see someone or do something: She called round for a chat.callcall on somebodyLet’s call on James on the way home.call (in) at somethingI regularly called in at his office for news.callcall into somethingPeople often call into the library while they’re out shopping.shop18call it £10/two hours etc spokenAGREE used to suggest a general figure rather than a more specific one, especially in order to make things simpler: ‘I owe you £10.20.’ ‘Oh, call it £10!’19call it a draw if two opponents in a game call it a draw, they agree that neither of them has won → call it quits at quits(2)20call it/things even spoken use this to say that someone who owes you something does not have to give you anything more than they have already given you21call (sb’s) attention toATTENTION a)to ask people to pay attention to a particular subject or problem: May I call your attention to item seven on the agenda? b)to make someone notice someone or something: I wanted to shout out to Ken, but I didn’t want to call attention to myself.want22call something to mind a)REMIND/MAKE SB REMEMBERto remind you of something: Don’t those two call to mind the days when we were courting?daybecourt b)REMEMBERto remember something: I couldn’t call to mind where I’d seen him before.see23call a huddleARRANGE A MEETING, EVENT ETC American English informal to make people come together to talk about something24call time (on somebody/something) to say that it is time for something to finish or stop25trains/shipsTRAINS [intransitive] if a train, ship, bus etc calls at a place, it stops there for a short time SYN stop: This train calls at all stations to Broxbourne.callstation26coinGAMES/SPORTS [intransitive and transitive] to guess which side of a coin will land upwards when it is thrown in the air, in order to decide who will play first in a game: It’s your turn to call.27card game [intransitive and transitive] to risk the same amount of money as the player who plays before you in a poker game → so-called, → call sb’s bluff at bluff2(2), → too close to call at close2(8)COLLOCATIONScall for somebody/something Meaning 1call for + NOUNcall for an end to something Demonstrators have called for an end to the fighting.demonstratorcallfightcall for sb’s resignation Opposition parties called for the President’s resignation.partycallcall for action The European Parliament have called for action on age discrimination.callcall for a ban French farmers have called for a ban on imports.farmercallimportcall for a boycott In 1980 he called for a boycott of the Olympic Games.callgamecall for a change Scientists are calling for a change in the law.scientistbecallcall for an inquiry/investigation Relatives have called for an inquiry into the causes of the plane crash.relativecallcausecall for a return to something The Prime Minister called for a return to traditional Labour values.callvaluecall for reform The Church has called for reform of the law.havecallcall for the abolition of something Human Rights groups have called for the abolition of the death penalty.rightgroupcallcall for a ceasefire (=for an end to a war) The United Nations called for an immediate ceasefire.unitenationcallTHESAURUSphone to speak to someone by telephone. Phone is more common in British English than American English: I’ll phone you tomorrow.call to phone someone. Call is used in both British and American English: One of the neighbors called the police.neighborcall | Call me later.latering British English spoken to phone someone. Ring is more informal than phone or call: I can ring her at the office tomorrow.give somebody a call (also give somebody a ring) spoken to phone someone: If you ever come to Seattle, give me a call. | I’ll give the hospital a ring and see how he is.betelephone formal to phone someone: Angry listeners telephoned the BBC to complain.listenertelephoneSkype /skaɪp/ trademark to make a telephone call using special software that allows you to make calls over the Internet: I Skyped her last night and we spoke for hours.speakhourcall back phrasal verb1call (somebody) backTELEPHONE to telephone someone again, for example because they were not at home when you telephoned last time: I’ll call back later.lateCan you ask John to call me back when he gets in?get2British EnglishRETURN to return to a place you went to earlier: You could call back to collect her at noon.cancall by phrasal verb GOto stop and visit someone when you are near the place where they live or work: I thought I’d call by and see how you were.thinkbecall down something phrasal verb formal to ask for someone, especially a god, to make something unpleasant happen to someone or somethingcall down something on/uponHe called down vengeance on them.callcall for somebody/something phrasal verb1ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STHif a group of people call for something, they ask publicly for something to be done: Human Rights groups are calling for the release of political prisoners.rightgroupbecallprisoner2NEEDto need or deserve a particular type of behaviour or treatment: Dealing with children who are so damaged calls for immense tact and sensitivity.dealchildbedamagecallThat kind of abuse is really not called for (=it is unnecessary and unwelcome).becall → uncalled for3MEET British English to meet someone at their home in order to take them somewhere: I’ll call for you at eight o'clock.4PREDICT American English to say that a particular kind of weather is likely to happen SYN predict: The forecast calls for more rain.callcall something ↔ forth phrasal verb SHOW/BE A SIGN OF formal to produce a particular reaction: Great works of classical music can often call forth a mixture of responses from the listener.workresponsecall in phrasal verb1ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STHcall somebody/something ↔ in to ask someone to come and help you with a difficult situation: The government then called in troops to deal with the disturbances.calltroopdisturbance2TELEPHONEto telephone somewhere, especially the place where you work, to tell them where you are, what you are doing etc: Rachael called in sick (=telephoned to say she was too ill to come to work).call3to telephone a radio or television show to give your opinion or to ask a question: Over 2,000 viewers called in with complaints about the bad language used in the programme.viewercallcomplaintuse4call in a loan/debtASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STHLEND to officially tell someone to pay back money you lent them: The bank can call in the loan at any time.5British EnglishVISIT to visit a person or place while you are on your way to somewhere elsecall in on/atCould you call in on Mum on your way home?cancall somebody/something ↔ off phrasal verb1CANCELto decide that a planned event will not take place SYN cancel: The trip to Italy might be called off.call2STOP DOING STHto officially decide that something should be stopped after it has already started: Rescuers had to call off the search because of worsening weather conditions.rescuerhaveworsencondition3STOPto order an animal or person to stop attacking or threatening someone: Call your dog off.call on/upon somebody/something phrasal verb1ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STHto formally ask someone to do somethingcall on somebody to do somethingThe UN has called on both sides to observe the ceasefire.havecallside2VISITto visit someone for a short time: Why don’t you call on my sister when you’re in Brighton?call out phrasal verb1SHOUTto say something loudlycall something ↔ out‘Hi there!’ I called out.callcall out toThe firemen called out to him.firemancall2call somebody ↔ outORDER/SEQUENCE to ask or order a person or an organization to help, especially in a difficult or dangerous situation: The army was called out to help fight fires.becallfire3call somebody/something ↔ out British EnglishSTOP WORKING/GO ON STRIKE to order workers to go on strike: The transport workers were called out.workerbecallcall up phrasal verb1TELEPHONE especially American English informal to telephone someonecall somebody ↔ upHe called me up to tell me about it.callI’m going to call up and cancel my subscription.go2call something ↔ up if you call up information on a computer, you make the computer show it to you: I called up their website, but it didn’t have the information I was looking for.callbelook3call somebody ↔ up British English to officially order someone to join the army, navy, or air force SYN draft American English: I was called up three months after war broke out.becallmonthbreak4call somebody ↔ up to choose someone for a national sports team → call-up: Hurst was called up for the game against Mexico.becall5SHOW/LET SB SEE STHcall something ↔ up to produce something or make it appear: She can call up the spirits of the dead.spirit
callnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplescallcallscallcall2 S1 W1 noun
1TELEPHONEtelephone [countable] when you speak to someone on the telephonecall forWere there any phone calls for me while I was out?becallbecall fromI received a call from an old friend last week.receiveIt’s cheaper to make calls after 6 pm.cheapcallI’ll give you a call at the weekend.2be on callWORK/DO WORK if someone such as a doctor or engineer is on call, they are ready to go and help whenever they are needed as part of their job: Don’t worry, there’s a doctor on call 24 hours a day.hour3SHOUT/CRYshout/cry [countable] a)a loud sound that a bird or animal makes SYN crycall ofthe call of an owl b)SHOUTa shout that you make to get someone’s attention4visit [countable]VISIT a visit, especially for a particular reason: Sorry, Doctor Pugh is out on a call at the moment.bepay/make a call (on somebody) (=visit someone)5request/order [countable]ORDER/SEQUENCE a request or order for something or for someone to do something: Members obediently answered the calls for funds.memberanswercallfundcall for somebody to do somethingThere have been calls for the secretary to resign.becalla call to arms (=an order for people to fight against an enemy)6DECISIONdecision a)[countable] the decision made by a referee in a sports gamemake a good/bad callThere may have been a few bad calls, but they’re making them for a reason.becallmake b)DECIDE[singular] informal a decision: Don’t just say what you think I would like. It’s your call.willmake a call (=decide something)an easy/hard call (=an easy or difficult decision)judgement call (=a decision based on your personal judgement of a situation)7there isn’t much call for somethingNEED used for saying that not many people want a particular thing: There isn’t much call for black and white televisions these days.televisionday8there is no call for something spokenBAD BEHAVIOUR OR ACTIONS used to tell someone that their behaviour is wrong and unnecessary: There’s no call for that kind of language!9at an airportPLANE [countable] a message announced at an airport that a particular plane will soon leave: This is the last call for flight BA872 to Moscow.be10have first call on something a)FIRSTto have the right to be the first person to use something b)FIRSTto be the first person that you will help because they are important to you: Her children had first call on her time.childhave11the call of something literaryATTRACT the power that a place or way of life has to attract someone: the call of the sea12the call of nature a need to urinate (=pass liquid from your body) – used especially humorously → be at sb’s beck and call at beck(1), → port of call, roll-call, wake-up callCOLLOCATIONSverbsmake a call He made a few calls and then went out.makecallgogive somebody a call (=phone someone) I’ll give him a call later today.lateget/have a call (also receive a call formal) At 11 in the evening we got a call from the police.evengetthere is/was a call There was a phone call for you.beanswer a call We’re sorry that we cannot answer your call right now.take a call (=answer one) Monica took the call upstairs.takereturn sb’s call (=call someone after they have tried to call you) I left a message for her but she didn’t return my call.leaveexpect a call She’s expecting a phone call from Matt.expecttransfer a call (=connect one to another person’s phone) The call was transferred to his secretary.betransferput through a call (=transfer or make one) She asked the switchboard to put the call through.askADJECTIVES/NOUN + calla phone/telephone call I had a phone call from Barbara in Australia.havea quick call This is just a quick call to make sure you’re OK.bea local call Local calls are free at weekends.callbeweekenda long-distance call I’d like to make a long-distance call.an international calla collect call American English (=one paid for by the person who receives it) Can I make a collect call to Florida, please?incoming/outgoing calls (=coming into or going out of a place) You have to dial 9 first to make an outgoing call.an emergency call (=to the police, fire service, or ambulance service) The police normally respond immediately to an emergency call.a hoax call (=one intended to trick someone) They received a hoax call warning of a bomb in the building.receivewarnbuildan anonymous call (=in which the caller does not give their name) The £10,000 demand was made in an anonymous call to his home.bemakea crank call (=made by someone you do not know, as a joke or to annoy you) The heavy breathing sounded like a crank call.breathesound
CALLnounWord sets 1 2Corpus examplesCALLCALLCALL /kɔːl $ kɒːl/
noun [uncountable] (computer-assisted language learning) the use of computers to help people learn foreign languages
adjective (comparative better /ˈbetə $ -ər/, superlative best /best/)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: god 1of a high standardGOOD/EXCELLENT of a high standard or quality OPP bad, poor:
a good hotelgood quality clothThe train service is not very good.beMy French is better than my Spanish.bewellYou’ll receive the best medical treatment.wellHis qualifications aren’t good enough.qualification2skilfulGOOD AT able to do something well: She’s a very good player.Do you know a good builder?good at (doing) somethingAlex is very good at languages.belanguageShe’s good at making things.makethinggood withAs a politician, you need to be good with words (=skilful at using words).wordHe’s very good with people (=skilful at dealing with people).do/make a good job (of doing something) (=do something well)Mike’s done a good job of painting the windows.dopaintwindow3what you wantGOOD/EXCELLENT used about something that is what you want or happens in the way that you want OPP bad: That’s good news!I need a bit of good luck.bite4pleasant/enjoyableENJOY/LIKE DOING STH pleasant and enjoyableit’s good to do somethingIt’s good to see you again.have a good time/day/weekend etcDid you have a good vacation?doThat was good fun.be5successful/correctGOOD/EXCELLENT likely to be successful or correct: She’s full of good ideas.ideaWell, can you think of a better plan?wellWhat’s the best way to deal with this?wellThe police have a pretty good idea who did it.doI’m not sure, but I could make a good guess.can6suitable suitable or convenient: Is this a good time to talk to you?beIt was a good place to rest.begood for (doing) somethingIt’s a good day for going to the beach.gobe good for somebody especially American English: Ten o'clock is good for me.be7useful useful or helpful OPP bad: Do you want some good advice?The best thing you can do is wait here.wellbeYou should make good use of your time.shall8behaving wellPOLITE behaving well and not causing any trouble – used especially about a child SYN well-behaved OPP naughty: She’s such a good baby.The kids were as good as gold (=very good).kidbe → be on your best behaviour at behaviour(2)9making you healthy likely to make you healthy, either physically or mentally OPP badgood forFresh fruit and vegetables are good for you.vegetablebeWatching too much TV isn’t good for you.watchgood to eat/drinkThey have to learn which wild foods are good to eat.foodbe10improving something likely to improve the condition of something OPP badgood forproducts that are good for the environmentproductbeThe publicity has been good for business.havebe11physically well [used especially in negatives and comparatives]HEALTHY healthy or well: ‘How are you?’ ‘Better, thanks.’bewellthankLyn’s not feeling too good today.feel12not damaged or weakGOOD/EXCELLENT if the condition of something is good, it is not damaged or weakin good condition/shapeIt’s in pretty good condition for an old car.Boris had always kept his body in good shape.havekeepThe Chancellor announced that the economy is in good shape.announcebeOnce the boat’s repaired, it’ll be as good as new (=in perfect condition).repairsb’s good eye/arm/leg etc (=the one that is not damaged)He sat up, supporting himself on his good arm.sitsupport13kindKIND kind and understanding about what other people need or wantgood aboutDad lent me the money. He was very good about it.lendbeit/that/this is good of somebodyIt was good of him to offer you a lift.beThe company’s always been very good to me.be14morally rightGOOD/MORAL behaving correctly or being right according to accepted moral standards OPP bad: a good manI try to be good, but it isn’t always easy.Well, that’s my good deed for the day (=something good you try to do for someone else every day).I’m on the side of the good guys (=people who behave in a morally right way, for example in a film).guy15largeLOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT large in amount, size, range etc → goodish: We’ve had a good crop of apples.haveappleThere’s a good range of leisure facilities.facilityI’d been waiting a good while (=a fairly long time).bewaitOur team has a good chance of winning (=is fairly likely to win).havewin16reasonable price a good price is reasonable and not expensive: Thirty dollars sounds like a good price to me.dollarsound17completely/thoroughlyCOMPLETE [only before noun] doing something for a long time, so that you do it completely and thoroughly: You need a good rest.Take a good look at it.She sat down and had a good cry.sithaveThis time he waited until he was good and ready (=completely ready).waitbe18a good dealLOT/VERY MUCH a lot: It cost a good deal, I can tell you.a good deal of trouble/time/work etcI went to a good deal of trouble to get this ticket.goa good deal bigger/better etcHe was a good deal older than her.beold19good value (for money) British English something that is good value is not expensive, or is worth what you pay for it: The three-course menu is good value for money.be20good for something a)able to be used for a particular period of time SYN validgood for one month/a year etcYour passport is good for another three years.beyear b)likely to continue living or being useful for a particular time or distance, even though old or not in good conditiongood for some time/a hundred miles etcThis old truck is good for another 100,000 miles.bemil c)informal likely to give you something or provide something: Dad should be good for a few bucks.shallbuck21a good three miles/ten years etcMORE THAN A NUMBER OR AMOUNT at least three miles, ten years etc, and probably more: It’s a good mile away.He’s a good ten years younger than her.yearyoung22as good asALMOST almostas good as done/finished etcThe summer’s as good as over.as good as dead/ruined/useless etcThis carpet’s as good as ruined.ruin23a good few/manyLOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT a fairly large number of things or people: I’ve done this a good few times now.dotimeA good many people were upset about the new tax.be24too good to be true/to lastUNTRUE informal so good that you cannot believe it is real, or you expect something bad to happen: Their relationship had always seemed too good to be true.haveseem25sb’s too good for somebody used to say that you think the second person does not deserve to have a relationship with the first: George is a good lad, too good for you!be26in your own good time informalREADY if you do something in your own good time, you do it only when you are ready to do it, rather than when other people want you to: I’ll tell him in my own good time.27in good time (for something/to do something) British EnglishEARLY if you do something in good time, you do it early enough to be ready for a particular time or event: Ben arrived in good time for dinner.arrive28hanging/shooting etc is too good for somebody spoken used to say that someone has done something so bad that they deserve the most severe punishment available29as good a time/place etc as anyGOOD ENOUGH used to say that although a time etc is not perfect, there will probably not be a better one: I suppose this is as good a place as any to stay.be30be as good as your wordPROMISE to do something that you promised to do31a good word for somebody/somethingPRAISE something good that you say about someone or something: Dan put in a good word for you at the meeting.meethave/find a good word (to say)No one had a good word to say for her.have32be in sb’s good books informalLIKE SB OR STH if you are in someone’s good books, they are pleased with you or your work: I’ll ask my boss for the day off – I’m in her good books just now.book33have a good thing goingSUCCESSFUL to have or be doing something that is successful: They’ve got a good thing going with that little shop of theirs.getgo34be onto a good thing British English informalWORK HARD to have found an easy way of being successful or getting what you want: Andrew knew when he was onto a good thing.knowbe35make good (also make it good) to become successful and rich after being poor – used especially in newspapers: a country boy who made good in New Yorkmake36make good a debt/loss etc to pay someone money that you owe, or to provide money to replace what has been lost – used especially in business: The loss to the company was made good by contributions from its subsidiaries.bemakecontributionsubsidiary37make good your escape literary to succeed in escaping38the good life an expensive way of living with good food, fast cars etc: his weakness for women and the good lifewoman39the good old days the good times in the past: We talked for hours about the good old days.talkhourday40good works things that someone does to help other people, especially people with problems41sb’s good offices formalHELP help that someone provides, especially someone in a position of power42good SamaritanHELP someone who gives help to people in trouble43the good book old-fashioned the Bible → so far so good at far1(8), → give as good as you get at give1(34), → while the going’s good at going1(4), → hold good at hold1(14), → for good measure at measure2(8), → pay good money for something at money(5), → bad/good sailor at sailor(2), → that’s/it’s all well and good at well3(4)SPOKEN PHRASES44HAPPYgood a)used to say that you are pleased about something: Good. I’m glad that’s finished.finish‘I got an A in biology, Mum.’ ‘Oh, good.’get b)used to tell someone that you think their work or what they are doing is good: ‘Is the answer five?’ ‘Yes, good.’be45that’s good used to say that you approve of something: ‘I’ve booked a table.’ ‘Oh, that’s good.’book46IDEA(that’s a) good idea/point/question used to say that someone has just said or suggested something interesting or important that you had not thought of before: ‘But it’s Sunday, the bank will be closed.’ ‘Good point.’close47LUCKYgood luck used to say that you hope that someone is successful or that something good happens to them: Good luck in your exams.exam48LUCKYgood luck to him/them etc used to say that you hope someone is successful, even if you think this is unlikely: ‘They’re hoping to finish it by November.’ ‘Good luck to them.’hope49APPROVEgood for somebody used to say that you approve of something that someone has done: ‘I’ve decided to accept the job.’ ‘Good for you.’decide50HAPPYit’s a good thing (also it’s a good job British English) used to say that you are glad something happened, because there would have been problems if it had not happened: It’s a good thing you’re at home. I’ve lost my keys.losekeyand a good thing/job too British English: She’s gone, and a good thing too.go51SATISFIEDthat’s/it’s not good enough used to say that you are not satisfied with something and that you are annoyed about it: It’s just not good enough. I’ve been waiting an hour!bewait52be good and ready to be completely ready: We’ll go when I’m good and ready and not before.53BELIEVEthat’s a good one used to tell someone that you do not believe something they have said and think it is a joke or a trick: You won $50,000? That’s a good one!win54ENJOY/LIKE DOING STHbe good for a laugh (also be a good laugh British English) to be enjoyable or amusing: It’s Hazel’s party tomorrow. Should be good for a laugh.shall55PRAISEgood old John/Karen etc used to praise someone, especially because they have behaved in the way that you expect them to: Good old Ed! I knew he wouldn’t let us down.know56SURPRISEDgood grief/God/Lord/heavens/gracious! used to express surprise or anger: ‘It’s going to cost us £500.’ ‘Good grief!’go57good job American English used to tell someone that they have done something well58BEHAVEgood girl/boy/dog etc used to tell a child or animal that they have behaved well or done something well: Sit! Good dog.59THREATENif you know what’s good for you used in a threatening way to tell someone to do something or something bad will happen to them: Do as he says, if you know what’s good for you!say60ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STHwould you be good enough to do something? (also would you be so good as to do something?) formal used to ask someone very politely to do something: Would you be good enough to help me with my bags?willbag61WAITall in good time British English used when someone wants to do something soon but you want to wait a little: ‘When can we open our presents, Mum?’ ‘All in good time, Billy.’present62have a good one American English used to say goodbye and to wish someone a nice day63be good to go American English informal to be ready to do something: I’ve got my shoes and I’m good to go.getshoe64be as good as it gets spoken if a situation is as good as it gets, it is not going to improve: Enjoy yourself while you can. This is as good as it gets.beget65it’s all good especially American English informal used to say that a situation is good or acceptable, or that there is not a problem: Don’t worry about it, man – it’s all good.66YESvery good British English old-fashioned used to tell someone in a position of authority that you will do what they have asked: ‘Tell the men to come in.’ ‘Very good, sir.’man67SATISFIED(jolly) good show British English old-fashioned used to say that you approve of something someone has doneGrammargood, wellGood is not used as an adverb in standard English. Use well: He speaks English extremely well (NOT extremely good).speakThe comparative form of both good and well is better: His first book was better. (adj)bewellWe’ll play better next time. (adv)wellThe superlative form of both good and well is best: Who is the best singer? (adj)bewellHow could this best be achieved? (adv)canwellachieveTHESAURUSgood of a high standard or quality: I’ve just read a really good book. | My French is not very good.benice pleasant and enjoyable. Nice is very common in spoken English. In written English, it is better to use other words: I hope you have a nice vacation. | It will be nice to see you again.good quality/high quality well made from good materials: If you buy good quality shoes, they last much longer.shoelong | high-quality wallpaperswallpaperfine used for describing things of a very high quality, or weather with no rain and clear skies: The restaurant serves the finest food in Florence.servefine | If it’s fine tomorrow, we’ll go for a walk.neat American English spoken good – used when you like something: That’s a neat idea. | They sell some really neat stuff.attractive an attractive offer, course of action etc seems good and makes you want to accept it or do it: Going home for dinner was a more attractive proposition than completing his run.gobecomplete | Buying direct from the manufacturer seems the most attractive option.buyseemimpressive something that is impressive is good in a way that makes people admire it: an impressive achievement | It was a very impressive performance.beextremely goodexcellent/superb extremely good: Your English is excellent.be | She’s a superb teacher.great/wonderful/terrific/fantastic especially spoken extremely good: It’s a great film. | Her cooking is wonderful.cookbe | That’s a terrific idea!brilliant British English especially spoken extremely good: The play was absolutely brilliant.beamazing/incredible extremely good, in a surprising and exciting way: New York is an amazing place.beamaze | The skating has been incredible in this competition.skatehavebebeautiful/glorious used about weather that is very pleasant and sunny: It’s a beautiful day. | The weather was just glorious.beoutstanding/first-class/top-quality much better than other places, people etc: an outstanding performance | The service is always first-class.beexceptional unusually good: Occasionally, we get a student with exceptional talent. | a woman of exceptional beautyawesome especially American English informal very good: The movie was awesome.bebe out of this world spoken to be extremely good: Their chocolate cake is just out of this world!be
goodnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesgoodgoodsgoodgood2 nounWord family1no good/not much good/not any good a)not useful or suitable: One lesson’s not much good – you need five or six.‘I could come next week.’ ‘That’s no good. I’ll be away.’canno good/not much good/not any good forThe land here isn’t any good for agricultural crops.cropno good/not much good/not any good toYou’re no good to me if you can’t drive a car. b)of a low standard or level of ability: The movie wasn’t much good.Is the new headteacher any good?beno good at (doing) somethingI’m no good at speaking in public.speak c)morally bad: Stay away from Jerry – he’s no good.2it’s no good (doing something) used to say that an action will not achieve what it is intended to achieve: It’s no good telling him – he won’t listen.tellwin3ADVANTAGEdo some good/do somebody good to have a useful effect: She works for a small charity where she feels she can do some good.workfeelI’ll talk to him but I don’t think it will do any good.A bit more exercise would do you good.bitewill → do more harm than good at harm1(1)4what’s the good of ...?/what good is ...?USEFUL used to say that it is not worth doing or having something in a particular situation: What’s the good of buying a boat if you’re too busy to use it?buyWhat good is money when you haven’t any friends?befriend5for goodALWAYS/EVERY TIME permanently: The injury may keep him out of football for good.6ADVANTAGEfor the good of somebody/something in order to help someone or improve a situation: We must work together for the good of the community.Take the medicine – it’s for your own good!7[uncountable]GOOD/MORAL behaviour, attitudes, forces etc that are morally right: She is definitely an influence for good on those boys.beboyThere’s a lot of good in him, in spite of his rudeness.the struggle between good and evil → do-gooder8be up to no good informalDISHONEST to be doing or planning something wrong or dishonest: Those guys look like they’re up to no good.guy9the common/general good formal the advantage of everyone in society or in a group: countries united for the common goodcountryunite10be (all) to the good used to say that something that happens is good, especially when it is in addition to or as the result of something else: If further improvements can be made, that would be all to the good.farimprovementmakewill11three goals/£200 etc to the good used to say that someone has more of something than before or than someone else: With United two goals to the good, the result seemed a certainty.unitegoalseem
goodadverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entriesgoodgoodgood3 adverb American English spoken informalWord family RIGHT/PROPERwell. Many teachers think this is not correct English: The business is doing good now.bedoListen to me good!
abbreviation for Cooperative for American Relief to Everywhere; an organization that sends special boxes of food, clothing, and medicine called ‘CARE packages’ to places in the world where they are needed. The organization started in the US but now includes 12 member countries.
carenounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplescarecarescarecare1 S1 W1 /keə $ ker/
noun
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: caru 1looking after somebodyLOOKING AFTER SB/STH [uncountable]LOOK AFTER SB the process of looking after someone, especially because they are ill, old, or very young:
high standards of medical carestandardThey shared the care of the children.sharechildCare facilities for the elderly are inadequate.facilitybein sb’s care (=being looked after by someone)The children had been left in the care of a babysitter.childhavebeleavebe under sb’s care (=be officially looked after or treated by someone)Mentally ill patients will be under the care of a psychiatrist.patient → day care, health care, intensive care, → tender loving care at tender1(5)2take care of somebody/something a)LOOK AFTER SBLOOK AFTER STHto look after someone or something: Who’s taking care of the dog while you’re away?taketake care of yourselfThe children are old enough to take care of themselves.childbe b)DEAL WITHto deal with all the necessary work, arrangements etc: Her secretary always took care of the details.takedetailDon’t worry about your accommodation – it’s all taken care of.take c)PAY FORto pay for something – used when you want to avoid saying this directly: We’ll take care of the fees.fee3take care a)spoken used when saying goodbye to family and friends: Take care! See you next week! b)to be careful: Take care when driving in icy conditions.driveconditiontake care to do somethingTake care to ensure that the ladder is steady before you climb it.betake care (that)Take care that the meat is cooked properly.becook4keeping something in good condition [uncountable] the process of doing things to keep something in good condition and working correctly: With proper care, the washing machine should last for years.washshallyearadvice on skin care5CAREFULNESScarefulness [uncountable]CAREFUL when you are careful to avoid damage, mistakes etc: The note on the box said ‘Fragile – handle with care’.sayThe picture had been drawn with great care.havebedraw6take care over/with something to spend a lot of time and effort making sure that something is perfect: Paul always takes great care over his appearance.take7in care British English a child who is in care is being looked after by the government, not by their parents: When he was sent to prison, the children were taken into care.besendchildbetake8RPOBLEM/WORRYproblem/worry [uncountable and countable] literaryPROBLEM something that causes problems and makes you anxious or sad: At last I felt free from my cares.feelcareAlex looked as though he didn’t have a care in the world (=had no problems or worries).looka man with the cares of the world on his shoulders (=with a lot of problems or worries)careshoulder9care of somebody British English, in care of somebody American English used when sending letters to someone at someone else’s address SYN c/o: Send me the letter care of my uncle.10have a care! British English spoken old-fashionedCAREFUL used to tell someone to be more carefulCOLLOCATIONStypes of care medical care People expect good standards of medical care.standardhealth care The government has put a lot more money into health care.havehospital care £50.6m is to be spent on hospital care.bespendcommunity care (=in the area where you live rather than in hospitals) Most mentally ill people are now treated through community care.betreathome care (=in people’s own homes) You can find home care through family service agencies.agencypatient care (=care of someone who is ill) The changes should lead to better patient care.changeshallwellinpatient/outpatient care (=for people in hospital/not in hospital) Outpatient care is generally less expensive than a stay in hospital.belittlenursing care The important thing is the quality of the nursing care.benurseresidential care (=for ill or old people in a place where they stay) They used the money to pay for residential care.useintensive care (=for people who are very seriously ill) He needed intensive care for several weeks.needweekafter-school care Children with both parents working long hours need after-school care.childparentworkhourconstant/round-the-clock care (=all day and all night) He needs round-the-clock care.needshort-term/long-term care The home provides short-term care for elderly people.provideverbsprovide care The charity provides care and shelter for homeless people.provideneed/require care She had an aging mother who required constant care.haveagerequirereceive care Every citizen has the right to receive health care.havecare + NOUNa care worker British English (=someone whose job is looking after people) She's a part-time care worker with mentally ill adults.adultcare services/facilities How much money is spent on health care services?bespendserviceTHESAURUSMeaning 5carefulnesscare if you do something with care, you are careful to avoid damage, mistakes etc: She put the needle in with great care. | Everyone should take care in the sun.shallcaution care to avoid danger or risks, or care about trusting information that might not be true: Her evidence should be treated with caution.shalltreat | There was a certain lack of caution among investors.beinvestorprudence a sensible and careful attitude that makes you avoid unnecessary risks - a rather formal use: Banks should show more prudence in lending money.bankshalllendvigilance careful attention to what is happening, so that you will notice any danger or illegal activity: Governments from across the world have called for greater vigilance against Internet-based crime.governmentcallgreatbase | There is a need for constant vigilance to protect vulnerable people.beregard for something careful attention and consideration shown to something, to avoid danger or risks - used especially when someone fails to do this: The court heard that the company had shown no regard for the safety of its employees.hearhaveshowemployee | These men are cold-blooded killers and have little regard for human life.manbebloodkillertact care not to say anything that might offend or upset someone: He handled the matter with a great deal of tact.handlediscretion care to deal with situations in a way that does not embarrass, upset or offend people, especially by not telling any of their secrets: Any confidential information was treated with discretion.betreat
careverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplescarecarescaredcaringcarecare2 S1 W2 verb [intransitive and transitive]Word familyVerb form1OBJECTS/EVENTSINTERESTEDto think that something is important, so that you are interested in it, worried about it etccare aboutThe only thing he seems to care about is money.seembecare what/how/whether etcShe didn’t care what her father thought.think‘He looked angry.’ ‘I don’t care!’look2PEOPLELOVEto be concerned about what happens to someone, because you like or love them → caringcare aboutI care about him and hate to see him hurt like this.She felt that nobody cared.feelcare3who cares? spokenDON'T CARE used to say that something does not worry or upset you because it is not important: It’s rather old and scruffy, but who cares?care4see if I care! spoken used when you are angry or upset, to say that you do not care about what someone will do: Go with William, then – see if I care!5somebody couldn’t care less spokenDON'T CARE used to say that someone does not care at all about something: I really couldn’t care less what you think!little6what does somebody care? spokenDON'T CARE used to say that someone does not care at all about something: What do I care? It’s your responsibility now!7as if I cared! spokenDON'T CARE used to say that something is not important to you at all: As if I cared whether he comes with us or not!carecome8for all somebody cares spokenDON'T CARE used when you are angry that someone does not seem concerned about someone or something: We could be starving for all they care!canstarve9not care to do somethingLIKE SB OR STH old-fashioned to not like doing something: She doesn’t care to spend much time with her relatives.relativeI wouldn’t care to meet him in a dark alley!I’ve experienced more reorganizations than I care to remember (=a lot of them).experience10any ... you care to name/mention any thing of a particular kind: Virtually any piece of equipment you care to name can be hired these days.hireday11would you care to do something?ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STH spoken formal used to ask someone politely whether they want to do something: Would you care to join us for dinner?willTHESAURUStake care of somebody (also look after somebody especially British English) to make sure a child or an old or sick person is safe and has the things they need: I have to look after my little brother. | Taking care of a baby is hard work.takebe | She is taking care of her grandmother while her grandfather is in hospital.betakebecare for somebody to take care of someone. Care for somebody is less common and more formal than take care of/look after somebody: He was cared for by a team of nurses.becarenurse | Caring for an elderly relative can be very rewarding.carerewardnurse to look after someone who is ill: He nursed his wife through a long illness.nurse | The monks nursed him back to health (=looked after him until he was well again).monknursebabysit to look after children in the evening while their parents go out somewhere: I’ll ask Jane to babysit on Wednesday night. | He used to babysit for Mary when she worked nights.useworknightmind British English to look after a child while their parents are not there, especially for a short time: Will you mind the baby while I go to the shop?care for somebody/something phrasal verb1to look after someone who is not able to look after themselves SYN take care of: He thanked the nurses who had cared for him.thanknursehavecareThe children are well cared for.childbecare2to do things that keep something in good condition: Instructions on caring for your new sofa are included.instructioncarebeinclude3would you care for something? spoken formal used to ask someone politely if they would like something: Would you care for another drink?will4not care for somebody/something formal to not like someone or something: I don’t much care for his parents.parent
noun (plural communities)Date: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: comuneté, from Latin communitas, from communis; → COMMON1 1PEOPLE[C, also + plural verb British English]SOCIETY the people who live in the same area, town etc:
The new arts centre will serve the whole community.artcommunity education programmesprogrammecommunity relations/affairs/needs etcWe meet once a month to discuss community problems.problemcommunity groups/leaders etcCommunity leaders met to discuss the proposed golf course.leadermeetproposecommunity spirit (=the desire to be friendly with and help other people who live in the same community)2[countable]GROUP OF PEOPLE a group of people who have the same interests, religion, race etc: different ethnic communitiescommunitythe gay/black/Asian etc communitythe gay community in San Franciscothe business/academic/scientific etc community3the communitySOCIETY society and the people in it: The trend is towards reintegrating mentally ill people into the community.bereintegratethe international community (=all the countries of the world)The President appealed to the international community for aid for the flood victims.appealvictim4sense of community the feeling that you belong to a community5PLANTS/ANIMALS[countable]LIVE SOMEWHERE a group of plants or animals that live in the same environment: Communities of otters are slowly returning to British rivers.communityotterbereturnriverCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1adjectivesthe local community Our school is the centre of the local community.bethe whole community The committee meets to discuss issues that affect the whole community.meetissuea small/large community 75% of the population live in small communities of fewer than 450 people.communitythe wider community (=the community of which a small group is a part) The sports centre is available to both the university and the wider community.sportbewidea rural community (=a community in a country area) There is a need for better public transport for people in rural communities.bewellcommunitya village community Outside the capital, most people live in village communities.communitya farming community a small farming community of about 1,000 inhabitantsfarminhabitanta mining community She was brought up in a small mining community in North Wales.bebringminea close/close-knit/tight-knit community (=where all the people know each other) I live in a close-knit community where there's lots of support.lota thriving community (=a community which is successful) In the past the village was a thriving community with a number of shops.bethrivenumbshopcommunity + NOUNa community centre British English, community center American English (=where people can go for social events, classes etc) A community centre is the ideal place for local residents to get together to discuss crime prevention.beresidenta community group Community groups do not have enough say over what is built in their neighbourhoods.groupbebuildneighbourhooda community leader Community leaders meet regularly to discuss local problems.leaderproblemcommunity services (=providing schools, health facilities, roads etc) Some tax goes towards paying for your community services.gopayservicecommunity relations Poor community relations are more common in urban areas than in the rest of the country.relationbeareacommunity spirit (=wanting to give friendship and support to other people who live in the same community) There is great community spirit in the village where I live.becommunity care (=care for the sick, the old etc in their community rather than in hospital) Several voluntary organizations are involved in providing community care.organizationbeinvolveprovidecommunity education Community education includes classes, workshops, and summer schools.includeclassworkshopschoolphrasesa member of a community It's good to feel that you are a member of a community.bea pillar of the community (=a well respected and active member of a community) The doctor was regarded as a pillar of the local community.beregardCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2ADJECTIVES/NOUN + communitythe business/scientific/academic etc community The idea has received intense interest from the business community.havereceivethe Jewish/Christian/Muslim etc community The mosque serves the local Muslim community.servea religious community (=people with a particular religion, who often keep themselves separate from society) The buildings belong to a strict religious community.buildingthe black/white/Asian etc community The city has a large Asian community.havean ethnic community (=people of a particular race, usually one that is not white or not the majority in a country) Most members of ethnic communities in Britain were born here.membercommunitybethe gay community (=people who are homosexual) This part of the city has a large gay community.havea minority community (=people whose race, religion etc is different from most of the other people in the country) There should be better provision for the needs of minority communities.shallwellneedcommunity
noun [countable]Date: 1500-1600Language: Dutch
Origin: daler, from German joachimstaler, from Sankt Joachimsthal, name of a Bavarian town where the coins were first made 1the standard unit of money in the US, Canada, Australia, and some other countries, divided into 100 cents: symbol $:
It cost three dollars.dollara ten-dollar billYou can pay in dollars or euros at the airport.dollareuro2the dollar the value of US money in relation to the money of other countries: The pound has risen against the dollar (=increased in value in relation to the dollar).haverise → you can bet your bottom dollar at bet1(4), → feel/look like a million dollars at million(4)
noun
Sense 1-7, 9:Date: 1200-1300
Language: Old French
Origin: Latin aer, from GreekSense 8:
Date: 1500-1600
Origin: Probably a translation of Italian aria; → ARIA 1gas [uncountable] the mixture of gases around the Earth, that we breathe:
Let’s go outside and get some fresh air.You need to put some air in the tyres.tyrein the airThere was a strong smell of burning in the air.beburn → a breath of fresh air at breath(2)2space above the ground the air the space above the ground or around thingsinto the airFlames leapt into the air.flameleapthrough the airHe fell 2,000 metres through the air without a parachute.fallmetre3planes a)by air travelling by, or using, a plane: I’d prefer to travel by air. b)relating to or involving planes: the victims of Britain’s worst air disastervictimillAir travel was growing rapidly.begrowair traffic congestionHis brother died in an air crash.die4be in the air a)if a feeling is in the air, a lot of people feel it at the same time: There was a sense of excitement in the air.be b)to be going to happen very soon: Change is in the air.be5appearance [singular] if something or someone has an air of confidence, mystery etc, they seem confident, mysterious etcair ofShe had an air of quiet confidence.haveShe looked at him with a determined air.lookdetermine6be up in the air if something is up in the air, no decision has been made about it yet: Our trip is still very much up in the air.be7be on/off (the) air to be broadcasting on the radio or television at the present moment, or to stop broadcasting: We’ll be on air in three minutes.minute8music [countable] a simple tune, often used in the title of a piece of classical music9airs [plural]PROUD a way of behaving that shows someone thinks they are more important than they really areput on airs/give yourself airsTrudy is always putting on airs.beputairan actor with no airs and gracesairgrace10be walking/floating on air to feel very happy → hot air, on-air, → clear the air at clear2(15), → disappear/vanish into thin air at thin1(15), → out of thin air at thin1(16)COLLOCATIONSadjectivesfresh She opened the window to let in some fresh air.openclean London’s air is cleaner than it has been at any time since 1585.becleanhavebewarm/hot Warm air rises and is replaced by cooler and denser air.risebereplacecooldense | I felt a sudden rush of hot air.feelcool/cold The air had turned a little cooler.haveturncool crisp (=pleasantly cool) the crisp autumn airclear I looked up to the stars in the clear night air.lookstardamp/humid Damp air causes condensation.causepolluted The air in Mexico City is heavily polluted.bepollutestale (=not fresh and often full of smoke) The room was full of stale air and tobacco smoke.bethe air is thin (=there is less oxygen because you are in a high place) People cannot live up there because the air is too thin and there is not enough oxygen to breathe.bebethe morning/evening/night air He stepped out and breathed in the cold morning air.stepbreathethe sea/mountain/country air the salty smell of the sea airthe still air (=air in which there is no wind) Smoke from the chimneys hung in the still air.chimneyhangair + NOUNair pollution Most air pollution is caused by cars.becausecarthe air quality The air quality is very poor on hot days.bedaythe air pressure The air pressure had dropped.havedropphrasesa breath of air I went outside for a breath of air.goa rush/blast/stream of air There was a cold rush of air as she wound down her window.bewinda current of air The birds are able to glide on a current of warm air.birdbeverbsbreathe in the air She breathed in the cool mountain air.breathefight/gasp for air (=try to breathe with difficulty) He clutched his throat as he fought for air.clutchfightlet in some air (=let fresh air into a room) It would be nice to open the door and let in some air.willput air into something (=fill a tyre, balloon etc with air) I need to put some air in the tyres.tyre
airverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesairairsairedairingairair2 verb
Verb form1opinion [transitive] to express your opinions publiclyair your views/grievances/complaints etcStaff will get a chance to ask questions and air their views.questionview2tv/radio [intransitive and transitive] to broadcast a programme on television or radio: KPBS airs such popular children’s programs as ‘Barney’ and ‘Sesame Street’.airchildprogramThe program is due to air next month.be3room [transitive] especially British English, air something out American English to let fresh air into a room, especially one that has been closed for a long time4clothes [intransitive and transitive] especially British English, air (something) out American English to put a piece of clothing in a place that is warm or has a lot of air, so that it smells clean: I’ve left my sweater outside to air.leave → airing, → air your dirty laundry at dirty1(7)THESAURUSto say somethingsay to tell someone something, using words: ‘I really ought to go,’ she said.say | Lauren said she’d probably be late.saystate to say something, especially in a definite or formal way – used in official contexts: The witness stated that he had never seen the woman before.statehavesee | Please state your name and address.announce to publicly tell people about something: The chairman announced his resignation.announce | The results will be announced tomorrow.resultannounce | We will announce the winners next Sunday.winner | They were announcing the train times over the loudspeaker system.beannouncetimedeclare to say something very firmly: ‘My personal life is none of your business,’ she declared.bedeclaremention to talk about someone or something, especially without giving many details: Did Tom mention anything about what happened at school?dohappen | Your name was mentioned!bementionexpress to let someone know your feelings by putting them into words: Young children often find it difficult to express their emotions.childemotioncomment to say what your opinion is about someone or something: The prime minister was asked to comment on the crisis.beasknote/remark formal to say that you have noticed that something is true – used especially in formal writing: We have already noted that most old people live alone.note | Someone once remarked that the problem with computers is that they only give you answers.remarkcomputerbeansweradd to say something more, after what has already been said: He added that he thought it could be done fairly cheaply.addthinkcandopoint out to mention something that seems particularly important or relevant: Dr Graham points out that most children show some signs of abnormal behaviour.pointchildsign | It’s worth pointing out that few people actually die of this disease.pointair to talk about your opinions, worries, or the things you disagree about: air your views/grievances/differences: The programme will give listeners the chance to air their views about immigration.listenerview | Workers were able to air their grievances.workerbegrievancevoice to talk publicly about your feelings or about whether you approve or disapprove of something formal: voice concern/support/doubt/fears etc: The president has already voiced his support for the proposal.havevoice | She voiced concern for the safety of the hostages.voicehostage
noun
Word familyDate: 1300-1400Language: Latin
Origin: actus ‘doing, act’ and actum ‘thing done, record’, from the past participle of agere ‘to drive, do’ 1action [countable] one thing that you do:
The new president’s first act should be to end the war.shalla thoughtless actact of (doing) somethingan act of violenceher many acts of kindnessactThe act of writing a list can help to calm you down.writein the act of doing something (=at the moment that you are doing something)Lindsay paused in the act of putting down the phone.pauseputRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say a thoughtless/kind/stupid etc thing to do rather than a thoughtless/kind/stupid etc act.2law (also Act) [countable] a law that has been officially accepted by Parliament or Congress: the Housing and Community Development Act of 1977housean act of Parliament3pretending [singular] insincere behaviour in which you pretend to have a particular kind of feeling or to be a particular kind of person: Mike played the loving husband in front of the children but it was all an act.playlovechildbeBe natural. Don’t feel you have to put on an act.4get your act together informal to become more organized and behave in a more effective way, especially in order to achieve something: You need to get your act together if you’re going to find the right house to buy.go5play [countable] one of the main parts into which a stage play, opera etc is divided: I arrived at the theatre late and missed the first act.arrivemissthe beginning of Act 3begin6performance [countable] a short performance on stage or television by someone who plays music or tells jokes: The argument was just part of their act.be7performer [countable] a performer or a group of performers who perform together: The band is one of many acts that have been booked for the concert.beactbebook8a hard/tough etc act to follow someone who does such an excellent job that it would be difficult for someone doing the same job after them to be as good: He has been a very successful captain and will be a hard act to follow.havebe9get in on the act informalTAKE PART/BE INVOLVED to take part in an activity that someone else has started, especially in order to get a share of the advantages for yourself10act of God an event that is caused by natural forces, such as a storm, flood, or fire, which you cannot prevent or control11act of worship an occasion when people pray together and show their respect for God12TIME/AT THE SAME TIMEbalancing/juggling act a situation in which you are trying to do several different types of work at the same time13do a disappearing/vanishing act to be impossible to find when you are needed → catch somebody in the act at catch1(3), → clean up your act at clean up(3)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 1nounsan act of violence/aggression Incidents of sexual harassment and acts of violence against women were on the increase.incidentactwomanbean act of kindness/love We were grateful for her act of kindness.bean act of faith (=when you do something that shows you trust someone completely) The signing of the treaty with Britain was an act of faith.signbean act of terrorism (=when someone kills people or bombs a place for political reasons ) It was the worst act of terrorism in US history.beillan act of vandalism (=when someone deliberately damages things, especially public property ) These mindless acts of vandalism affect the whole community.actan act of defiance (=when you refuse to obey or respect someone) As an act of defiance Leigh dropped out of high school a month before graduation.dropan act of courage/bravery The men were awarded the medals for acts of courage.manbeawardmedalactadjectivesa criminal/illegal/unlawful act Starting the fire was a highly irresponsible criminal act.startbea violent/aggressive act We will track down those responsible for this violent act.terrorist acts terrorists acts like the Oklahoma City bombingterroristactbomba cowardly act (=not at all brave) The United States strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists.unitestatecondemnextremista heroic act (=very brave) Ordinary people sometimes find themselves performing heroic acts.performacta deliberate/conscious act Clearly this was a deliberate act of vandalism.bea symbolic act (=something you do to express an idea or feeling) The Tibetan climber will pass the Olympic flame to his Chinese partner in a symbolic act of friendship.verbscommit an act formal (=do something wrong or illegal) Anyone committing an illegal act deserves to be punished.commitdeservepunishperform an act (=do something, especially something difficult or useful) The nurses performed many small acts of kindness.nurseperformactCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2verbspass an act Once Parliament has passed an act, it becomes the law of the land.havepassbecomeintroduce an act In 1961, before the Divorce Law Reform Act was introduced, the divorce rate was only 2.1%.beintroducebeamend an act (=make small changes) In 1978 the act was amended to make the earliest mandatory retirement age 70.beamendearlyrepeal an act (=officially end it) The Act was repealed by the incoming Labour government.berepealan act becomes law In the 40 years since the Abortion Act became law there have been repeated attempts to amend or repeal it.yearbecomeberepeatattemptan act comes into force Since the act came into force, all public buildings must have disabled access.comebuildingdisablean act prohibits something Section 47 of the Act prohibits the making of misleading statements to the police.prohibitmakemisleadstatementTHESAURUSaction noun [countable] something that someone does: He is responsible for his own actions.beaction | They refused to give a reason for their actions.refuseactionact noun [countable] a particular type of action: violent actsact | act of violence/kindness/defiance etc: I believe the killing was an act of desperation.killbeactivities noun [plural] things that people do, especially for enjoyment or to achieve an aim: leisure activitiesactivity | political activitiesactivity | Surveys may not give a true picture of people’s activities.surveyactivitybehaviour British English, behavior American English noun [uncountable] the things that someone does and the way they behave: Do you think that advertisements really influence people’s behaviour?advertisement | The man’s behaviour seemed rather odd.seemmove noun [countable] something that you do in order to achieve something: Her decision to sell the shares had been a smart move.sharehavebe | It’s a bold move to start a business in the current economic climate. | He needed time to figure out his next move.needstep noun [countable] one of a series of things that you do in order to deal with a problem or to succeed: The first step is to make sure we have got funding for the project.begetfund | We must take steps to make sure that this does not happen again.stepdo | This is an important step towards peace.bemeasure noun [countable] an official action that is intended to deal with a particular problem: There are increased security measures at airports.beincreasemeasureairport | The school was closed as a precautionary measure following a chemical leak.beclosefollowgesture noun [countable] something that you do to show how you feel about someone or something: Do you think it would be a nice gesture to send her some flowers?willflower | gesture of goodwill/solidarity/defiance: The company gave us £100 as a gesture of goodwill.givedeed noun [countable] especially literary an action, especially one that is very good or very bad: evil deedsdeed | heroic deedsdeed | This is my good deed for the day.beexploits noun [plural] formal exciting or brave actions: daring exploitsdareexploit | His exploits were legendary.exploitbefeat noun [countable] something someone does that people admire because you need a lot of skill, courage, or strength to do it: Completing a marathon is a remarkable feat for a six-year-old.completebe | The bridge is a great feat of engineering.beengineer
actverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesactactsactedactingactact2 S2 W1 verb
Word familyVerb form1do something [intransitive]DO STH/TAKE ACTION to do something in a particular way or for a particular reason: The company acted correctly in sacking him.actsackThe jury decided that Walker had acted in self-defence.decidehaveactact to do somethingThe UN must act now to restore democracy.Politicians will only act when enough people demand that they do something.politicianRegisterIn everyday English, people often use expressions like do the right thing or do a brave thing rather than use act with an adverb such as correctly or bravely: They acted correctly in telling her. ➔ They did the right thing in telling her.When act is used alone to mean ‘take action’, in everyday English people usually just say do something:We have to do something now.2behave [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to behave in a particular way: They acted unreasonably when they turned down Jill’s application.actturnHe’s been acting strangely ever since his Mom died.beactdieact as ifPip acted as if he was better than everyone else.actbewellact likeStop acting like a baby.actact withShe acted with dignity.actact your age (=used to tell someone to behave in a more adult way, suitable for someone of their age)3pretend [intransitive and transitive] to pretend to have feelings, qualities etc that are different from your true ones: When he’s angry, he acts the fool.actThat guy is acting crazy.beactact a part/roleStella felt unnatural in their company, as if she was acting a part.feelbeactact as if/likeWhy does he act as if he was stupid?dobe4play/filmACTOR/ACTRESS [intransitive and transitive] to perform in a play or film: I first started acting when I was 12 years old.startactbeyearact a part/roleShe is acting the role of Lady Macbeth six evenings a week.beacteveningThe movie is very well acted.beact5have an effect [intransitive]DO to have an effect or useact asThe padding acts as a cushion if the player falls or is hit by the ball.padactfallbeact onDisinfectants act on bacteria in two main ways.disinfectantway6act for somebody/act on sb’s behalfREPRESENT to represent someone, especially in a court of law or by doing business for them: Makin, a solicitor, is acting for the young people in their case against the county council.beactI am acting on behalf of the bank.beact → acting1act as something phrasal verb DOto do a particular job for a short time, for example while the usual person is absent: My brother speaks French – he can act as interpreter.speakact on/upon something phrasal verb to do something because of another person’s advice or order, or because you have received information or had an idea: She is acting on the advice of her lawyers.beactlawyerPolice say they acted on information received.actreceiveact something ↔ out phrasal verb1if a group of people act out an event, they show how it happened by pretending to be the people who were involved in it: The children were acting out the story of the birth of Jesus.childbeact2EXPRESSto express your feelings about something through your behaviour or actions, especially when you have been feeling angry or nervous: These teenagers are likely to act out their distress by running away.teenagerberunact up phrasal verb1BEHAVEif children act up, they behave badly: He’s a tough kid and he acts up a lot.act2BROKENif a machine or part of your body acts up, it does not work properly: The computer is acting up again.beact
noun
Word familyDate: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: Latin actio, from agere; → ACT1 1doing something [uncountable] the process of doing something, especially in order to achieve a particular thing:
The government must take action (=do something) now to stop the rise in violent crime.action onEnvironmental groups want tougher action on pollution from cars.grouptoughcarShe was looking forward to putting her ideas into action (=doing the things she had planned).belookputideaAmbulance crews are ready to spring into action (=suddenly start doing something) if anything goes wrong during the race.crewbego2something doneDO [countable] something that someone doesquick/swift/prompt actionHer prompt actions probably saved my life.actionsaveThe child could not be held responsible for his actions (=he was too young to be blamed for them).canholdactiondefend/justify your action(s)The chief of police tried to justify his actions.tryaction3in actionDO someone or something that is in action is doing the job or activity they are trained or designed to do: photos of ski jumpers in actionphotojumpersee/watch something/somebody in actionI’d like to see the new computer system in action.4out of actionBROKEN a)broken and not working: The photocopier is out of action again.be b)injured and unable to do anythingput/keep somebody out of actionThe injury will keep him out of action for a month.5fightingWAR [uncountable] fighting during a war: There have been reports of widespread enemy action in the area.bereportkilled/wounded in action (=killed or wounded while fighting)His father was killed in action in Vietnam.bekill530 servicemen were reported missing in action (=they were never seen again after a battle).servicemanbereportmissThe men were sent into action with little or no training.manbesendtrainHe had seen action (=been involved in fighting) in Korea.havesee6legal [uncountable and countable] a legal or formal process to decide whether someone has done something wrong: They are threatening to take legal action against the hospital (=start a court case against them).bethreatenThe director faces disciplinary action (=official action to punish him).faceThe matter is now the subject of a court action (=a court case).beThe students agreed to drop their action (=decided not to continue with a court case or an official complaint).studentagreeThe sisters brought a libel action against the newspaper (=started a court case).sisterbring7excitement [uncountable] a)informal exciting things that are happening: There hasn’t been much action around here for months.bemonthNew York is where all the action is.bebe b)an action film has a lot of exciting scenes in it, in which people fight, chase, and kill each other: Gibson became famous in action movies.becomemoviea TV action hero8the events in a story/film etc the actionSTORY the events in a story, film, play etc: Most of the action takes place in San Francisco.takeThe action opens (=starts) in a barbershop.open9movementMOVE/CHANGE POSITION [uncountable and countable] the way something moves or worksaction ofthe action of the hearta smooth braking actionbrake10effectEFFECT/INFLUENCE [uncountable] the effect that a substance, especially a chemical, has on somethingaction ofThe drug blocks the action of the cancer gene.blockaction on/uponthe action of alcohol on the liverlive11action group/committee etc a group formed to change a social or political situation – often used in names: the Child Poverty Action Group12SHAREa piece/slice of the action informal an opportunity to be involved in an event or activity, especially one that will be enjoyable or will make money: If you want a slice of the action, tickets may still be available.ticket13actions speak louder than wordsDO used to say that you are judged by what you do, and not by what you say14action! used by film directors to give the instruction to begin filming: Lights, camera, action!light → affirmative actionCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1verbstake action (=do something to deal with a problem) The government must take action to control inflation.demand/call for action (=ask forcefully) Voters are demanding tougher action on gun crime.voterbedemandtoughswing/spring/leap into action (=suddenly start doing something) The fire crew immediately swung into action.swingput something into action (=start doing something you have planned to do) She was looking forward to putting her plans into action.belookputplan | The committee uses the expertise of local organisations to put these ideas into action.useideaadjectivesimmediate/prompt/swift action The public wants immediate action to stop the terrorists.wantterroristurgent action (=that needs to be done immediately) The Opposition called for urgent action to reduce unemployment.callfirm/tough action We need firm action to deal with the problem.decisive action (=that has a big effect on the way something develops) We are urging the international community to take decisive action on debt relief.beurgedrastic action (=that has a very severe effect) The President decided to take drastic action.decidefurther action No further action is necessary.farbedirect action (=that is aimed at making a government or company do something) In a bid to stop whale hunting, Greenpeace have threatened direct action.huntthreatenpolitical action Some forms of political action are more effective than others.formbeindustrial/strike action (=that workers take in order to protest about pay, working conditions etc) The miners voted in favour of industrial action.minervotejoint action (=that two or more countries, organizations etc take together) Community leaders agreed to take joint action on scientific, social and environmental issues.leaderagreeissuephrasesa course of action Have you decided on a course of action?decidea plan of action The General outlined his plan of action for the campaign.outline | Environmental groups have put forward an action plan.groupCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 5phrasesbe killed/wounded in action (=killed or wounded while fighting) Four of her sons have been killed in action.sonbekillbe missing in action (=used to say that a soldier has not returned after a battle and their body has not been found) A further 9,000 allied military personnel are still officially listed as missing in action.farallybelistmissverbssee action (=be involved in fighting) By the time he was 20 he’d seen action in the Gulf War and Bosnia.beseego into action American soldiers are going into action against the Mujahadin.soldierbegobe sent into action He declared that French soldiers will not be sent into action in Iraq.declaresoldiersendadjectivesmilitary action America is not ruling out military action against Iran.beruleenemy action The ship was damaged by enemy action.bedamageCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 6adjectiveslegal action The singer threatened legal action against the magazine.threatencourt action The couple are still considering whether to take court action.beconsidera libel action (=taken against someone who has writen or printed untrue statements about you) Judge Johan Kreigler dismissed a libel action brought against two newspapers.dismissbringnewspapera civil action (=involving business or property, rather than a crime) The victim can seek damages in a civil action.damageverbstake legal action He is within his rights to take legal action.berightface legal action The council demanded that we remove the posters, or face legal action.demandposterbring a legal action Justice Mayor ruled that she cannot bring a legal action for damages against the plaintiff.ruledamageTHESAURUSMeaning 2action noun [countable] something that someone does: He is responsible for his own actions.beaction | They refused to give a reason for their actions.refuseactionact noun [countable] a particular type of action: violent actsact | act of violence/kindness/defiance etc: I believe the killing was an act of desperation.killbeactivities noun [plural] things that people do, especially for enjoyment or to achieve an aim: leisure activitiesactivity | political activitiesactivity | Surveys may not give a true picture of people’s activities.surveyactivitybehaviour British English, behavior American English noun [uncountable] the things that someone does and the way they behave: Do you think that advertisements really influence people’s behaviour?advertisement | The man’s behaviour seemed rather odd.seemmove noun [countable] something that you do in order to achieve something: Her decision to sell the shares had been a smart move.sharehavebe | It’s a bold move to start a business in the current economic climate. | He needed time to figure out his next move.needstep noun [countable] one of a series of things that you do in order to deal with a problem or to succeed: The first step is to make sure we have got funding for the project.begetfund | We must take steps to make sure that this does not happen again.stepdo | This is an important step towards peace.bemeasure noun [countable] an official action that is intended to deal with a particular problem: There are increased security measures at airports.beincreasemeasureairport | The school was closed as a precautionary measure following a chemical leak.beclosefollowgesture noun [countable] something that you do to show how you feel about someone or something: Do you think it would be a nice gesture to send her some flowers?willflower | gesture of goodwill/solidarity/defiance: The company gave us £100 as a gesture of goodwill.givedeed noun [countable] especially literary an action, especially one that is very good or very bad: evil deedsdeed | heroic deedsdeed | This is my good deed for the day.beexploits noun [plural] formal exciting or brave actions: daring exploitsdareexploit | His exploits were legendary.exploitbefeat noun [countable] something someone does that people admire because you need a lot of skill, courage, or strength to do it: Completing a marathon is a remarkable feat for a six-year-old.completebe | The bridge is a great feat of engineering.beengineer
actionverbCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entriesactionactionsactionedactioningactionaction2 verb [transitive] formalVerb form to do a specific thing that needs to be done, especially after discussing it: How are we actually going to action these objectives?begoobjective
noun [countable]Word family1someone who controls or manages a company → executivedirector ofa former director of Gartmore Pensions LtdpensionThe company is run by a board of directors (=a group of directors).bedirector2MANAGERsomeone who is in charge of a particular activity or organizationdirector ofthe director of educationfinance/marketing/sales etc director (=the person in charge of the financial department etc)3the person who gives instructions to the actors and other people working on a film or play → producer → managing director, non-executive directorCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 3types of directora film/movie director the film director Stephen Spielberga theatre director British English, a theater director AmE: Laura Thompson is a theatre director now in the middle of rehearsals for 'Romeo and Juliet'.berehearsalan artistic director (=person who controls which plays a theatre produces and how they are produced) The artistic director announced that a new play would be staged next month.announcewillstagea musical director He later became musical director of the London Symphony Orchestra.latebecomeTHESAURUSthe people who make filmactor a man or woman who acts in a film: a previously unknown actor | Brando was one of Hollywood’s greatest actors.begreatactoractress a woman who acts in a film. Women who appear in films or plays usually prefer to be called actors: She was the actress who played Scarlet O'Hara in ‘Gone with the Wind’.beplaygostar a famous actor or actress: He looked liked a movie star.looklike | a hotel which was used by the starsbeusestardirector the person who tells the actors and actresses in a film what to do: The director of the film is Quentin Tarantino.beproducer the person who makes the arrangements for a film to be made and controls the budgetfilm/movie crew the people operating the camera, lights etc who help the director make a film
verb (past tense and past participle learned or learnt /lɜːnt $ lɜːrnt/ especially British English)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: leornian Verb form1subject/skill [intransitive and transitive]LEARNSTUDY to gain knowledge of a subject or skill, by experience, by studying it, or by being taught → teach:
What’s the best way to learn a language?welllearn (how) to do somethingI learnt to drive when I was 17.learnbeHector spent the winter learning how to cope with his blindness.spendlearnThe teacher’s task is to help the pupil learn.belearn (something) from somebodyI learned a lot from my father.learnlearn aboutKids can have fun and learn about music at the same time.kidlearn whatYoungsters must learn what is dangerous and what is not to be feared.youngsterbebefearThe student will learn from experience about the importance of planning.plan ► Do not say that you ‘learn someone something’ or ‘learn someone how to do something’. Use teach: I taught him how to send an email.2find out [intransitive and transitive] formalFIND OUT to find out information or news by hearing it from someone else or reading it SYN discover: I didn’t tell her the truth. She would learn it for herself soon enough.willlearn of/aboutHe learned about his appointment by telephone yesterday.learnlearn (that)Last week I learned that I was pregnant.learnbeShe was surprised to learn that he was a lot older than she had thought.besurprisebeoldhavethinklearn whether/who/whyI waited to learn whether I’d secured a college place.waitsecureWe have yet to learn who will be the new manager.3remember [transitive]LEARN to get to know something so well that you can easily remember it SYN memorize: The actors hardly had time to learn their lines before filming started.actorhavelinefilmstart4change your behaviour [intransitive and transitive]LEARN to gradually understand a situation and start behaving in the way that you shouldlearn (that)They have to learn that they can’t just do whatever they like.learn to do somethingYoung hairdressers must learn to treat the client as a person, not a head of hair.hairdresserI’ve told him a hundred times not to bully people, but he never learns.telltimelearnlearn fromYou have to learn from your mistakes (=understand why what you did was wrong).mistakethe lessons learned in the Gulf Warlessonlearn5somebody has learned their lessonLEARN used to say that someone will not do something wrong or stupid again, because they suffered as a result: I’ve learned my lesson; I’ve now got a burglar alarm and a guard dog.learnget6learn (something) the hard wayLEARN to understand a situation or develop a skill by learning from your mistakes and bad experiences7that’ll learn somebody! spoken used when something bad has just happened to someone as a result of their actions, especially when they ignored a warning → live and learn at live1(20)THESAURUSlearn to gain knowledge of a subject or skill, especially by being taught or trained: How long have you been learning Italian?belearn | What age can you learn to drive in America?study to learn about a subject by reading books, going to classes etc, especially at school or university: She’s studying music at Berkeley College in California.studytrain to learn the skills and get the experience that you need in order to do a particular job: Julie’s training to be a nurse.trainpick something up to learn something without much effort, by watching or listening to other people: It’s easy to pick up a language when you’re living in a country.live | The rules of the game are easy – you’ll soon pick them up.rulebeget the hang of something informal to learn how to do or use something that is fairly complicated, especially with practice: It took me a while to get the hang of all the features on my new camera.takefeaturerevise British English, review American English to study facts again, especially on your own, in order to learn them before an examination: Jenny’s upstairs revising for her Maths exam tomorrow.revisemathmaster to learn something so well that you have no difficulty with it, especially a skill or a language: She gave me a book called ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’.givecallmastercook | I learnt Spanish for years but I never really mastered it.learnyearmaster
verbWord familyDate: 1300-1400Language: French
Origin: décider, from Latin decidere ‘to cut off, decide’ Verb form1[intransitive and transitive]DECIDE to make a choice or judgment about something, especially after considering all the possibilities or arguments → decision:
Has anything been decided yet?havebedecidedecide to do somethingTina’s decided to go to Rome for her holidays.decideholidaydecide (that)It was decided that four hospitals should close.bedecidehospitalshalldecide who/what/whether etcI can’t decide whether I like him or not.People have a right to decide how to spend their own money.decide between somethingA meeting was called to decide between the three candidates.meetbecallcandidatedecide for yourself (=make your own decision)You must decide for yourself.The trainees decide among themselves what programs to take.traineeprogramdecide against/in favour of (doing) somethingHe eventually decided against telling her.decidetellAfter a long discussion, they decided in favour of (=chose) the older applicant.decideold2[transitive]EFFECT/INFLUENCE to influence a situation or event so that a particular result is produced: It was the penalty kick that decided the match.bedecide3[transitive]DECIDE to be the reason for someone making a particular choice: Taxes could be the deciding factor for millions of floating voters.taxcandecidefloatvoterdecide somebody to do somethingThe look he gave her decided her not to ask.givedecide4[intransitive and transitive] law to make an official or legal judgment: The Commission will have the power to decide disputes.disputedecide in favour of/against somebodyIf the Parole Board decides in his favour, the prisoner will be released.decidereleaseTHESAURUSdecide to make a choice to do something: We decided to send our son to a boarding school.decideboard | I decided to go home early.decidemake up your mind to decide something, especially after thinking about it for a long time. Make up your mind is less formal than decide and is mainly used in spoken English: Have you made up your mind about where you’ll go on holiday?makechoose to do something to decide to do something – especially when this is different from what people expect or tell you to do: She chose to ignore my advice.choose | More young couples are choosing not to marry.couplebechoosemake a decision to decide after thinking carefully about something, especially about something that is very important: They made a decision not to have children.makechildresolve formal to decide that you will definitely do something, especially because you think it will be better for you, or because of your past experiences: She resolved to work hard at school.resolvedetermine formal to officially decide what something shall be: Each hospital can determine its own pay rates.ratecome down in favour of something British English, come down in favor of something American English to decide to support a particular plan, argument etc – used especially about groups of people: Eight of the ten committee members came down in favour of the changes.membercomechangecome to/reach a decision to officially decide about something important after discussing and carefully considering it - used especially about groups of people: After two hours of discussion, the comittee had still not come to a decision on any of the proposals.hourhaveproposaldecide on/upon something phrasal verb CHOOSEto choose something or someone after thinking carefully: Have you decided on a date for the wedding?decide
nounWord familyDate: 1400-1500Origin: Anglo-French interesse, from Latin interesse ‘to be between, make a difference, concern’, from esse ‘to be’ 1[singular, uncountable]INTERESTED if you have an interest in something or someone, you want to know or learn more about theminterest in
My parents encouraged my interest in science.parentencourageI’d recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in jazz.haveBen has shown an interest in learning French.haveshowlearnMy mother had never expressed any interest in the garden.haveexpressBabies soon begin to take an interest in the world around them.babyJohn appeared to have no interest in girls.appeargirlI watched the first few episodes, but soon lost interest.watchepisodeloseThe last round of bidding aroused considerable interest.bidarouseOur survey reveals a disturbing lack of interest in teacher training.revealdisturbtrainI read your article with great interest.2[countable usually plural]INTERESTED an activity that you enjoy doing or a subject that you enjoy studying: His interests include walking and golf.interestwalkAs a biologist, my main interest has been human genetics.havebeHer outside interests (=interests that are not part of her work) were numerous.interestbe3[uncountable]INTERESTED a quality or feature of something that attracts your attention or makes you want to know more about it: A Persian rug will add colour and interest to your hallway.be of (no) interest (to somebody) (=be interesting or not interesting to someone)It’s a book that will be of interest to a wide range of readers.readerWhat you do in your private life is of no interest to me.beart galleries, museums and other places of interestgallerymuseumplacetopics of general interest (=that everyone wants to know about)topic4[uncountable] a)the extra money that you must pay back when you borrow moneyinterest onThe interest on the loan is 16% per year.beHow much are the monthly interest payments?bepayment b)money paid to you by a bank or financial institution when you keep money in an account there: an account that pays higher interestpayhighThe more you save, the more interest you’ll earn. → compound interest, interest rate, simple interest5[countable usually plural, uncountable]ADVANTAGEOWN the things that bring advantages to someone or somethingprotect/look after/safeguard sb’s interestsThe regulations were introduced in order to safeguard the interests of local fishing communities.regulationbeintroduceinterestfishcommunitybe in sb’s (best) interest(s) (to do something) (=be the best thing for someone)The court decided that it was in the girl’s best interests to remain with her grandparents.decidebewellinterestgrandparenthave sb’s (best) interests at heart (=care about someone and want to do what is best for them)He has your best interests at heart, you know.havewellinterestWe’ve got to balance economic interests and environmental interests.getinterestinterest6be in the national/public interest to be good or necessary for the safety or success of a country and its people: I believe it is in the public interest that these facts are made known.befactbemakeknow7in the interest(s) of justice/safety/efficiency etcPURPOSE in order to make a situation or system fair, safe etc: The race was postponed in the interests of safety.bepostponeinterest8(just) out of interest/as a matter of interest spokenINTERESTED used to say that you are asking a question only because you are interested and not because you need to know: Just out of interest, how much did they offer you?do9[countable] if you have an interest in a particular company or industry, you own shares in it: The company is believed to be keen to sell its extensive brewing interests.bebelievebrewinterestHis business interests are spread throughout Europe.interestbecontrolling interest (=enough shares to control what decisions are taken)In 1986 GM acquired a controlling interest in the sports car maker Lotus.acquirecontrolsport10[countable usually plural]GROUP OF PEOPLE a group of people in the same business who share aims or ideas: Farming interests now dominate many of the National Park committees.farminterestcommitteeThe majority of Brazil’s huge commercial interests support the measure.interestthe need to reduce the influence of special interests (=groups who are concerned about particular subjects)interest11have no interest in doing somethingINTERESTED to not want to do something: I have no interest in continuing this conversation.continue12declare an interest (in something)CONNECTED WITHINTERESTED to officially state that you are connected with something or someone, and so cannot be completely fair and independent when making a decision involving them13human interest/love interestINTERESTED the part of a story, film, or event which is interesting because it shows things about people’s lives or romantic relationships: As a trainee reporter, she spent most of her time on human interest stories.spendstory → conflict of interest at conflict1(6), → self-interest, → vested interest at vested(1)COLLOCATIONSverbshave an interest in something Steve has a keen interest in bird-watching.havewatchshow interest in something He had shown great interest in her work.haveshowexpress an interest in something (=say that you are interested in something) A number of well-known film directors have expressed interest in the script.numbknowdirectorexpresstake an interest in something (=be interested in something) Jacky first took an interest in golf when he was about six years old.takebeyearhave no interest in something Andy had no interest in politics.havelose interest in something (=stop being interested) Tilda had lost interest in what was being said.havelosebebesayarouse/generate/attract interest (=make people interested) This extraordinary story has aroused interest in many quarters.havearousequarterfeign interest (=pretend to be interested) Ted scanned the report, feigning interest.scanfeigninterest grows Interest in the project has steadily grown.havegrowinterest wanes (=becomes less) When his initial interest waned, the teacher paid more attention to him.wanepayadjectivesgreat interest The government has shown great interest in the idea.haveshowenormous/intense interest (=very great) This tournament has created enormous interest.havecreateconsiderable/strong/keen interest The results of their work will be of considerable interest.resultspecial/particular interest Natural history was a special interest of his.bea personal interest in something He took a personal interest in the lives of his workers.takeliveworkerrenewed interest (=starting again after it had stopped) There has been a renewed interest in abstract painting in recent years.haveberenewpaintyeara consuming interest (=a very strong feeling of interest) Roland had a consuming interest in cricket.haveconsumea long-term/abiding interest (=an interest you have had for a long time) She has had a long-term interest in antiques.havehaveantiquephrasesa lot of interest There has been a lot of interest in the story.havebea great deal of interest (=a lot of interest) The exhibition has generated a great deal of interest.havegeneratea lack of interest The show was cancelled due to a lack of interest on the part of the public.becancel
interestverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesinterestinterestsinterestedinterestinginterestinterest2 verb [transitive]Word familyVerb form1INTERESTEDto make someone want to pay attention to something and find out more about it: Here’s an article which might interest you.What interests me is all the history of these places.interestbeplaceIt may interest you to know that a number of scholarships are available.numbscholarshipbe2interest yourself in something formal to give something a lot of attention because you want to find out more about it: He had always interested himself in foreign affairs.haveinterestaffair3OFFERto try to persuade someone to buy, do, or eat somethinginterest somebody in somethingThe salesman tried to interest me in the higher-priced model.tryhighpriceCould I interest you in a drink/dessert etc? (=used as a polite way of offering someone a drink etc)THESAURUSinvest verb [intransitive and transitive] to buy shares or property, in order to make a profit: Why don’t you invest the money on the stock market? | He invested £50,000 in his brother’s business.invest | Investing in property is probably not a good idea right now.investbeput money into something to give money to a business, organization, activity etc, in order to help it develop and be successful: We’re looking for an investor who will put money into our business.look | Every year the charity puts millions of dollars into research to find ways to treat cancer.putdollarwayback [transitive usually passive] to invest in a project or business, especially when the fact that you do this shows you support it: The scheme has been backed by several major companies.havebebackcompany | The movie is backed by a powerful state-owned bank.bebackowninterest noun [countable] if you have an interest in a particular company, you own shares in it: In 1986 GM acquired a controlling interest (=enough shares to control what decisions are taken) in the sports car maker Lotus.acquirecontrolsport | He has business interests throughout Europe.haveinterest
noun
Word familyDate: 1400-1500Language: Old French
Origin: esfort, from esforcier ‘to force’ 1physical/mental energy [uncountable]WORK HARD the physical or mental energy that is needed to do something:
Lou lifted the box easily, without using much effort.liftuseFrank put a lot of effort into the party.Learning to speak another language takes effort.learntake2attempt [uncountable and countable]TRY TO DO OR GET STH an attempt to do something, especially when this involves a lot of hard work or determination: Please make an effort to be polite.sb’s effort(s) to do somethingTom’s efforts to stop smoking haven’t been very successful.effortsmokebeChurch leaders are prepared to meet the terrorists in an effort to (=in order to try to) find peace.leaderbeprepareterroristeffort atFurther efforts at negotiation have broken down.fareffortbreakthrough sb’s efforts (=because of their efforts)The money was raised largely through the efforts of parents.beraiseeffortparentdespite sb’s effortsDespite all our efforts we lost the game 1–0.effortlose3be an effortTRY TO DO OR GET STH to be difficult or painful to do: I was so weak that even standing up was an effort.bestandbe4particular situation [countable] work that people do to achieve something in a particular situation: the fundraising effortthe international relief effortEveryone did what they could to support the war effort.docan5good/bad/poor etc effortTRY TO DO OR GET STH something that has been done well, badly etc: Not a bad effort for a beginner!COLLOCATIONSMeanings 1 & 2verbsmake an effort (=try) She made an effort to change the subject of the conversation.makeput effort into (doing) something (=try hard to do something) Let’s try again, only put more effort into it this time.take the effort out of something (=make it easy) An automatic car takes the effort out of driving.takedrivesomething takes effort (also it takes effort to do something) (=you have to try hard) It takes a sustained effort to quit smoking.takesustainsmokesomething requires/involves effort formal (=it takes effort) Trying to get my mother to change her mind requires considerable effort.tryrequireADJECTIVES/NOUN + effortsuccessful Their efforts were successful, and they won the contract.effortbewinunsuccessful Efforts to save the hospital from closure have been unsuccessful.effortbefutile (=having no chance of succeeding, and therefore not worth doing) Doctors knew that any effort to save his life would be futile.doctorknowwilla big/great effort The government has made a big effort to tackle the problem of poverty.havemakeconsiderable effort (=a lot of effort) The police put considerable effort into finding his car.finda supreme/tremendous effort (=a very big effort) It was only with a supreme effort that Roger controlled his temper.becontrola special effort (=one that you do not normally make) I made a special effort to be nice to the children.makechilda constant effort (=one that never stops) Walking was a constant effort.walkbea sustained effort (=one that you continue making for a long time) It will take a sustained effort over the next 5 years to achieve our objectives.sustainyearobjectivea conscious/deliberate effort (=one that you concentrate on in order to achieve something) He made a conscious effort to become a better person.makewella determined effort (=showing a lot of determination) She had made a determined effort to lose weight.havemakedeterminea desperate effort (=one you make when you are in a very bad situation) The fox made a desperate effort to get away.makea concerted effort (=involving a lot of different actions, or a lot of people working together) It will take a concerted effort to change the culture of binge-drinking in the country.drinka joint/team effort (=involving a group or team of people) We had many fine individual performances, but the win was a real team effort.haveperformancebea collaborative/cooperative effort formal (=with different people or groups working together) This was a collaborative effort involving the three largest energy companies.beinvolvelargecompanyphysical/mental effort He struggled back from two sets down to win the match, showing great physical and mental effort.strugglesetshowa final/last-ditch effort (=a last effort, when you want very much to achieve something) Sam took a deep breath and prepared herself for one final effort.takepreparephrasesmake the effort (=do something that requires some effort) I felt too tired to go to a party, but decided to make the effort.feeltiredecidemake every effort to do something (=try very hard) I made every effort to see their point of view.makemake no effort to do something (=not try at all) They make no effort to speak the local language.be (well) worth the effort (=used to say that something is worth doing even though it is hard) It’s a difficult place to get to, but it's well worth the effort.an effort of will (=a big effort to do something that you find difficult because of the way you feel) It took a huge effort of will not to cry.takewith effort formal (=trying very hard) With great effort, he managed to keep quiet.managewithout effort (=easily, without trying hard) Her horse jumped the fence without any effort.jumpCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 4NOUN + efforta relief effort The UN is organizing the relief effort to the region affected by the earthquake.beorganizeaffecta fund-raising effort The party is planning a huge fund-raising effort later this year.beplanraiselatethe war effort Taxes were raised to support the war effort.taxberaise
verb (past tense and past participle found /faʊnd/) [transitive]
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: findan Verb form1get by searchingFIND to discover, see, or get something that you have been searching for:
I can’t find the car keys.keyHold on while I find a pen.Her body was later found hidden in the bushes.belatefindhidebushI have to find somewhere else to live.She had almost given up hope of finding a husband.havegivefindfind somebody somethingTony asked us to find him office facilities in New York.askfacilityHer mother went to the shops, and on her return, Kathleen was nowhere to be found (=could not be found).goshopbefind2see by chanceFIND to discover something by chance, especially something useful or interesting: I found a purse in the street.findWe found a nice pub near the hotel.find3discover state of somebody/somethingFIND OUT to discover that someone or something is in a particular condition or doing a particular thing when you see or touch them: I’m sure we’ll find her hard at work when we get home.He tried the door and found it unlocked.tryfindunlockShe woke to find a man by her bed.wakefind somebody/something doing somethingOften he found her quietly weeping alone.findweepfind (that)She looked at her glass and was amazed to find it was empty.lookbeamazebe4do something without meaning toFIND OUT to be in a particular state or do a particular thing, or to realize that this is happening, especially when you did not expect or intend it: After wandering around, we found ourselves back at the hotel.wanderfindfind yourself/your mind etc doing somethingWhen he left, Karen found herself heaving a huge sigh of relief.leavefindheaveShe tried to concentrate, but found her mind drifting back to Alex.tryfinddriftfind (that)He found he was shivering.findbeshiver5learn something by studyFINDFIND OUT to discover or learn something by study, tests, sums etc: The federal government isn’t doing enough to find a cure.doHow do you find the square root of 20?be found to do somethingThe liquid was found to contain 7.4g of phenylamine.befindfind thatHis study found that married men and women had similar spending patterns.findmarrymanwomanhavespendpattern6think/feelTHINK/HAVE THE OPINION THAT to have a particular feeling or opinion, or to have a particular feeling or opinion about someone or something: Will Gary and Gail find happiness together?find something/somebody easy/useful/interesting etcShe found the work very dull.findLots of women I know find him attractive.lotwomanI found them quite easy to use.findfind it hard/easy/difficult etc (to do something)Hyperactive children find it difficult to concentrate.child7experienceLEARN to have the experience of discovering that something happens or is truefind (that)You might find that his work improves now he’s at a new school.improveI find people are often surprised at how little it costs.besurprisecostfind somebody/something doing somethingI think you’ll find more women entering the film business now.womanenterfind somebody/something to be somethingI found the people to be charming and very friendly.findcharm8exist in a placeEXISTbe found somewhere if something is found somewhere, it lives or exists there naturally: This species is only found in West Africa.befind9get enough money/time etcENOUGH to succeed in getting enough of something, especially money, time, or energy, to be able to do something: He’s struggling to find the money for the trip.struggleWhere are we going to find the time, the support, and the resources to do all this?begoresource10in a court of law to make an official decision in a court of lawfind somebody guilty/not guilty (of something)Both men were found guilty of illegally entering the country.manbefindenterfind in sb’s favourThe tribunal found in favour of the defendant.find11find your way (somewhere)FIND to reach a place by discovering the right way to get there: Will you be able to find your way back?12find its way somewhere informalARRIVE if something finds its way somewhere, it arrives or gets there after some time: Her invention has found its way into the shops.havefindshop13find comfort/pleasure/fulfilment etc in somethingFEEL HAPPY/FRIGHTENED/BORED ETC to experience a good feeling because of something: He eventually found solace in religion.find14find fault with somebody/somethingCRITICIZE to criticize someone or something, often unfairly and frequently: He could always find fault with something, either in my writing or in my personality.canwrite15find it in your heart/yourself to do something literary to feel able or willing to do something: Seb could not find it in his heart to tell Nahum.can16find yourself informalFIND OUT to discover what you are really like and what you want to do – often used humorously: She went to India to find herself.go17find favour (with somebody/something) formalAPPROVE to be liked or approved of by someone: The recipes rapidly found favour with restaurant owners.recipefindowner18find your feetUSED TO/ACCUSTOMED TO to become confident in a new situation, especially one that is difficult at first: Rob is still finding his feet as a coach.befindfoot19find its mark/targetSHOOT a)if a bullet, arrow etc finds its mark etc, it hits what it is supposed to hit b)if a remark, criticism etc finds its mark etc, it has the effect that you intended it to have: She soon saw that her accusation had found its mark.seehavefind20find your voiceSPEAK A LANGUAGE a)(also find your tongue) to manage to say something after being too nervous to talk b)if a writer, musician etc finds their voice, they are able to express their views, ideas, art etc in the way they want to: a young film-maker who has finally found his voicehavefind21be found wanting formalGOOD ENOUGH to not be good enough: Their defence was found wanting.befindwantTHESAURUSfind to get or see something that you have been searching for: Have you found your passport yet?find | Police later found the car abandoned in a wood.latefindabandondiscover to find something that was hidden or that people did not know about before: A second bomb has been discovered in south London.havebediscoverlocate formal to find the exact position of something: The airline are still trying to locate my luggage.betry | Online maps make it easy to locate almost any place in the world.mapcome across something to find something unexpectedly when you are not looking for it: I came across some old letters from my father in my drawer.comeletterstumble on/across something to find something unexpectedly, especially something very important: They may have stumbled across some vital evidence.stumble | Completely by chance we had stumbled on the biggest hit of the year.havestumblebigtrace to find someone or something that has disappeared, especially by a careful process of collecting information: She had given up all hope of tracing her missing daughter.havegivetracemisstrack somebody/something down to find someone or something that is difficult to find by searching in different places: I’ve been trying to track down a book that’s out of print.betry | The police managed to track down the killer.manageunearth to find something that has been hidden or lost for a long time, by digging or searching for it: In 1796, a carved stone was unearthed near the burial mound.carvebeunearthfind against somebody phrasal verb law to judge that someone is wrong or guilty: The inspectors are likely to find against the company.inspectorbefind for somebody phrasal verb law to judge that someone is right or not guilty: The judge found for the plaintiff.findfind out phrasal verb1FIND OUTto get information, after trying to discover it or by chancefind out who/what/how etcHas anyone bothered to find out how much all this is going to cost?havebotherbegofind out if/whetherDid you find out whether there are any seats left?dobeseatleavefind out (that)I found out that my parents had never been married.findparenthavebemarryfind something ↔ outTo find out more, visit our website.find out (something) about somethingI need to find out more about these night courses.coursefind out fromWe could find out from the local council.canI thought it best to let you find out for yourself.thinkwellRegisterIn written English, people usually say that someone discovers something rather than finds out something:Scientists soon discovered that this was false.scientistdiscoverbe2find somebody outCATCH [usually passive] if you are found out, someone discovers that you have been doing something dishonest or illegal → catch: What happens if we get found out?happenfind
findnounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesfindfindsfindfind2 noun [countable]1a findFIND OUT something very good or useful that you discover by chance: That restaurant was a real find!be2something that someone finds, especially by digging or by searching under water: important archaeological findsfind
verb
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: folgian Verb form1go after [intransitive and transitive]FOLLOW to go, walk, drive etc behind or after someone else:
Are those men following us?bemanfollowThe patrol car followed the BMW for a few miles and then lost it.followmilloseTom’s already gone out to Rome and his wife and children will follow shortly.gochildfollow somebody into/to etc somethingPeggy followed her out onto the landing.followland2happen after [intransitive and transitive]AFTER to happen or do something after something else: The agreement followed months of negotiation.followmonthThe assassination of Martin Luther King in 1968 was followed by that of Robert Kennedy.befollowthere follows somethingAfter weeks of intense fighting, there followed a brief period of calm.weekfightfollowMost EU countries have signed the agreement and the US is expected to follow shortly (=soon).countrysignbeexpect → following33come after [intransitive and transitive]AFTER to come directly after something else in a series, list, or order → following: The chapters that follow deal mainly with mathematics.chapterIn English, the letter Q is always followed by U.befollowWe had vegetable casserole with a fruit salad to follow (=as part of a meal).havethere follows somethingThere followed several pages of incomprehensible statistics.followpagestatistic4as followsLIST used to introduce a list of things that you will mention next: The winners are as follows: in third place, Mandy Johnson; in second place ...winnerbefollow5do what somebody saysTHINK STH/HAVE A THOUGHT [transitive] to do something in the way that someone has told or advised you to do it: He followed the doctor’s advice and had no further trouble.followhavefarFollow the instructions very carefully when filling in the form.instructionfillThey followed the plan that Elizabeth had worked out.followhavework6follow the signs/sb’s directionsADVISE to go somewhere by a particular way according to road signs or to what someone has told you: Just follow the signs for the airport.signI followed Brown’s directions and found the farm quite easily.followdirectionfind7do the same thing [intransitive and transitive]IMITATE to do the same thing as someone else: Some state schools follow the example of private schools in asking parents to donate money.schoolschoolaskparentEnvironmentalists are urging the government to follow the lead of Scandinavian countries in this matter.environmentalistbeurgecountryShe’s just like any young woman who enjoys following the latest fashions (=wearing fashionable clothes).enjoyfollowlatefashionfollow somebody into something (=do the same job as someone else)He does not want to follow his father into a scientific career.do8believe in something [transitive]RELIGION to believe in and obey a particular set of religious or political ideas9go in particular direction [transitive] a)FOLLOWto continue along a particular road, river etc: I followed the main road up the mountain.followTom followed the track that leads to the old Roman road.followlead b)FOLLOWto go in the same direction as something else, or to go parallel to something else: The road follows the line of the river.follow10understand [intransitive and transitive]UNDERSTAND to understand something such as an explanation or story SYN grasp: I didn’t quite follow what he was saying.besayeasy/difficult/hard etc to followThe plot is a little difficult to follow.be11be a result [intransitive]RESULT to be true as a result of something else that is truefollow fromThe conclusion that follows from these findings is that inner city schools need more investment, not less.followfindingbeschoollittleIt doesn’t necessarily follow that you’re going to do well academically even if you’re highly intelligent.go12be interested [transitive]SUPPORT A TEAM OR PLAYER to be interested in something and in the way it develops: Have you been following that crime series on TV?befollowI’ve been following his progress very closely.befollowShe just doesn’t understand people who follow football or any other kind of sport.13follow a pattern/course/trend etcIMITATE to continue to happen or develop in a particular way, especially in a way that is expected: In Australia, the weather follows a fairly predictable pattern.follow14follow suitIMITATE to do the same as someone else has done: Budget companies have been so successful that other airlines have had to follow suit and lower their fares.companybeairlinehavelowfare15follow in sb’s footstepsIMITATE to do the same job or to work or live in the same way as someone else before you, especially someone in your family: He is a doctor and expects his son to follow in his footsteps.beexpectfootstep16be about [transitive]DESCRIBEABOUT to show or describe someone’s life or a series of events, for example in a film or book: The book follows the plight of an orphaned Irish girl who marries into New York society.followorphanmarry17be a hard act to followFOLLOW to be so good or successful at something that it will be difficult for the next person, team etc to be as good: We’re looking for a replacement for Sue, but she’s going to be a hard act to follow.lookgo18watch carefully [transitive]WATCHLISTEN to carefully watch someone do something: She followed Simon with her eyes as he walked to the gate.followeyewalk19think about/study [transitive] to study or think about a particular idea or subject and try to learn something from it: It turned out we were both following the same line of research.turnbefollowIf you follow that idea to its logical conclusion, we’d have to ban free speech altogether.20RIGHT/PROPERfollow your instincts/feelings/gut reaction etc to do the thing that you immediately feel is best without needing to stop and think about it21follow the herd/crowdIMITATE to do the same thing that most other people are doing, without really thinking about it for yourself – used in order to show disapproval22follow your nose informal a)STRAIGHTto go straight forward or continue in the same direction: Just follow your nose until you come to a small bridge. b)to go to the place from where there is a particular smell coming: I followed my nose to the kitchen, where Marcie was making coffee.followbemake c)CHECK/MAKE SUREto do something in the way that you feel is right: After a few years in the detective game, you learn to follow your nose.year23follow a profession/trade/way of life etc to do a particular job or have a particular way of lifeTHESAURUSfollow to walk, drive etc behind or after someone, for example in order to see where they are going: The man had followed her home to find out where she lived.havefollowlive | Follow that car! | He hired a detective to follow her.hirechase to quickly run or drive after someone or something in order to catch them when they are trying to escape: Police chased the car along the motorway at speeds of up to 90 mph.chasespeedrun after somebody/go after somebody to quickly follow someone or something in order to stop them or talk to them: I ran after him to say sorry, but he’d already got on the bus.rungetstalk /stɔːk $ stɒːk/ to secretly follow an animal in order to kill it, or to secretly follow a person in order to attack them: a tiger stalking its preystalk | He had a long history of stalking women in his neighbourhood.havestalkwomanpursue /pəˈsjuː $ pərˈsuː/ written to chase someone in a very determined way: The ship was being pursued by enemy submarines.bebepursuesubmarinegive chase written to chase someone or something who is trying to escape from you: One of the officers gave chase and arrested the man.officergivearrest | The calf ran away and the lion gave chase.rungivetail to secretly follow someone in order to watch what they do and where they go: Apparently, the police had been tailing the terrorists for months.havebetailterroristmonthtrack to follow and find a person or animal by looking at the marks they leave on the ground: The bushmen were tracking antelope in the Kalahari desert.bushmanbetrackfollow somebody around (also follow somebody aboutfollow somebody about British English) phrasal verb FOLLOWto follow someone everywhere they go, especially when this is annoying: She told him to go away and stop following her around.tellfollowfollow on phrasal verb1to happen after something else and be connected with it → follow-onfollow on fromThe discussion sessions are supposed to follow on from this morning’s lecture.sessionbesuppose2to go to the same place as someone else at a later time: You go ahead – I’ll follow on later.latefollow through phrasal verb1FINISH DOING STHto do what needs to be done to complete something or make it successful: The project went wrong when the staff failed to follow through.gofailfollow something ↔ throughIf you have followed through all the exercises in this book, you should be ready for the second year course.followexerciseshall2to continue moving your arm after you have hit the ball in tennis, golf etc → follow-throughfollow something ↔ up phrasal verb1DOto find out more information about something and take action if necessary: The police take people’s statements and then follow them up.statement2ADDto do something in addition to what you have already done in order to make it more likely to succeed → follow-upfollow something ↔ up withIf there is no response to your press release, follow it up with a phone call.beThis experiment was quickly followed up by others using different forms of the drug.befollowuseform → follow-up
noun
Word family1process of planningDRAWING PLANS [uncountable] the art or process of making a drawing of something to show how you will make it or what it will look like: The new plane is in its final design stage.bethe design processthe design teama course in graphic designcomputer-aided designaid2arrangement of partsARRANGEMENT OF PARTS [uncountable and countable]DESIGN the way that something has been planned and made, including its appearance, how it works etc: The car’s design has been greatly improved.havebeimprovedesign ofthe design of the new buildingbuildSome changes have been made to the computer’s basic design.changebemakea design faultThe electric windows are an important design feature of this model.windowbe3patternPATTERN [countable]PATTERN a pattern for decorating something: a floral designVinyl flooring is available in a wide range of designs.floorbedesign4drawingDRAWN PLAN [countable] a drawing that shows how something will be made or what it will look likedesign forthe design for the new sports centresport5INTENTIONintention [uncountable and countable]INTEND a plan that someone has in their mindby design (=intentionally)We shall never know whether this happened by accident or by design.happenHe has some grand designs for the company.havedesign6have designs on somethingWANT to want something for yourself, especially because it will bring you money: Several developers have designs on the property.developerdesign7have designs on somebody formalSEX/HAVE SEX WITH to want a sexual relationship with someone: He had designs on her.havedesignCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2adjectivesgood Good design is very important in a house.besimple The latest model of the car has a much simpler design.latehavesimplemodern Many people were against such a modern design in the old city centre.betraditional Our new range of furniture has a traditional design.haveclassical (=relating to the style of Ancient Greece or Rome) a large building of classical designbuildthe basic design (=not including all the small details) The basic design of the two churches is very similar.churchbeverbscreate/produce a design Use your imagination to create an interesting design in the garden.interestcome up with a design (=think of or suggest one) We asked the architect to come up with another design.askdesign + NOUNa design feature (=something interesting or attractive that is part of the design) The aircraft has some novel design features.havefeaturea design fault/flaw (=a part of something that does not work well or look good) If a washing-machine makes too much noise, it’s a design fault.washmakeTHESAURUSpattern a regularly repeated arrangement of shapes, colours, or lines on a surface: Some of his pictures use patterns of dots.picturepatterndot | The lines formed a regular pattern.lineformdesign a pattern used for decorating something, especially cloth or paper: curtains with a floral design (=based on flowers)curtainmarkings the coloured patterns and shapes on an animal’s fur, feathers, or skin: the tiger’s black and orange markingsmarkingmotif formal a single shape that is regularly repeated to form a pattern which decorates something: A triangle within a square is a very common motif in Muslim art.be | The shield motif in the frescoes at Knossos is a religious, not a military, symbol.frescobe
designverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesdesigndesignsdesigneddesigningdesigndesign2 S3 W1 AC verb [transitive]Word familyDate: 1300-1400Origin: French désigner, from Latin designare, from signare ‘to mark’ Verb form1to make a drawing or plan of something that will be made or built:
The tower was designed by Gilbert Scott.bedesigndesign something for somethingShe designed a new logo for the company.designwell/badly etc designeda badly designed officedesignspecially designed softwaredesign2[usually passive] to plan or develop something for a specific purposedesign something to do somethingThese exercises are designed to strengthen muscles.exercisebedesignmusclebe designed for somebody/somethingThe course is designed for beginners.bedesignbeginnerbe designed as somethingThe book is designed as a reference manual.bedesign
noun
Word family1growth [uncountable]DEVELOP the process of gradually becoming bigger, better, stronger, or more advanced: child developmentdevelopment ofa course on the development of Greek thoughtthinkprofessional/personal developmentopportunities for professional developmentopportunity2economic activity [uncountable] the process of increasing business, trade, and industrial activityeconomic/industrial/business etc developmenteconomic development in Russia3event [countable]NEWS a new event or piece of news that changes a situation: recent political developments in the former Soviet UniondevelopmentWe will keep you informed of developments.informdevelopment4new plan/productADVANCED [uncountable] the process of working on a new product, plan, idea etc to make it successful: The funds will be used for marketing and product development.fundusemarketunder/in developmentSpielberg has several interesting projects under development.haveinterestproject5improvement [countable] a change that makes a product, plan, idea etc better: There have been significant computer developments during the last decade.bedevelopment6building process [uncountable]BUILD the process of planning and building new houses, streets etc on landfor developmentThe land was sold for development.besell7houses/offices etc [countable] a group of new buildings that have all been planned and built together on the same piece of land: a new housing developmenthouseCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2adjectiveseconomic/industrial/business etc development The US has been keen to encourage economic development in Egypt.haveberegional development (=development of particular regions of a country or area) a programme of regional development in Eastern Europesustainable development (=that is able to continue without damaging the environment) The government is committed to sustainable development and the protection of the environment.becommitoverseas development (=in other countries, especially poor ones) The Overseas Development Minister announced a £7,000,000 emergency aid programme for Somalia.announceverbssupport/assist development (also further/facilitate development formal) We need to facilitate development and economic activity that provides jobs.providejobdevelopment + NOUNa development programme/plan/project the United Nations Development Programmeunitenationa development agency (=organization that aims to help development in poor areas) international development agenciesagencydevelopment work (=the work of helping development in poor areas) Further funds are required to allow the development work to continue.farfundberequiredevelopment aid (=money given to help development in poor areas) Education made up 22.5 percent of development aid last year.make
verb (past tense and past participle fought /fɔːt $ fɒːt/)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: feohtan Verb form1war [intransitive and transitive]WAR to take part in a war or battlefight in
the families of those who fought in the warfamilyfightfight against/withrebel forces fighting against the Russiansforcefightfight about/over/forThey fought for control of the islands.fightislandNeither country is capable of fighting a long war.befightLater the Indians fought the Anglo settlers.latefightsettler2hit people [intransitive and transitive]FIGHT if someone fights another person, or if two people fight, they hit and kick the other person in order to hurt themfight withTwo guys were fighting with each other in the street.guybefightfight about/over/forThey were fighting over a girl.befightShe fought him desperately, kicking and biting.fightkickbite3try to do something [intransitive and transitive] to try hard to do or get somethingfight forThe men were fighting for higher wages.manbefighthighwageStockley is fighting for his life (=trying to stay alive), with serious head injuries.befightinjuryShe fought her way back into the first team.fightfight to do somethingThe president was fighting to survive.befight4prevent something [intransitive and transitive] to try very hard to prevent something or to get rid of something unpleasant that already existsfight againstPeople are fighting against repression and injustice.befightWe will fight terrorism, wherever it exists.exist5compete [intransitive and transitive]COMPETE WITH/TRY TO BEAT to take part in an election or compete strongly for something, especially a job or political positionfight an election/a campaignThe prime minister decided to fight an early general election.decidefight (somebody) for somethingHe had to fight several other applicants for the job.haveapplicantBoth men were used to fighting for power.manbeusefight6argue [intransitive]ARGUE to argue about somethingfight withI heard her fighting with the boss.hearfightfight about/overThey’re fighting about who should do the dishes.fightshalldish7sport [intransitive and transitive] to take part in a boxing match: Ali fought Foreman for the heavyweight title.fight8emotion [intransitive and transitive]PREVENT to try very hard not to have or show a feeling: She fought her fear.fightfight withShe was clearly fighting with her emotions.befightemotion9law [transitive] to try to get something or prevent something in a court of law: The insurance company are fighting the claims in court.befightclaim10fight your way (through/past etc somebody/something)PUSH to move somewhere with difficulty, for example because there are so many people around you: We fought our way through the crowd.fight11fight a losing battleFAIL to try to do something that you probably cannot succeed in doing: I’m fighting a losing battle on this diet.fightlose12have a fighting chanceCHANCE/OPPORTUNITY to have a chance to do something or achieve something if you try very hard: Lewis has a fighting chance to win the gold medal.havefight13fight tooth and nail (for something)/fight something tooth and nail to try very hard to do or achieve something, or to prevent something: He’s rich now, but he had to fight tooth and nail for it.have14fight to the death/finish to fight until one person or group is dead or completely defeated15fight your own battles to fight for what you want, without needing help from other people: Mum, I can fight my own battles now.battle16fighting spiritFIGHT the desire to fight or win: In the second half the team showed their true fighting spirit.showfight17fighting words/talk something you say that shows that you want to fight hard for something18fight fire with fireREACT to use the same methods as your opponents in an argument, competition etc19fight like cat and dog if two people fight like cat and dog, they argue a lot because they dislike each other or disagree: I didn’t get on with her at work either – we fought like cat and dog.fight20fighting fit British English extremely fit and healthy21fight your corner British English to try to persuade people that your ideas about something are right and should be accepted: The Prime Minister made it clear that Britain would fight its corner on Europe.makewill22fight shy of (doing) something British EnglishAVOID to try to avoid doing something or being involved in something: Many women fight shy of motherhood.womanfight back phrasal verb1PREVENTto work hard to achieve or oppose something, especially in a situation where you are losing: United fought back and scored a last-minute goal.unitefightscorefight back againstShe was fighting back against the cancer.befight2FIGHT FOR OR AGAINST STHto use violence or arguments against someone who has attacked you or argued with you: The rebels are fighting back.rebelbefight3fight something ↔ back to try hard not to have or show a feeling: She looked away, fighting back her tears.lookfighttearHe fought back the impulse to slap her.fightfight something ↔ down phrasal verb to try hard not to have or show a feeling: Doug fought down a feeling of panic.fightfeelfight somebody/something ↔ off phrasal verb1VIOLENTto keep someone away, or stop them doing something to you, by fighting or opposing them: Bodyguards had to fight off the crowds.bodyguardhavecrowdThe company managed to fight off a takeover attempt.manage2to succeed in stopping other people getting something, and to get it for yourself: Allan fought off stiff competition from throughout the UK to win one of only four places at the college.fightplace3GET RID OFto try hard to get rid of something, especially an illness or a feeling: Elaine’s fighting off a cold.fightfight something out phrasal verb ARGUEto argue or fight until a disagreement is settled: We left them to fight it out.leave
fightnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1 2Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesfightfightsfightfight2 S2 W3 noun
1people hit each other [countable]FIGHT a situation in which two people or groups hit, push etc each other: Her son was always getting into fights at school.begetfightfight withThey ended up having a fight with each other.endhavefight betweenA fight broke out between the fans.breakfanfight over/aboutfights over territoryfight2to achieve/prevent something [singular]FIGHT FOR OR AGAINST STH the process of trying to achieve something or prevent somethingfight forthe fight for justice and democracyThe little girl lost her fight for life (=fight to stay alive) last night.losefight againstthe fight against crimefight to do somethingthe fight to get financial aidYou’ll have a fight on your hands (=it will be difficult) to convince the committee.hand3argument [countable]ARGUE an argumentfight withThey’ve had a fight with the neighbours.haveneighbourfight over/aboutfights over moneyfight4boxing [countable] a boxing match: Are you going to watch the big fight tonight?bego5battle [countable]WAR a battle between two armiesfight forthe fight for Bunker Hill6energy [uncountable]FIGHT FOR OR AGAINST STH energy or the desire to keep fighting for something you want: There’s plenty of fight left in your grandmother.leave7put up a good fightFIGHT FOR OR AGAINST STHCOMPETE WITH/TRY TO BEAT to work very hard to fight or compete in a difficult situation: Our team put up a good fight.8a fight to the death/finishFIGHT a fight that continues until one side is completely defeatedCOLLOCATIONSverbshave a fight I didn’t want to have a fight with him.get into a fight (=become involved in a fight) The two men got into a fight over a girl.mangetstart a fight They started a fight in the crowded bar.startcrowdpick a fight (=deliberately start a fight) The guy tried to pick a fight with Jack.trystop a fight/break up a fight The police were called in to break up a fight outside a nightclub.becallwin/lose a fight He always won every fight he was in at school.winbebe spoiling for a fight (=be very eager to fight with someone) The kids went round in gangs, all spoiling for a fight.kidgogangspoila fight breaks out/erupts (=suddenly starts) A fight broke out and one man was struck on the head.breakbestrikea fight takes place (=happens) The fight took place outside a nightclub.takeADJECTIVES/NOUN + fighta big fight They ended up having a big fight in the pub.endhavea fair fight It was a fair fight, just two on two.bea fierce fight There was a fierce fight with rebel forces and several soldiers were killed.beforcesoldierbekilla street fight There were reports of street fights every night in the local newspaper.bereportfighta fist fight (=a fight in which people hit each other with their closed hands) A fist fight broke out after the match.breaka knife/sword fight There have been several arrests, following knife fights between drunken fans.bearrestfollowfightfana title fight (=a fight between two boxers to decide who will win a competition) a heavyweight title fightTHESAURUSwhen people hit or attack each otherfight a situation in which people hit or attack each other because of an argument, or as a sport: He had a fight with an older boy.haveold | the famous fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foremanbattle a fight between opposing armies or groups of people: The English king was killed at the Battle of Hastings.bekill | a battle between two rival gangsgangscuffle a short fight that is not very violent: There was a short scuffle with the police, but no arrests were made.bearrestbemakepunch-up British English informal a fight in which people hit each other because of an argument: The game turned into a punch-up.turnbrawl a noisy fight between a group of people: He was hurt in a drunken brawl.bealtercation formal a short noisy argument or fight, especially one that is not serious: There was a brief altercation and someone called the police.becallriot a fight involving a large number of people, especially people who are protesting about something: The book provoked riots all over Europe.provokeriotwhen people try to achieve somethingfight the process in which people try to stop something bad from happening or to improve a situation: Schools have an important part to play in the fight against drugs.schooldrug | women’s fight for equalitywomanbattle a fight to change a situation or deal with a problem in society: The battle against racial discrimination is not over.becampaign a planned series of actions intended to achieve something: Motoring organizations started a campaign for safer roads.motororganizationstartsaferoadstruggle a long, hard fight for freedom, independence, equal rights etc: Nkrumah led the people in their struggle for independence.leadcrusade someone’s fight against something they think is morally wrong: She intends to continue her crusade against sex and violence on TV.intend
noun
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: andswaru 1replyREPLY [uncountable and countable]ANSWER/REPLY something you say when you reply to a question that someone has asked you SYN response:
You don’t have to give them an answer now.Every time I ask him about it, I get a different answer.answer toThese are important questions, and we want answers to them.bequestionanswerShe’s still waiting for an answer from the school.waitThe honest answer was that I didn’t know.beHe was never able to get a straight answer about why it happened.behappenIt’s impossible for me to give you a definite answer at this time.The short answer is that it can’t be done.bedoIn answer to your question, yes, you can go.If it’s money you want, the answer is no!be2test/competition etc [countable]ANSWER/RESULTTEST/COMPETITION ETC something that you write or say in reply to a question in a test or competitionanswer toWhat was the answer to question 4?bethe right/wrong/correct/incorrect answerScore two points for each correct answer.point3invitation/letter etc [countable]ANSWER/REPLYINVITATION/LETTER ETC a written reply to a letter, invitation, advertisement etcanswer toDid you ever get an answer to your letter?do4problemDEAL WITHPROBLEM [countable] a way of dealing with a problem SYN solutionsimple/easy/obvious answerThere is no simple answer.beanswer toThe police do not have an answer to rising crime.riseSome people think cars should be banned from the city, but I don’t think that’s the answer.carshallbanbe the answer to sb’s problems/worries etcIf he could get a job it’d be the answer to all his worries.canworry5on the phone [singular, uncountable usually in negative] if you get an answer when you call someone on the phone, they pick up the phone and talk to you: I tried calling him all day but couldn’t get an answer.trycall6at the door [singular, uncountable usually in negative] if you get an answer when you knock on a door, someone opens it and talks to you: I tried knocking on her door, but there was no answer.tryknockbe7have/know all the answers informal to be very sure that you know everything about a situation, especially when you do not: He acts like he has all the answers.acthaveanswer8sb’s answer to something writtenEQUAL someone or something that is considered to be just as good as a more famous person or thing: The Space Needle is Seattle’s answer to the Eiffel Tower.beCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1adjectivesan honest/straight answer The honest answer is that I don’t know.bea definite answer (=that says yes or no definitely) Can you give me a definite answer tomorrow?a satisfactory answer I didn’t get a satisfactory answer from the company.verbsgive somebody an answer I’ll give you an answer tomorrow.get/receive an answer She wrote to him but she never got an answer.writegetwait for an answer Kate was looking at me, waiting for an answer.belookwaitthink of an answer She couldn’t think of a suitable answer to his question.phrasesthe short answer is ... (=used when giving a simple, honest, or direct answer to a difficult question) ‘How does homeopathy work?’ ‘The short answer to this question is that we do not know how homeopathic remedies work.’doberemedyCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2adjectivesthe right/wrong answer Do you know the right answer to this question?the correct/incorrect answer You get 5 points for each correct answer.pointverbsknow the answer Put up your hand if you know the answer.guess the answer If you don’t know the answer, try guessing it.guesswrite the answer Do we write the answers in the exercise book, Sir?answerCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 3adjectivesthe simple/easy answer There are a lot of problems and no simple answers.beproblemanswerthe obvious answer The obvious answer is to raise taxes, but that would be unpopular.betaxwillthe perfect answer I think I have the perfect answer to the problem.the complete answer A loan, however, is not the complete answer to the company’s problems.beproblemthe long-term answer He believes hydrogen is the long-term answer to our growing energy crisis.believebegrowa short-term answer Employing overseas nurses is only a short-term answer to the shortage.employnursebeverbshave an answer Doctors are supposed to have all the answers.doctorbesupposeanswerfind an answer The aim is to find a long-term answer to poverty.become up with an answer (=find a way of dealing with a problem) The government is struggling to come up with answers to our economic problems.bestruggleanswerproblemTHESAURUSanswer something you say when someone asks you a question or speaks to you: I asked if he wanted to come, but I didn’t get an answer.askwant | If you’re asking me for money, the answer’s no!askreply an answer. Used especially in written English to report what someone said: She asked how he felt, and received the reply, ‘Awful!’askfeelreceive | ‘Finished now?’ ‘No,' came the reply.finishcomeresponse an answer that clearly shows your reaction to a question, suggestion etc: Wagner’s responses showed that he had thought carefully about the issues.responseshowhavethinkissue | ‘Sure. Why not?’ was his response to most of Billie’s suggestions.besuggestionretort written an angry answer given when someone has annoyed you or criticized you: Isabelle began an angry retort and then stopped herself.beginstopcomeback a quick answer that is clever, funny, or rude: He walked out before I could think of a snappy comeback.walkcanriposte formal a quick and clever answer: Anna produced the perfect riposte.producerejoinder formal a quick answer, especially a clever or rude one: If he confronts them, he’ll run the risk of a sharp rejoinder.confront
answerverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesansweranswersansweredansweringansweranswer2 S1 W2 verb
Verb form1reply [intransitive and transitive]ANSWER/REPLY to say something to someone as a reply when they have asked you a question, made a suggestion etc: She thought for a moment before answering.thinkanswerHe still hadn’t answered my question.answer‘Why don’t you just leave?’ ‘I’d like to,’ she answered, ‘but I have nowhere else to go.’answeranswer (that)When questioned, Hughes answered that he knew nothing about the robbery.questionanswerknowHow much was it? Come on, answer me.be2testTEST [intransitive and transitive]ANSWER/RESULT to write or say the answer to a question in a test or competition: Answer as many questions as possible in the time provided.questionprovide3answer the phone/a call/the doorTALK TO SB to pick up the telephone and speak when it rings or open the door when someone knocks or rings the bell4letterLETTER [transitive]ANSWER/REPLY if you answer a letter or advertisement, you write a letter to the person who has written it: Simon got the job by answering an advert in the paper.getanswer5RESPONSIBLEanswer criticism/charges/accusations etc to explain why you did something when people are criticizing you – used in news reports: How do you answer the criticism that your government has done nothing to help the homeless?havedo6react to somethingDO STH AS A REACTION [intransitive and transitive]REACT to do something as a reaction to criticism or an attack SYN respond: The army answered by firing into the crowd.answerfire7deal with a problemDEAL WITH A PROBLEM [transitive]DEAL WITH to be a way of dealing with or solving a problem: ‘You can borrow my car if you like.’ ‘Well, that answers one problem.’answer8answer a needPROVIDE to provide something that is needed: Our transportation system is designed to answer the needs of the city’s commuters.bedesignneedcommuter9answer a descriptionSAME if someone answers a description, they match that description: A man answering the police’s description was seen entering the building.answerbeseeenterbuildTHESAURUSanswer to say something to someone when they have asked you a question or spoken to you: You don’t have to answer the question if you don’t want to. | I said hello to her, but she didn’t answer.sayreply to answer someone. Used especially in written English to report what someone said: ‘I’m so sorry,’ he replied.reply | We asked Jane to help, but she replied that she was too busy.askreplyberespond formal to answer someone: How do you respond to the allegation that you deliberately deceived your employers?deceiveemployergive somebody an answer to answer someone by telling them what you have decided or giving them a piece of information they asked for: He asked me to marry him, but I didn’t give him an answer straight away.askget back to somebody to answer someone at a later time especially by telephoning them, usually because you need to think about their question or find out more information: She’s promised to get back to me as soon as she hears any more news from the hospital.promisehearretort written to answer someone angrily, especially because they have annoyed you or criticized you: ‘You’re not afraid?’ Brenda asked. ‘Of course not,’ he retorted angrily.askretortanswer back phrasal verb ANSWER/REPLYto reply in a rude way to someone that you are supposed to obeyanswer somebody backDon’t answer me back young man!answer for somebody/something phrasal verb1to explain to people in authority why you did something wrong or why something happened, and be punished if necessary: Their coach must answer for the team’s poor performance.2RESPONSIBLEhave a lot to answer for informal to be responsible for causing a lot of trouble3CERTAINLY/DEFINITELYcan’t answer for somebody spoken used to say that you cannot make a decision for someone who is not there, or give their opinion: I’m sure John will help us – I can’t really answer for the others.answer to somebody/something phrasal verb1EXPLAINto give an explanation to someone, especially about something that you have done wrong: Phipps answers to me and me alone.answer2answer to the name of something to be called a particular name – used humorously: a well-dressed young woman answering to the name of Suzannedressanswer
adjectiveWord familyDate: 1300-1400Language: French
Origin: Latin finalis, from finis ‘end’ 1[only before noun]LAST last in a series of actions, events, parts of a story etc:
The final episode will be shown tonight.showstudents preparing for their final examinationsstudentprepareexaminationStone is filming the final instalment of his Vietnam trilogy.befilmthe final stages in their relationshipstageThey scored in the final minutes of the game.scoreminuteThe final whistle (=blown at the end of a game) was only seconds away when Redknapp equalised.besecondfinal demand British English (=the last bill you receive for money you owe before court action is taken against you)2[only before noun]END being the result at the end of a process: the quality of the final productDoes anyone know the final score?dofinal result/outcomeI do not know what the final outcome will be.3CHANGE YOUR MINDif a decision, offer, answer etc is final, it cannot or will not be changed: The judge’s decision is final.befinal decision/say/approval etcWe can advise the client, but in the end it is he who has the final say.behaveIs that your final answer?beand that’s final! (=used to say forcefully that you will not change your decision)She’s not coming with us, and that’s final!come4[only before noun]END happening at or near the end of an event or process SYN last: In the final years of his life, Hervey achieved high office in the church.yearachieve5used to emphasize that the last thing in a series of events is very severe or damaging SYN ultimatefinal indignity/humiliationThe vote of no confidence was the final humiliation for a government that had been clinging to office.behavebecling → in the final analysis at analysis(4)THESAURUSthe one that comes at the endlast [only before noun] happening or existing at the end, with no others after: What time does the last train leave?do | Our house is the last one on the right.befinal [only before noun] last in a series of actions, events, parts of a story etc: It’s the final game of the championship tomorrow. | the final scene of the filmclosing [only before noun] used about the last part of a long period of time, or of an event, book etc that has been exciting or interesting: the closing years of the twentieth centurycloseyear | Barnes scored the winning goal in the closing minutes of the game.scorewincloseminuteconcluding [only before noun] used about the last part of a piece of writing, a speech, or an organized event, that ends it in a definite way: the concluding section of the reportconclude | the judge’s concluding remarksconcluderemarkpenultimate /peˈnʌltəmət, peˈnʌltɪmət, pə-/ [only before noun] the one before the last one: the penultimate chapter
finalnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesfinalfinalsfinalfinal2 AC noun [countable]Word family1LASTthe last and most important game, race, or set of games in a competitionbe through to/reach the finalHe’s through to the men’s tennis final for the first time.manthe finals (=the last few games or races in a competition)the NBA finalsfinal2finals [plural] British EnglishEXAM/TEST the set of examinations that students take at the end of their time at university SYN final examssit/take your finalsAnna sat her finals last summer.sitfinal3American EnglishEXAM/TEST an important test that you take at the end of a particular class in high school or collegeTHESAURUStest a set of questions or practical activities, which are intended to find out how much someone knows about a subject or skill: I have a chemistry test tomorrow. | Did Lauren pass her driving test?dodriveexam (also examination formal) an important test that you do at the end of a course of study or class or at the end of the school year: He’s upstairs, revising for an exam.revise | When do you get your exam results?result | There’s a written examination at the end of the course.writequiz American English a quick test that a teacher gives to a class, usually to check that students are learning the things they should be learning: We have a math quiz every Monday. | a pop quiz (=a quiz given by a teacher without any warning)finals British English the last exams that you take at the end of a British university course: During my finals I was revising till 3 o'clock in the morning most days.finalberevisedayfinal American English an important test that you take at the end of a particular class in high school or college: The English final was pretty hard.bemidterm American English an important test that you take in the middle of a term, covering what you have learned in a particular class in high school or college: He did badly in the midterm.dooral exam (also oral British English) an exam in which you answer questions by speaking, instead of writing, for example to test how good you are at speaking a foreign language: Nicky got an A in her Spanish oral.get | You can either take an oral exam or do a 25 page essay.practical British English an exam that tests your ability to do or make things, rather than your ability to write about them: The chemistry practical is on Monday.bemocks/mock exams British English informal tests that you take as practice before the official examinations: She did well in the mocks.domockpaper British English a set of printed questions used as an examination in a particular subject, or the answers people write: The history paper was really difficult.be | The papers are marked by the other teachers.paperbemarkteacher
verb
Date: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: joindre, from Latin jungere Verb form1group/organization [transitive]JOIN AN ORGANIZATION to become a member of an organization, society, or group:
When did you join the Labour Party?doI decided to join the army.decideYou can enjoy a sport without joining a club or belonging to a team.joinbelong2activity [transitive] to begin to take part in an activity that other people are involved in: Many sacrificed their weekend to join the hunt for the missing girl.sacrificemissthe benefits of joining our pension schemebenefitjoinChurch leaders have joined the campaign to end foxhunting.leaderjoin3go to somebody [transitive]MEET to go somewhere in order to be with someone or do something with them: She joined her aunt in the sitting room.joinsitThe immigrants were soon joined by their wives and children.immigrantbejoinwifechild ► Do not say ‘join with’ someone. Join is always followed by an object in this sense: I’ll join you later.4WITHdo something together [intransitive and transitive] to do something together with someone else, or as a groupjoin somebody for somethingI invited them to join us for a glass of wine.invitejoin (with) somebody in doing somethingI’m sure you’ll all join me in thanking today’s speaker.thankjoin (with) somebody to do somethingParents have joined with health experts to produce a video for bereaved families.parentjoinexpertbereavefamilyjoin togetherThree police forces have joined together to buy a helicopter.forcejoin5connect a)[transitive]JOIN STH TOGETHER to connect or fasten things together: Join the two pieces of wood with strong glue.piecejoin something to somethingThe island is joined to the mainland by a causeway.bejoin b)[intransitive and transitive]JOIN STH TOGETHER if two roads, rivers etc join, they come together and become connected at a particular point: Finally, we arrived at Dartmouth, where the River Dart joins the sea.arrivejointhe point where the two roads joinroad6join a queue British English, join a line American EnglishWAIT to go and stand at the end of a line of people: He went in and joined the queue for the toilets.gojointoilet7join hands if people join hands, they hold each other’s hands: They joined hands and danced round and round.joinhanddance8join the club spokenAGREE used to say that you and a lot of other people are in the same situation: ‘I’m having difficulty knowing what today’s debate is about.’ ‘Join the club, Geoffrey.’haveknowbe9join battle formalFIGHT to begin fighting10be joined in marriage/holy matrimony formalMARRY to be married11be joined at the hip informal if two people are joined at the hip, they are always together and are very friendly – often used to show disapproval → join/combine forces at force1(10), → if you can’t beat 'em, join 'em at beat1(23)THESAURUSMeaning 5to join things togetherjoin to make two things come together and stay in that position. Join is used about fixing two things together permanently, so that they form a single thing: Doctors used a metal rod to join the two pieces of bone together.doctorusepieceattach to join one thing to another, so that it stays in position. Attach is often used when you can separate the two things later: She attached the photo to the letter with a paper clip.attach | The boards are attached with nails.boardbeattachnail | On the wall, attached with adhesive tape, was a New York City subway map.attachbeconnect (also connect up) to join pieces of equipment together, especially with a wire or pipe, so that electricity, gas, water etc can pass from one to another: Have you connected up the speakers to the stereo?connectspeaker | The hoses that connect the radiator to the engine are leaking.hosebeleaklink (also link up) to connect machines, systems, computers etc, so that electronic signals can pass from one to another: All the office PCs are linked to the main server.belinkjoin in (something) phrasal verb TAKE PART/BE INVOLVEDto take part in something that a group of people are doing or that someone else does: In the evening there was a barbecue, with the whole village joining in the fun.evenbejoinHe stared at them without joining in the conversation.starejoinHe laughed loudly, and Mattie joined in.laughjoinjoin up phrasal verb1JOIN AN ORGANIZATIONto become a member of the army, navy, or air force2British English to connect things, or to become connectedjoin something ↔ upThe dots are joined up by a line.dotbejoinjoin up with somebody/something phrasal verb WITHto combine with or meet other people in order to do something: Three months ago, they joined up with another big company that sells arms.monthjoinsellarm
joinnounCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Phrases from other entriesCorpus examplesjoinjoinsjoinjoin2 noun [countable] JOIN STH TOGETHERa place where two parts of an object are connected or fastened together: It’s been glued back together so well you can hardly see the join.beglue
adjective [only before noun]Date: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: curant, present participle of courre ‘to run’, from Latin currere NOWhappening or existing now SYN present:
the current PresidentIn its current state, the car is worth £1,000.beTHESAURUSpresent [only before noun] happening or existing now: The present situation could get much worse.canill | the present century | There are no plans to build more houses here at the present time.beplanhousecurrent [only before noun] present – used especially about something that is not expected to stay the same for long: current trends in fashiontrend | the current state of the UK economyexisting [only before noun] formal existing or being used now – used about things or situations that you think may be changed in the future: The existing offices are too small.existofficebe | The proposal will strengthen existing immigration laws.existlawcontemporary [only before noun] used about the art, writing, ideas, society etc that belong to the present time: the impact of computer-generated imagery on contemporary art and designgenerate | contemporary music in Russiatoday’s/of today used about conditions and attitudes that exist now, when you are comparing them with those that existed in the past: People struggle to keep up with the pace of life in today’s world of instant communications.communication | the liberal ideology of today
currentnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1Word sets 1 2 3 4Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplescurrentcurrentscurrentcurrent2 W3 noun [countable]1WATERa continuous movement of water in a river, lake, or sea → tideocean/sea/tidal etc currentStrong currents can be very dangerous for swimmers.currentswimmer2a continuous movement of air: Some birds use warm air currents to help them fly.birdcurrentcurrent ofcurrents of warm air rising from the plaincurrentrise3a flow of electricity through a wire: an electrical current → alternating current, direct current4an idea, feeling, or opinion that a particular group of people has: The committee reflects the different political currents within the organization.reflectcurrentcurrent ofThere was an underlying current of discontent among teachers.beunderlieteacher ► Do not confuse with currant (=a dried grape or a type of berry).COLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + current an ocean/sea/river current Ocean currents carry young fish out to sea.currenta tidal current (=caused by the movement of the tides) Tidal currents make the seas around the islands very rough.currentseaislandstrong On surfing beaches, strong currents are common.surfbeachcurrentbefast/fast-flowing Fast-flowing currents made the rescue job even harder.flowcurrentmakeharddangerous/treacherous Beaches usually have signs that warn of dangerous currents.beachsigncurrentverbsa current flows Sea currents flow at up to 12 miles per hour around parts of the coast.currentmilparta current carries somebody/something (=makes them move along in the water) Their boat was moving fast, carried by the current.bemovecarrya current sweeps somebody/something (=carries them very powerfully, so that they cannot stop moving) The treacherous currents have swept away three swimmers in the past year.currentsweepswimmer
verb (past tense drove /drəʊv $ droʊv/, past participle driven /ˈdrɪvən/)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: drifan Verb form1OPERATE A VEHICLEvehicle a)[intransitive and transitive] to make a car, truck, bus etc move alongdrive to/down/off etc
I am planning to drive to Morocco next year.beplanthe man driving the cardriveCan you drive?So when did you learn to drive?doBye! Drive carefully!He drives 12 miles to work.drivemilHe drives (=has) a BMW estate.drive b)[intransitive always + adverb/preposition] if a car, truck etc drives somewhere, it moves there: After the accident, the other car just drove off.drive c)TRAVEL SOMEWHERE[intransitive] if people drive somewhere, they travel somewhere in a car: Shall we drive or take the bus?drive to/down/off etcThey drove back to Woodside.drive d)TAKE SB SOMEWHERE[transitive always + adverb/preposition] to take someone somewhere in a car, truck etc: She drove Anna to London.driveI’ll drive you home.drive yourselfI drove myself to hospital.drive2FORCE SB/STHmake somebody move [transitive] to force a person or animal to go somewhere: Torrential rain drove the players off the course.driveplayerWith a few loud whistles, they drove the donkeys out of the enclosure.whistledrivedonkey3FEELINGmake somebody do something [transitive] to strongly influence someone to do somethingdrive somebody to do somethingThe detective wondered what had driven Christine to phone her.wonderhavedrivedrive somebody to/into somethingThe noises in my head have nearly driven me to suicide.noisedrivePhil, driven by jealousy, started spying on his wife.drivestartspy4make somebody/something be in a bad state [transitive] to make someone or something get into a bad or extreme state, usually an emotional onedrive somebody crazy/nuts/mad/insane (=make someone feel very annoyed)This cough is driving me mad!bedrivedrive somebody crazy/wild (=make someone feel very sexually excited)drive somebody up the wall/out of their mind (=make someone feel very annoyed)drive somebody to distraction/desperationThe mosquitoes drive me to distraction.mosquitodrive somebody/something into somethingThe factory had been driven into bankruptcy.havebedrive5HIThit/push something into something [transitive] to hit or push something into something elsedrive something into somethingWe watched Dad drive the posts into the ground.watchpostgrindShe drove her heels into the sand.driveheel6make somebody work [transitive] to make a person or animal work harddrive yourselfDon’t drive yourself too hard.7sports [intransitive and transitive] a)to move a ball etc forward in a game of baseball, football, golf etc by hitting or kicking it hard and fast: He drove the ball into the corner of the net.drive b)to run with the ball towards the goal in sports such as basketball and American football8PROVIDE POWERprovide power [transitive] to provide the power for a vehicle or machinepetrol-driven/electrically-driven/battery-driven etca petrol-driven lawn mowerdrive9rain/wind etc [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] if rain, snow, wind etc drives somewhere, it moves very quickly in that direction: The rain was driving down hard.bedrive10drive a coach and horses through somethingDESTROY to destroy an argument, plan etc completely: The new bill will drive a coach and horses through recent trade agreements.horseagreement11MAKE A HOLEmake a hole [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to make a large hole in something using heavy equipment or machinery: They drove a tunnel through the mountains.drivemountain12drive something homeCLEAR/EASY TO UNDERSTAND to make something completely clear to someone: He didn’t have to drive the point home. The videotape had done that.havedo13drive a wedge between somebodyDISAGREE to do something that makes people disagree or start to dislike each other: I don’t want to drive a wedge between you and your father. → drive/strike a hard bargain at hard1(18)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 4phrasesdrive somebody crazy/mad/insane spoken (also drive somebody nuts spoken informal) (=make someone feel very annoyed) The continuous noise was driving me crazy.bedrivedrive somebody crazy/wild (=make someone feel very sexually excited) He drives women wild.drivewomandrive somebody up the wall/round the bend/out of their mind spoken informal (=make someone feel very annoyed) That voice of hers drives me up the wall.drivedrive somebody to distraction (=make someone feel very upset or annoyed) She was being driven to distraction by her husband’s bad habits.bebedrivehabitdrive somebody to despair/desperation (=make someone despair) Escalating personal debts have driven many people to despair.escalatedebtdrivedrive somebody to drink (=make someone so annoyed or upset that they depend on alcohol) His problems had almost driven him to drink.problemhavedrivedrive at something phrasal verb what somebody is driving atSAY the thing someone is really trying to say SYN get at: I still couldn’t understand what Toby was driving at.bedrivedrive somebody ↔ away phrasal verb FORCE SB TO DO STHto behave in a way that makes someone leave: He was cruel because he wanted to drive me away.bewantdrive something ↔ down phrasal verb to make prices, costs etc fall quickly: We have to drive down costs.costdrive somebody/something ↔ in phrasal verb to hit the ball so that another player can score a run in baseballdrive off phrasal verb1to hit the ball to begin a game of golf2FORCE SB TO DO STHdrive somebody ↔ off to force a person or animal to go away from you: We keep dogs in the yard to drive off intruders.dogintruderdrive somebody/something ↔ out phrasal verb1FORCE SB TO DO STHto force someone or something to leave: Downtown stores are being driven out by crime.storebebedrive2written to make something stop existing: As we went forward, our fear was driven out by horror.gobedrivedrive something ↔ up phrasal verb to make prices, costs etc rise quickly: The oil shortage drove gas prices up by 20 cents a gallon.drivepricecent
drivenounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Word sets 1 2 3 4 5 6Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesdrivedrivesdrivedrive2 S2 W2 noun
Word family1IN A CARin a car [countable] a journey in a cardrive to/along etcLet’s go for a drive along the coast.Taylor took me for a drive through the town.takean hour’s/a two hour etc driveIt’s a two hour drive from Calais to Thiepval.2NATURAL NEEDnatural need [countable] a strong natural need or desire: The treatment will not affect your sex drive.3OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSEoutside your house [countable] the hard area or road between your house and the street SYN drivewayin/on the driveHe parked his car in the drive.park4A FIGHT FOR STHeffort [countable] an effort to achieve something, especially an effort by an organization for a particular purpose: a recruitment drive for new membersmemberan economy drive (=effort to reduce spending)drive to do somethinga nationwide drive to crack down on crime5determination [uncountable]ENERGETIC determination and energy to succeed: Brian has got tremendous drive.haveget6POWERpower [uncountable] the power from an engine that makes the wheels of a vehicle go roundfront-wheel/rear-wheel/four-wheel drive7computer [countable] a piece of equipment in a computer that is used to get information from a disk or to store information on ithard/floppy/A etc drive → disk drive8SPORTsport [countable] an act of hitting a ball hard, especially in tennis, baseball, or golf: He hit a long, high drive to right field.9MILITARY ATTACKmilitary attack [countable] several military attacksdrive intoa drive deep into enemy territory10animals [countable] when animals such as cows or sheep are brought together and made to move in a particular direction11Drive used in the names of roads: 141 Park Drive
adverb
1return to placeRETURNRETURN in, into, or to the place or position where someone or something was before: I’ll be back in a minute.Put that book back where you found it!findback in/to/into etcRory plugged the cable back into the socket.plugI feel like going back to bed.gogo/get/head etc backWe ought to try and get back before it gets dark.getHe was back home by half past eleven.beIt’s possible to travel there and back in a day.2AS BEFOREPASTas before in or into the condition or situation you were in before: Gary woke at 4am and couldn’t get back to sleep.wakeIt took me a long time to get my confidence back.takeIf you decide to marry him, there will be no going back (=you will not be able to get back to your previous situation).gogo/get back to (doing) somethingThere’s no way I’m going back to being poor.gobeIt’ll take a while for things to get back to normal.thing3HOME TOWNTOWNprevious place in or to a place where you lived or worked beforeback in/atShe was the one who had fired him from his first job back in South Africa.behavefireback home (=in the place that you come from and think of as your home)It reminded me of evenings back home.remindevening4NOT FORWARDSBEHINDbackwards in the opposite direction from the way you are facing OPP forwards: He glanced back at the house.glanceKirov stepped back a pace.stepShe tilted her head back to look at him.tilt5REPLYANSWER/REPLYreply/reaction if you do something back, you do it as a reply or reaction to what someone has said or done: Can I call you back later?lateI’ll pay you back on Friday.‘No, thanks!’ he shouted back.thankshoutIf he hits you, you just hit him back.hit6return something to somebody if you give something, get something etc back, you return it to the person who first had it, or you have it returned to you: Can we have our ball back, please?I want all my books back as soon as you’ve finished with them.bookfinishGive me back that letter! It’s none of your business!7THE PASTPASTin the past in or towards a time in the past: a pile of newspapers dating back to the 1970snewspaperdateA lot of emotional problems can be traced back to childhood.problemtraceLooking back on it, I should have known he was unhappy.lookshallknowbeAt times, I think back to my life in Moscow.timeback inThe house was built back in 1235.bebuildthree years/two months etc back (=three years ago etc)His wife died a couple of years back.dieyearHe called me a while back.call8AGAINagain once again: Go back over your work to check for any mistakes.mistakeLiverpool were back level again two minutes later with a superb goal.beminutelate9sit/lie/lean backRELAXED to sit or lie in a comfortable relaxed way: Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!10AWAY FROM STHMOVE STH OR SBaway away from a surface, person, or thing: She pulled the bandage back very carefully.pullHer hair was brushed back from her face.bebrushThe woman nodded and stood back, allowing Patrick to enter.nodstandallow11back and forthMOVE STH OR SB going in one direction and then in the opposite direction, and repeating this several times: We travel back and forth all the time between Canada and England.He was pacing back and forth.bepace12BOOKTOWARDStowards beginning towards the beginning of a book, tape, document etc: Turn back to the summaries at the end of section 1.5.summaryWind the tape back to the beginning.beginClicking on the icon will take you back to the previous web page.click
backnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6Word sets 1 2 3 4Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesbackbacksbackback2 S1 W1 noun [countable]
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: bæc 1BODYpart of your body a)the part of the body between the neck and legs, on the opposite side to the stomach and chest:
The cat arched its back and hissed.archhissMy feet were sore and my back was aching.footbebeacheKeep your head up and your back straight.To avoid back problems, always bend your knees when you lift heavy objects.problemkneeobjectHe lay on his back and gazed at the ceiling.liegazeJohnny was lying flat on his back in the middle of the floor.belieAnna stood with her back to the window.standon sb’s back (=carried on someone’s back)The girl appeared again, now with a little baby on her back.appear b)the bones between your neck and the top of your legs SYN spine: He broke his back in a motorbike accident.break2
PARTBACK OF STHnot at front [usually singular] the part of something that is furthest from the front OPP front: a T-shirt with a picture of a snake on the backback ofHe kissed her on the back of her head.kissHer window faced the backs of the houses.facebackhousein the back (of something) (=used especially about the back of a vehicle)Two men were sitting in the back of the car.manbesitat the back (of something)a small shop with an office at the backin back (of something) American English (=in or at the back of something)Kids should always wear seat belts, even in back.kidshallbeltout back American English (=behind a house or other building)Tom’s working on the car out back.workround/out the back British English (=behind a house or building)Have you looked round the back?look3SURFACEBACK OF STHless important side [usually singular] the less important side or surface of something such as a piece of paper or card OPP front: Paul scribbled his address on the back of an envelope.scribbleThe credits are listed on the back of the album.creditbelist4CHAIRBACK OF STHpart of seat the part of a seat that you lean against when you are sittingback ofHe rested his arm on the back of the sofa.rest5BOOK/NEWSPAPERBACK OF STHbook/newspaper [usually singular] the last pages of a book or newspaper OPP frontat the back (of)The sports pages are usually at the back.sportpagebein the back (of)The answers are in the back of the book.answerbe6at/in the back of your mindTHINK ABOUT a thought that is at the back of your mind is one you try to ignore because you do not want it to be true: At the back of her mind was the thought that he might be with someone else.bethinkput/push something to the back of your mindHe tried to push these uncomfortable thoughts to the back of his mind.trythought7back to back a)BACK OF STHwith the backs towards each other: Stand back to back and we’ll see who’s tallest.tall b)SERIEShappening immediately one after the other: a couple of back-to-back wins for the teamwin → know something like the back of your hand at know1(3), → turn your back on somebody/something at turn1(7)
backverbCollocations from other entriesThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesbackbacksbackedbackingbackback3 S2 W3 verb
Verb form1SUPPORTsupport [transitive usually passive]SUPPORT A PERSON, GROUP, OR PLAN a)to support someone or something, especially by giving them money or using your influence: The scheme has been backed by several major companies in the region.havebebackcompanySome suspected that the rebellion was backed and financed by the US.suspectbebackfinancegovernment-backed loansbackloan b)(also back up) to support an idea by providing facts, proof etc: His claims are not backed by any scientific evidence.claimbeback2MOVE SBmove backwards [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive]BACK/BACKWARDS to move backwards, or make someone or something move backwardsback into/out of/away from etcShe backed into a doorway to let the crowds pass by.backcrowdback somebody into/towards/out of etc somethingHe began to back her towards the open door.beginback something into/towards/out of etc somethingI backed the car into the garage.back3BACK SURFACEput something on the back [transitive usually passive]PUT to put a material or substance onto the back of something, in order to protect it or make it stronger: Back the photo with cardboard.a plastic-backed shower curtainback4BE BEHINDbe behind something [transitive usually passive]BACK OF STH to be at the back of something or behind it: The Jandia Peninsula is a stretch of white sands backed by a mountain range.besandback5MUSICmusic [transitive usually passive] to play or sing the music that supports the main singer or musician: They performed all their hits, backed by a 40-piece orchestra.performhitback6HORSE/DOG RACErisk money [transitive] to risk money on whether a particular horse, dog, team etc wins something7back the wrong horseSUPPORT A PERSON, GROUP, OR PLAN to support someone or something that is not successfulback away phrasal verb1BACK/BACKWARDSto move backwards and away from something, especially because you are frightenedback away fromShe backed away from the menacing look on his face.backmenace2STOP DOING STHto stop supporting a plan or idea, or stop being involved in somethingback away fromThe government has backed away from its nuclear weapons strategy.havebackweaponback down phrasal verb LOSE A GAME, COMPETITION, OR WARACCEPTto admit that you are wrong or that you have lost an argument: Both sides have refused to back down.siderefuseback off phrasal verb1BACK/BACKWARDSto move backwards, away from someone or something: She backed off and then turned and ran.backturnrun2FORCE SB TO DO STHto stop telling someone what to do, or stop criticizing them, especially so that they can deal with something themselves: I think you should back off for a while.shallBack off, Marc! Let me run my own life!3STOP DOING STHto stop supporting something, or decide not to do something you were planning to do: Jerry backed off when he realized how much work was involved.backrealizebeinvolveback off fromThe company has backed off from investing new money.havebackinvestback onto something phrasal verb OPPOSITE/FACEif a building backs onto something, its back faces it: The hotel backs onto St Mark’s Square.backback out phrasal verb PROMISEto decide not to do something that you had promised to do: It’s too late to back out now.After you’ve signed the contract, it will be impossible to back out.signback out ofThe government is trying to back out of its commitment to reduce pollution.betryback up phrasal verb1back somebody/something ↔ upPROVE to say or show that what someone is saying is true: Jane would back me up if she were here.willbeThere’s no evidence to back up his accusations.accusationThese theories have not been backed up by research.theorybeback2back somebody/something ↔ up to provide support or help for someone or something: The plan’s success depends on how vigorously the UN will back it up with action.dependThe police officers are backed up by extra teams of people at the weekend.officerbebackteam → backup3to make a copy of information stored on a computer: Make sure you back up.back something ↔ upThese devices can back up the whole system.deviceback something ↔ up onto somethingBack all your files up onto floppy disks.filedisk → backup4especially American English to make a vehicle move backwards: The truck stopped and then backed up.stopbackback something ↔ upI backed the car up a little.back5BACK/BACKWARDSto move backwards: Back up a bit so that everyone can see.bite → backup6if traffic backs up, it forms a long line of vehicles that cannot move: The traffic was starting to back up in both directions.bestartdirection7if a toilet, sink etc backs up, it becomes blocked so that water cannot flow out of it
backadjectiveCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesbackbackback4 S2 W3 adjective [only before noun]1BACK OF STHat or in the back of something OPP front: You’ll be sleeping in the back bedroom.sleepTurn to the back page.I keep my keys in my back pocket.keyThere was the sound of giggling from the back row.begiggleThe rabbit had one of its back legs caught in a trap.havelegcatch → back door2BEHINDbehind something, especially a building OPP front: the back gardenWe left by the back gate.leave3BACK OF STHfrom the back: The back view of the hotel was even less appealing than the front.belittleappeal4back street/lane/road etcROAD/PATH a street etc that is away from the main streets: a short cut down a back lane5back rent/taxes/pay etcMONEY money that someone owes from an earlier date6back issue/copy/number a copy of a magazine or newspaper from an earlier date7technical a back vowel sound is made by lifting your tongue at the back of your mouth
verb (past tense and past participle died, present participle dying, third person singular dies) [intransitive]
Date: 1100-1200Origin: Probably from Old Norse deyja Verb form1become deadDIE to stop living and become dead:
He died in 1985 at the age of 76.dieHer father died suddenly in an accident when she was only ten.diebedie of/fromThe animals died of starvation in the snow.animaldiepatients who are dying from cancerpatientbedieShe died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 98.diedie for something (=be killed while fighting to defend something)Do you believe in anything enough to die for it?die young/happy/poorShe died young, at the age of 27.dieThe bullet went straight through his head, and he died instantly.godieto your dying day/until the day you die (=until you die)It must remain a secret until the day I die.sb’s dying breath/wish (=someone’s last breath or wish)It was his dying wish that the house be opened to the public.bedieopendie a hero/martyr/rich man etcMy uncle died a hero.diedie a natural/violent/agonizing deathDid she die a natural death? (=did she die naturally, or did someone kill her?)do2disappearDISAPPEAR to disappear or stop existing: Our love will never die.The family name will die with him (=disappear when he dies).He’s one of a dying breed (=a type of person that is no longer common).die3machines informalSTOP HAPPENING to stop working SYN break down: The engine spluttered and died.splutterdiedie on somebody (=stop working while they are using it)The mower just died on me.die4be dying for something/to do something spokenWANT to want something very much: I’m dying for a cup of tea.dieShe was dying to ask where he’d got it.bediegetI’m dying to see what it is.diebe5be dying of hunger/thirst/boredom spoken to be very hungry, thirsty, bored etc: Do you fancy a cup of tea? I’m dying of thirst.die6I nearly died/I could have died spokenEMBARRASSED used to say that you felt very surprised or embarrassed: I nearly died when I saw it was my ex-husband!dieseebe7die of embarrassment/shame to be very embarrassed or ashamed: The room was such a mess, I just died of embarrassment.bedie8I’d rather die spokenWANT# used to say very strongly that you do not want to do something: I’d rather die than work for him!9in the dying minutes/seconds/moments (of something) during the last minutes or seconds before the end of something: United scored an equaliser in the dying minutes of the game.unitescoredieminute10old habits/traditions/customs die hardCHANGE/BECOME DIFFERENT used to say that it takes a long time to change to a new way of doing something11never say die spokenCONTINUE/NOT STOP used to encourage someone to continue doing something that is difficult12die a/the death informalFAIL to gradually fail or be forgotten: The rumour gradually died a death.die13die laughing spokenLAUGH to laugh a lot: We nearly died laughing when he told us.dielaughtell14GOOD/EXCELLENTto die for informal extremely nice, attractive, or desirable: She had hair to die for.haveCOLLOCATIONSdie + ADVERBdie instantly (=as soon as an accident, injury etc happens) He was shot in the head and died instantly.beshootdiedie suddenly She died suddenly of a heart attack, in Amsterdam.diedie young They had seven children and three of them died young.havechilddiedie alone He had a fear of dying alone.havediedie unmarried He died unmarried in 1922.diedie aged 35/50 etc Her father died aged 84.dieagedie peacefully (=calmly and without pain) The nurses said that she died very peacefully.nursesaydiedie tragically His wife had died tragically in an accident.havediedie penniless (=without any money) Van Gogh died penniless because nobody bought his paintings.diebuypaintingphrasesdie in your sleep During the night he died in his sleep.diedie in suspicious/mysterious circumstances (=used to say that someone may have been killed) He got involved with drug dealers and died in mysterious circumstances.getinvolvedealerdiecircumstancedie a natural death (=of natural causes, rather than being killed) The coroner concluded that Wilkins had died a natural death.concludehavediedie a sudden/violent/slow etc death At the end of the play, the main character dies a violent death.diedie a hero/rich man etc He died a hero on the battlefield.diedie in childbirth (=giving birth to a baby) More women died in childbirth in the past.womandieTHESAURUSdie to stop being alive, as a result of old age or illness: I want to see Ireland again before I die. | No wonder your plants always die – you don’t water them enough.plant | His son died of liver cancer three years ago.dieliveyearpass away to die – used when you want to avoid using the word ‘die’, in order to show respect or to avoid upsetting someone: My wife had just passed away, and I didn’t want to be around people.havepasspass on to pass away – use this especially when you believe that the soul has a life after the death of the body: I’m sorry, Emily, but your mother has passed on.havepasslose your life to be killed in a terrible event: Hundreds of people lost their lives when the ship overturned in a storm.hundredloseliveoverturnperish literary to die in a terrible event – used especially in literature and news reports: Five children perished before firefighters could put out the blaze.childperishfirefightercangive your life/lay down your life formal to die in order to save someone, or because of something that you believe in: We honor the men and women who have given their lives in service of their country.manwomangivelivedrop dead informal to suddenly die, when people do not expect you to: One day, he came home from work and dropped dead of a heart attack.comedropkick the bucket/pop your clogs British English, buy the farm American English informal to die – used when you are not talking seriously about death: It’s not like I’m going to kick the bucket tomorrow.godie away phrasal verb DISAPPEARQUIETif sound, wind, or light dies away, it becomes gradually weaker until you cannot hear, feel, or see it: Her voice died away as she saw the look on David’s face.dieseeShe waited until the footsteps had died away.waitfootstephavediedie back phrasal verb if a plant dies back, it dies above the ground but remains alive at its rootsdie down phrasal verb QUIETSTOP HAPPENINGif something dies down, it becomes less strong, active, or violent: Don’t worry, the gossip will soon die down.when the excitement had died downhavediedie off phrasal verb DISAPPEARif a group of people or animals die off, they die one by one until there are no more of themdie out phrasal verb DISAPPEARto disappear or stop existing completely: The wild population of koalas is in danger of dying out.koalabedieThere will be outbreaks of rain, gradually dying out later.outbreakdielate
dienounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplesdiediesdiedie2 noun [countable]1a metal block used to press or cut something into a particular shape2
a dice3the die is castDECIDE used to say that a decision has been taken and cannot now be changed
adjectiveDate: 1300-1400Origin: difficulty 1DIFFICULThard to do, understand, or deal with OPP easy:
a difficult questionan immensely difficult taskWas the exam very difficult?beIt’s difficult to see how more savings can be made.savingmakedifficult (for somebody) to understand/find/obtain etcThat’s rather difficult for me to explain.He’s finding it difficult to get a job.find2PROBLEMinvolving a lot of problems and causing a lot of trouble or worry: a difficult situationThings are a bit difficult at home at the moment.thingbebiteThere could be difficult times ahead.cantimemake life/things difficult for somebody (=cause problems for someone)She’s doing everything she can to make life difficult for him.do3BAD-TEMPEREDsomeone who is difficult never seems pleased or satisfied SYN awkward: Don’t be so difficult!a difficult customerTHESAURUSdifficult not easy to do, understand, or deal with: a difficult question | The homework was really difficult.be | It is difficult to see how peace can be achieved in the region.beachievehard difficult. Hard is less formal than difficult and is very common in spoken English: The test was really hard.be | a hard decision | It was hard to forgive him.betough very difficult, because you have to use a lot of effort, or because it affects you emotionally: a tough race | Doctors have to make tough decisions about who to treat first.doctordecision | The team faces some tough competition.face | Life is tough sometimes.betricky difficult because it is complicated and full of problems: She had helped him out of a tricky situation.havehelp | Merging the two companies was bound to be tricky.mergecompanybebindawkward rather difficult to deal with – used especially when something could be embarrassing: You’ve put me in a very awkward position. | It was getting dark and foggy, which made the rescue even more awkward.begetmakechallenging difficult in an interesting or enjoyable way: I wanted a job that was more challenging.wantbechallenge | a challenging piece of musicchallengedemanding difficult and tiring, because it takes a lot of effort: Being a nurse in a busy hospital is a demanding job.bebedemand | it can be very demanding bringing up young children.demandbringchilddaunting if something seems daunting, you think that it will be difficult and you do not feel confident about being able to do it: a daunting challengedaunt | The task seemed a little daunting at first.seemdauntdelicate needing to be dealt with carefully or sensitively, especially in order to avoid offending people or causing problems: This is a very delicate subject, and it can be difficult to talk about it with your parents.beparent | He thanked me for the way in which this delicate matter had been handled.thankhavebehandleCOLLOCATIONS CHECKdifficult question/decision/situation/problem etchard question/decision/testtough question/decision/job/game/racetricky question/situation/position/momentawkward question/situation/position/momentchallenging jobdemanding work/schedule/coursedaunting task/challenge/prospectdelicate subject/matter/issue
verb
Date: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: clamer, from Latin clamare ‘to cry out, shout’ Verb form1truth [transitive]SAY/STATE to state that something is true, even though it has not been provedclaim (that)
The product claims that it can make you thin without dieting.claimdietclaim to do/be somethingNo responsible therapist will claim to cure your insomnia.I don’t claim to be a feminist, but I’d like to see more women in top jobs.womanjobclaim to have done somethingThe girls claim to have seen the fairies.girlseefairyclaim responsibility/credit (for something) (=say officially that you are responsible for something that has happened)The group claimed responsibility for the bombings.claimbombingOpposition leaders will claim victory if the turnout is lower than 50%.leaderbelowclaim somebody/something as somethingA letter appeared in ‘The Times’ claiming Fleming as the discoverer of penicillin.appeartimeclaim2money [intransitive and transitive]ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STH to officially demand or receive money from an organization because you have a right to itclaim something backHe should be able to claim the price of the ticket back.shallclaim on British English: You can claim on the insurance if you have an accident while on holiday.claim benefit/an allowance/damages etcIf you’re still not satisfied, you may be able to claim compensation.satisfy3legal right [transitive]SAY/STATE to state that you have a right to take or have something that is legally yours: The majority of those who claim asylum are genuine refugees.berefugeeLost property can be claimed between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.loseclaim4death [transitive]DIE if a war, accident etc claims lives, people die because of it – used especially in news reports: The earthquake has so far claimed over 3,000 lives.haveclaimlive5attention [transitive]ATTENTION if something claims your attention, you notice and consider it carefully: The military conflict continues to claim our undivided attention.continueCOLLOCATIONSnounsclaim responsibility (=say that you are responsible for something bad) Following the attack, a man phoned a newspaper claiming responsibility.followphoneclaimclaim credit (=say that you are responsible for something good) Political parties always claim credit for economic growth.partyclaim victory (=say that you are the winner) The election results were in and the President was able to claim victory.resultbebeclaim descent (=say that you are related to someone important who lived a long time ago) He claimed descent from Beethoven.claimadverbswrongly/rightly This hotel can rightly claim that it has some of the best views on the island.havewellviewfalsely/rightfully (=wrongly/rightly) Some manufacturers falsely claim that their products are environmentally friendly.manufacturerproductbejustifiably (=with good reasons) They can justifiably claim to be the top team in the country.THESAURUSclaim to say that something is true, even though it has not been proved: He claims that he didn’t see anything.claim | She claims to be a descendant of Charles Dickens.claimallege to claim that someone did something wrong or illegal, although you do not give any proof: It is alleged that he murdered his wife.beallegemurder | Patients allege that the two firms failed to warn doctors about the dangers of taking the drugs over a long period.patientfirmfaildoctordangertakedrugmaintain to repeatedly say that something is true, especially when other people do not believe you: He continued to maintain his innocence, even after he was sent to prison.continuebesend | My mother always maintains that I learned to talk at six months.maintainlearnmonthinsist to say very firmly that something is true: She insists that Tom was there, although he denies it.insistbedeny | Turkey insists that there is more than enough water in the two rivers for all three countries.insistberivercountryassert formal to state that something is true – used especially in formal writing when reporting someone’s opinion: They assert that children work better on their own.childwell | The Environment Minister asserted that one third of the country’s cities had major pollution problems.assertcityhaveproblemcontend formal to claim that something is true, especially when other people disagree with you: Lawyers contend that his back problems were due to an existing injury, not the accident.lawyerproblembeexist | It is possible, as Kennedy contends, that her medical condition is caused by her work.becontendbecause
claimnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesclaimclaimsclaimclaim2 S2 W1 noun [countable]
1STATEMENTtruthSAY/STATE a statement that something is true, even though it has not been provedclaim thatGould rejected claims that he had acted irresponsibly.rejectclaimhaveactfalse/extravagant/dubious etc claimsfirms that make false claims about their productsfirmclaimproductThey made claims they couldn’t live up to.makeclaimthe competing claims of scientistscompeteclaimscientistdispute/deny/reject a claimThe police denied claims that the men were tortured.denyclaimmanbetortureEvidence to support these claims is still lacking.claimbelackclaim to do/be somethinghis claim to be the rightful owner of the paintingpaintI make no claim to understand the complexities of the situation.complexity2MONEYmoney a)RIGHT/HAVE THE RIGHT TOan official request for money that you think you have a right toclaim forclaims for compensationclaimreject/uphold/lose etc a claimHe lost his claim for unfair dismissal.losemake/put in/file a claimAll claims should be made in writing.claimshallmakewritepay/wage claim (=a request from workers for more money)Fill in and return the claim form as soon as it arrives.arrive b)MONEYthe sum of money you request when you make a claim: The insurance company cannot meet (=pay) such enormous claims.claim3TO OWN OR TAKE STHRIGHT/HAVE THE RIGHT TOrights a right to do something or to have something, especially because it belongs to you or because you deserve itclaim to/onSurely they have a rightful claim on their father’s land?The Maldives pressed its claim to hold the summit.pressPhilip feared Edward would lay claim to the Scottish crown.fearwillliethe competing claims of parents and teacherscompeteclaimparentteacherhave a claim on sb’s time/attention etcA woman who has given a man children will always have a claim on his love.havegivechild4stake your claim (for something)RIGHT/HAVE THE RIGHT TO to say that you have a right to own or do something, especially when other people also say they have a right to it: Tickets are on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, so stake your claim now.ticketbeserve5sb’s/sth’s claim to fameFAMOUS a place or person’s claim to fame is the reason why they are famous – often used humorously to mention something that is not very important: My main claim to fame is that I once shook Madonna’s hand.beshake6LANDland something such as a piece of land that contains valuable mineralsCOLLOCATIONSadjectivesfalse His claims were later found to be false.claimbelatefindunfounded/unsubstantiated (=not based on truth or evidence) These claims of discrimination are completely unfounded.claimbeextravagant claims (=clearly not true) Some manufacturers make extravagant claims for their products.manufacturerclaimproductcompeting claims the competing claims of the political partiescompeteclaimpartyconflicting claims (=saying that different things are true) The reports contained conflicting claims of the number of people killed.reportcontainconflictclaimnumbkillverbsmake a claim He made extravagant claims about the benefits of the diet.makeclaimbenefitdeny a claim (=say it is not true) Government officials denied claims that the country possessed chemical weapons.officialdenyclaimpossessweapondispute/reject a claim (=say it is not true) The Prime Minister rejected claims of a disagreement within his party.rejectclaimsupport a claim The court found no evidence to support her claim.findback up a claim (=support it) They challenged him to back up his claims with evidence.challengeclaimaccept a claim Many scientists were reluctant to accept his claims.scientistbeclaimchallenge a claim (=say that you do not believe it is true) Washington continued to challenge the claim that global warming is partly caused by carbon dioxide.continuewarmbecauseinvestigate a claim Detectives are investigating claims that the two officials took bribes.detectivebeinvestigateclaimofficialtakebribeTHESAURUSclaim a statement that something is true, even though it has not been proved: It is difficult to believe some of the manufacturer's claims for its products.beclaimproductallegation a statement that someone has done something wrong or illegal, but that has not been proved: He has strongly denied the allegations of sexual harassment.havedenyallegationassertion formal something that you say or write that you strongly believe: the assertion that house prices are fallingpricebefallcontention formal a strong opinion that someone expresses: Her main contention is that doctors should do more to encourage healthy eating.bedoctorshalleat
adverb, pronoun
1SLIGHTLY/FAIRLYonly slightly a bit especially British English a)slightly or to a small degree SYN a little: Could you turn the TV up a bit?canbiteThat’s a bit odd.bite‘Are you sorry to be leaving?’ ‘Yes, I am a bit.’beleavebebiteAren’t you being a little bit unfair?bebiteI think you’re a bit too young to be watching this.bitewatchShe looks a bit like my sister.lookbitea bit better/older/easier etcI feel a bit better now.bitewell b)sometimes, but not very often: I used to act a bit when I was younger.usebitebeyoungRegisterIn written English, people usually avoid a (little) bit and use slightly, rather, or somewhat instead:This system is slightly more efficient.beThe final cost was somewhat higher than expected.behighexpect2LITTLE/NOT MUCHamount a bit especially British English informal a small amount of a substance or of something that is not a physical object SYN a littlea bit ofI may need a bit of help.biteHe still likes to do a bit of gardening.likebitegardenI want to spend a bit of time with him before he goes.bitegoWith a bit of luck, we should have finished by five o'clock.biteshallfinishEveryone needs a little bit of encouragement.needbite‘Would you like cream in your coffee?’ ‘Yes please, just a bit.’willbitea bit more/lessCan we have a bit less noise, please?bitelittle3VERYquite a lot quite a bit (also a good bit British English) a fairly large amount or to a fairly large degree: She’s quite a bit older than you, isn’t she?biteoldHe knows quite a bit about painting.knowbitepaintquite a bit ofI expect you do quite a bit of travelling?bitetravelquite a bit more/lessThey’re worth quite a bit more than I thought.bitethink4time/distance a bit especially British English a short period of time or a short distance SYN a while: You’ll have to wait a bit.biteI walked on a bitwalkbitein a bitI’ll see you in a bit.bitefor a bitWe sat around for a bit, chatting.sitbitechat5LITTLE/NOT MUCHa bit of a something especially British English used to show that the way you describe something is only true to a limited degree: The news came as a bit of a shock.comebiteI felt a bit of a fool.feelbiteIt looks like they left in a bit of a hurry.lookleavebite6not a bit/not one bit especially British EnglishNOT not at all: You’re not a bit like your brother.biteAm I cross? No, not a bit of it.bebiteI’m not in the least bit interested in whose fault it is.littlebiteinterestbeWell, you haven’t surprised me, not one bit.surprisebite7every bit as important/bad/good etc especially British EnglishSAME used to emphasize that something is equally important, bad etc as something else: Jodi plays every bit as well as the men.playbiteman8bit by bitSLOW especially British English gradually: Bit by bit, I was starting to change my mind.bitebitebestart9a/one bit at a time especially British EnglishLITTLE/NOT MUCH in several small parts or stages: Memorize it a bit at a time.bite10DIFFICULTtake a bit of doing/explaining etc British English to be difficult to do, explain etc: The new system took a bit of getting used to.takebitegetuse11UNFAIRbe a bit much British English to be unacceptable, impolite, or unfair: It’s a bit much when he criticizes us for doing something that he does himself.bitecriticizedodo12be a bit of all rightSEXY British English informal used to say that someone is sexually attractive13bit on the sideSEX/HAVE SEX WITH British English informal someone’s bit on the side is a person they are having a sexual relationship with, even though they already have a wife, husband, or partner – used humorously or to show disapproval: She stayed, in the hope that he’d tire of his bit on the side.staybite14YOUNG WOMANa bit of stuff/fluff/skirt British English informal not politeWOMANINSULT offensive expressions meaning a young woman, especially one who is sexually attractive15a bit of rough British English informal someone of a lower social class that someone has a sexual relationship with – used humorouslyGrammara bit, a bit ofUse a bit before an adjective, not before a noun or an adjective and noun: He’s a bit shy (NOT a bit shy man).bitebiteBefore a noun or an adjective and noun, use a bit of: There was a bit of trouble (NOT a bit trouble).bebitebiteIt was a bit of a strange decision (NOT a bit strange decision).bebitebiteYou can also use a bit after a verb or its object: I cried a bit (NOT a bit cried).crybitebitecry
bitnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Word sets 1 2 3Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesbitbitsbitbit2 S1 W1 noun [countable]
Sense 1-3, 7-12:Language: Old English
Origin: bita ‘piece bitten off, small piece of food’Sense 4:
Date: 1900-2000
Origin: binary digitSense 5-6:
Language: Old English
Origin: bite ‘act of biting’ 1PIECEpiece a small piece of somethingbit of
bits of broken glassbitbreakHe wedged the door open with a bit of wood.wedgebitebreak/rip/shake etc something to bitsThe aircraft was blown to bits.beblowbitHe’s taken the engine to bits.takebitfall/come to bitsThe old house was falling to bits.befallbit2PARTpart British English informal a part of something larger: This is the boring bit.beborebitebit ofWe did the last bit of the journey on foot.dobitebit aboutDid you like the bit about the monkey?dobite3to bits British English informal very much or extremely: Mark’s a darling – I love him to bits.bitthrilled/chuffed/pleased to bitsI’ve always wanted a car, so I’m thrilled to bits.wantthrillbit4COMPUTERcomputer the smallest unit of information that a computer uses: a 32-bit processorbite5TOOLtool the sharp part of a tool for cutting or making holes: a drill bitbite6FOR A HORSEhorse the metal bar attached to a horse’s bridle that is put into its mouth and used to control it → be champing at the bit at champ1(2)7bits and pieces (also bits and bobs British English)THING informal any small things of various kinds: Let me get all my bits and pieces together.bitpiece8do your bitWORK THAT SB DOESHELP informal to do a fair share of the work, effort etc that is needed to achieve something good or important: Everyone should do their bit for the environment.shallbite9get the bit between your teeth British English, take the bit between your teeth American EnglishDETERMINED to do something or deal with something in a very determined way, so that you are not likely to stop until it is done10US MONEYmoney a)two bits/four bits American English informal 25 cents or 50 cents b)British English old-fashioned a small coin11pull something to bits British English informal to criticize something strongly: The critics pulled his new play to bits.criticpullbit12TYPICALtypical behaviour/experience informal used to mean a kind of behaviour or experience that is typical of someone or somethingthe (whole) student/movie star/travelling etc bitThen she gave us the concerned mother bit.giveconcernbite13be in bits British English spoken informal to be extremely upset because something unpleasant or disappointing has happened: She was in bits after the race, and looked totally gutted.bebitlookgutCOLLOCATIONSadjectivesa little/tiny bit The floor was covered in tiny bits of glass.becoverbitverbsfall/come to bits (=separate into many different parts because of being old or damaged) The book was so old that I was afraid it would fall to bits.bebewillbitbreak/smash to bits The vase fell and smashed to bits on the concrete floor.fallsmashbitrip/tear something to bits She grabbed the letter and ripped it to bits.grabripbitbe blown to bits (=by a bomb) A bus shelter nearby was blown to bits.beblowbittake something to bits (=separate the parts of something) Tony loves taking old radios and computers to bits.lovetakeradiocomputerbit
bitCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entriesbitbitbit3 the past tense of bite
noun [countable]Date: 1800-1900Origin: car ‘carriage’ (14-19 centuries), from Anglo-French carre, from Latin carrus
1 a vehicle with four wheels and an engine, that can carry a small number of passengers: Dan got out of the car and locked the door.getlockHe isn’t old enough to drive a car.by carI always go to work by car.Coughlan was killed in a car accident.bekill2sleeping/dining/buffet car a train carriage used for sleeping, eating etc3American English a train carriage4the part of a lift, balloon, or airship in which people or goods are carriedCOLLOCATIONSverbsgo/travel by car I try to use public transport instead of going by car.goget in/into a car The man stopped and she got into the car.stopgetget out of a car He got out of the car and went into the newsagent’s.getgodrive a car In England you can learn to drive a car when you are 17.behave/own a car Do you have a car?run a car (=have a car and pay for the petrol, repairs etc it needs) People on low incomes can’t afford to run a car.incometake the car (=use a car to go somewhere) Is it all right if I take the car this evening?beevenpark a car She parked the car by the side of the road.parkback/reverse a car (=make it move backwards) Suzy backed the car into the driveway.backlose control of the car (=no longer be able to control its direction) He lost control of the car on a sharp bend.losea car passes/overtakes somebody A small black car overtook me on my left.overtakeleavea car drives off/away The police car drove off at top speed.drivea car pulls out (=moves away from the side of the road) A car suddenly pulled out in front of me.pulla car slows down The car slowed down and stopped outside our house.slowstopa car pulls up (=stops) Why’s that police car pulling up here?pulla car pulls over (=stops on the side of a road)a car breaks down (=stops working because something is wrong with it) On the way home on the motorway the car broke down.breaka car stalls (=stops working for a short time until you start it again) My car stalled at the traffic lights.stalllighta car hits something/crashes into something I saw the car leave the road and hit a tree.seea car skids (=slides sideways in a way you cannot control) If it’s icy, the car might skid.car + NOUNa car crash/accident (also a car wreck American English) He was involved in a car crash.beinvolvea car park She couldn’t find a space in the car park.a car door/engine/key etc She left the car engine running.leaverunthe car industry The car industry suffers in times of economic decline.suffertimea car manufacturer/maker He works for the German car manufacturer, Mercedes.worka car driver Every year 1500 car drivers and passengers die in road accidents.driverpassengeraccidenta car dealer (=someone who buys and sells used cars) Car dealers reported a 4% drop in sales.dealerreportsalea car chase The best bit in the movie was the car chase through the city.wellbitebecar crime British English Car crime in the area has risen rapidly.haverisea car bomb (=a bomb hidden in or under a car) A car bomb exploded killing 33 people.explodekilladjectivesa used/second-hand car (=one that is not new) The company locates suitable new and used cars for buyers.locateusecarbuyera sports car (=a low fast car) He was driving a red sports car.bedrivesportan estate car British English (=one with a door at the back and folding seats) Once you have children, an estate car is very useful.childbea racing car (also a race car American English) He became a racing car driver.becomeracea police car The vehicle was being chased by a police car.bebechasea company car (=one that your company gives you to use) She was given a company car.begivea hire car British English, a rental car American English We picked up a hire car at the airport.pick
verb (past tense and past participle cut, present participle cutting)
Word familyDate: 1200-1300Origin: From an unrecorded Old English cytan Verb form1REDUCE PRICES/TIME/MONEY ETCreduce [transitive]REDUCE to reduce the amount of something:
They’re introducing CCTV cameras in an attempt to cut street crime in the area.introducecameraYou need to cut the amount of fat and sugar in your diet.Scientists are warning that unless carbon emissions are cut, we could be heading for an environmental catastrophe.scientistbewarnemissionbecanheadSeven hundred jobs will be lost in order to cut costs and boost profits.joblosecostprofitThe major aviation companies need to cut prices if they are to compete with budget airlines.companypricebeairlinecut something by £1 million/$5 billion/half etcThe welfare budget has been cut by $56 billion.havebecut something off somethingA new direct service will cut two hours off the flying time between London and Seoul.hourflyStaffing levels had already been cut to the bone (=reduced to the lowest level possible).stafflevelhavebe2DIVIDE WITH KNIFE ETCdivide something with a knife, scissors etc [intransitive and transitive]CUT to divide something or separate something from its main part, using scissors, a knife etc: Do you want me to cut the cake?The telephone wires had been cut minutes before the assault.wirehavebeminutecut something with somethingJane cut the cord with a knife.cut somebody somethingCan you cut me a piece of bread, please?cut along/across/round etcUsing a pair of scissors, cut carefully along the dotted lines.usescissordotlinecut throughWe’ll need a saw that will cut through metal.seecut something in half/in twoCut the orange in half.cut something into slices/chunks/pieces etc (=make something into a particular shape by cutting)Cut the carrots into thin strips.carrotstripcut something to size/length (=cut something so that it is the size you need)The curtain pole can be cut to length. → cut away, cut off, cut out, cut up3GRASS/HAIR ETCmake something shorter with a knife etc [transitive]CUT to make something shorter with a knife, scissors etc, especially in order to make it neater: For reasons of hygiene, we had to cut our fingernails really short.reasonhavefingernailcut the lawn/grass/hedge etcFrom outside came the sound of someone cutting the hedge.comecuthave/get your hair cutIt’s about time you got your hair cut.get4remove parts from film etc [transitive] to remove parts from a film, book, speech etc, for example because it is too long or might offend people: The original version was cut by more than 30 minutes.beminute5MAKE A SHAPEmake a hole/mark [intransitive and transitive]CUT to make a hole or mark in the surface of something, or to open it using a sharp toolcut intoThe blade cut deep into the wood.cut something into somethingStrange letters had been cut into the stone.letterhavebeCut a hole in the middle of the paper.Cut open the chillies and remove the seeds.chilliseed6WOUNDinjure [transitive]CUT to injure yourself on something sharp that breaks the skin and makes you bleedcut your finger/knee/hand etcI noticed he’d cut his finger quite badly.noticecut yourself (on something)Marcie said she’d cut herself on a broken glass.saybreakThat knife’s extremely sharp! Mind you don’t cut yourself.On Eric’s chin was a scrap of cotton wool where he’d cut himself shaving.beshaveShe fell and cut her head open.fall7make/form something by cutting [transitive] to make or form something from a solid piece of wood, metal etc using a sharp tool: I’ll get a spare key cut for you.cut something from somethingThe chair had been cut from the trunk of a tree.havebe8ESCAPElet somebody get free [transitive] to cut something such as metal or rope in order to let someone escape from where they are trappedcut somebody from somethingShe had to be cut from the wreckage of her car.haveHe was in the vehicle for an hour before he was cut free.bebe9tool/material [intransitive] if a tool cuts well, badly etc, it cuts things well or badly etc: professional quality tools that cut efficiently and smoothlytool10clothes [transitive usually passive] if a piece of clothing is cut in a particular way, that is the way it is designed and made: The T-shirt is cut fairly low at the neck.be11on computer [intransitive and transitive] to remove something from a document or file on a computer: To cut text, press Control + C.Cut and paste the picture into a new file (=remove it and then make it appear in a new file).12go a quick way [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to get to somewhere by a quicker and more direct way than the usual way → shortcutcut through/down/across etcI usually cut through the car park to get to work.Let’s cut across the field.13DIVIDE AN AREAdivide an area [intransitive and transitive]SEPARATE to divide an area into two or more partscut something in/into somethingThe river cuts the whole region in two.cutcut throughThe new road will cut through a conservation area.14PLAYING CARDSplaying cards [intransitive and transitive] to divide a pack of cards into two: First cut the pack, and then deal the cardscard15MUSIC/RECORDmusic [transitive] to produce a CD, song etc for people to buy: The band cut their first single in 2001.16CROPScrops [transitive]CUT to take the top part off crops such as wheat before gathering them17cut a deal to make a business deal: A French company has reportedly cut a deal to produce software for government agencies.haveagency18cut (somebody) a check American English informal to write a check for a particular amount of money and give it to someone: When the damage assessor called, he cut a check for $139.call19cut! spoken said by the director of a film to tell people to stop acting, filming etc20put a film together [transitive] to put the parts of a film together so that they make a continuous story, and get rid of the parts you do not want21WAITcut in line American English to unfairly go in front of other people who are waiting to do something22GO TO/ATTENDcut class/school American English informal to deliberately not go to a class that you should go to: She started cutting classes.startcutclass23cut your teeth (on something)EXPERIENCE to get your first experience of doing something and learn the basic skills: Both reporters cut their journalistic teeth on the same provincial newspaper.reportertooth24cut cornersFAST/QUICK to do something in a way that saves time, effort, or money, but that also results in it not being done properly: There’s a temptation to cut corners when you’re pushed for time, but it’s not worth it.cornerpush25cut something shortINTERRUPT to stop doing something earlier than you planned: The band has cut short its US concert tour.haveHer athletic career was cut short by a leg injury.be26cut somebody shortINTERRUPT to stop someone from finishing what they wanted to say: I tried to explain, but he cut me short.try27cut the ... spokenHURRY an impolite way of telling someone to stop doing something because it is annoying you: Cut the sarcasm, Jane, and tell me what really happened!happenCut the crap (=stop saying something that is not true)! I saw his car outside your house.see28cut somebody deadIGNORE to deliberately ignore someone when you meet them: I saw Ian in town but he cut me dead.see29cut your losses to stop doing something that is failing, so that you do not waste any more money, time, or effort: He decided to cut his losses and sell the business.decideloss30LINEline [transitive] if a line cuts another line, they cross each other at a particular point31TOOTHtooth [transitive] if a baby cuts a tooth, the tooth starts to grow32cut somebody to the quick/bone literaryUPSET to upset someone very much by saying something cruel: His mockery frightened her and cut her to the bone.frighten33cut to the chase informal to immediately start dealing with the most important part of something34APPEARANCEcut a fine/strange etc figure literary to have an impressive, strange etc appearance: Mason cuts a battered but defiant figure.cutbatter35cut your own throatHARM/BE BAD FOR to behave in a way that will cause harm to yourself, especially because you are very offended or angry about something: He’d just be cutting his own throat if he left now.cutleave36(it) cuts both waysEQUAL spoken used to say that something has two effects, especially a good effect and a bad one: The higher the interest rate, the greater the financial risk – which, of course, cuts both ways.highgreatcutway37cut the ground from under sb’s feetIMPRESS to make someone or their ideas seem less impressive by having better ideas yourself or doing something before they do38cut and run informalLEAVE A PLACE to avoid a difficult situation by leaving suddenly: Although the company has faced financial difficulties, they do not intend to cut and run.havefacedifficulty39cut no ice/not cut much icePERSUADE if something cuts no ice with someone, it will not persuade them to change their opinion or decision: It’s unlikely that these arguments will cut much ice with Democrats.argumentdemocrat40cut the (umbilical) cordDEPEND ON/RELY ON to stop being too dependent on someone, especially your parents41not cut the mustardGOOD ENOUGH informal to not be good enough: Other magazines have tried to copy the formula but have never quite cut the mustard.magazinetry42ILLEGAL DRUGdrugs [transitive usually passive] to mix an illegal drug such as heroin with another substance43cut your coat according to your clothSPEND MONEY to spend only as much money as you can afford44to cut a long story short spoken used to say that you are only going to mention the main facts of something: To cut a long story short, he threw them out of the house.throw45cut it/things fine (also cut it close American English) to leave yourself just enough time to do something: Even in normal traffic, 20 minutes to get to the airport is cutting it fine.minutebecut46not cut it informal to not be good enough to do something: Players who can’t cut it soon quit the team.player47cut a swathe through something literary to cause a lot of damage in a place or among a group of people: A series of bribery scandals has cut a swathe through the government.scandalhave48you could cut the atmosphere with a knife informal used to say that everyone in a place is very annoyed or angry with each other and this is very easy to noticeCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1nounscut costs (=reduce the amount you spend running a business, a home etc) They cut costs by getting rid of staff.costgetcut prices Shops have been forced to cut their prices after very slow sales.shopbeforcepricesalecut taxes/rates The government is expected to cut interest rates next month.beexpectratecut spending/borrowing In the 1990s, governments worldwide cut military spending.governmentspendcut jobs The bank announced that it was cutting 500 jobs.announcebecutjobcut crime Cameras have helped to cut crime in the town centre.camerahelpadverbssharply/severely/drastically (=cut a lot) Housing benefit was sharply cut for all but the poorest people.housebepoorphrasescut something to the bone (=reduce it to the lowest level possible) Funding for art and music in schools has been cut to the bone.fundschoolhavebeCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2phrasescut somebody a piece/slice of something Shall I cut you a slice of cake?cut something in half/two (=into two pieces) Cut the tomatoes in half.tomatocut something into pieces/slices/chunks etc Next cut the carrots into thin slices.carrotslicecut something to size/length (=so that it is the size/length you need) The place where I bought the wood cut it to size for me.buyadverbscut something open Cut open the avocado and remove the stone.cut something lengthways (=cut it in the direction that is longest) First cut the fish in half lengthways.cut something cleanly (=with no uneven edges) Branches should be cut cleanly from the tree.branchshallTHESAURUScut to divide something into two or more pieces, especially using a knife or scissors: Do you want me to cut the cake? | He cut off the lower branches.lowbranchsnip to quickly cut something, especially using scissors: I snipped the label off.snip | The hairdresser snipped away at her hair.snipslit to make a long narrow cut through something, especially using a knife: He slit the envelope open with a penknife. | She slit through the plastic covering.coverslash to cut something quickly and violently with a knife, making a long thin cut: Someone had slashed the tyres on his car.haveslashtyre | He tried to slash his wrists.trywristsaw to cut wood, using a saw (=a tool with a row of sharp points): Saw the wood to the correct length.seechop to cut wood, vegetables, or meat into pieces: Bill was outside chopping up firewood with an axe.bechop | They chopped down the old tree.chop | finely chopped onionchopslice to cut bread, meat, or vegetables into thin pieces: I’ll slice the cucumber. | Slice the bread thinly.dice to cut vegetables or meat into small square pieces: First dice the apple into cubes.cubegrate to cut cheese or a hard vegetable by rubbing it against a special tool: Grate the cheese and sprinkle it over the vegetables.vegetablepeel to cut the outside part off something such as a potato or apple: I peeled the potatoes and put them in a saucepan.peelpotatocarve to cut thin pieces from a large piece of meat: Uncle Ray carved the turkey.carvemow to cut the grass in a garden, park etc: A gardener was mowing the lawn.bemowtrim (also clip) to cut a small amount off something, especially to make it look neater: He was trimming his beard.betrim | Trim the excess fat off the meat.cut across something phrasal verb EFFECT/INFLUENCEif a problem or feeling cuts across different groups of people, they are all affected by it: Domestic violence seems to cut across most social divisions.seemdivisioncut something ↔ away phrasal verb REMOVEto remove unwanted or unnecessary parts from something by cutting it: Cut away all the dead wood.cut back phrasal verb1REDUCEto reduce the amount, size, cost etc of somethingcut back onSeveral major hospitals are cutting back on staff at the moment.hospitalbecutcut something ↔ backEducation spending cannot be cut back any further.spendfarRicher countries must do more to cut back carbon emissions.richcountryemission → cutback2cut something ↔ back to remove the top part of a plant in order to help it to grow: Cut back the shoots in spring to encourage bushier growth.shootbushy3to eat, drink, or use less of something, especially in order to improve your healthcut back onTry to cut back on foods containing wheat and dairy products.foodcontainproductcut down phrasal verb1REDUCEREDUCEreduce to reduce the amount of somethingcut something ↔ downInstalling double-glazing will cut down the noise from traffic.installglazecut down onBy getting the design right, you can cut down on accidents.getaccident2eat/use less to eat, drink, or use less of something, especially in order to improve your health: I’ve always smoked, but I’m trying to cut down.smoketrycut down onCut down on fatty foods if you want to lose weight.food3CUTTREEtree cut something ↔ down to cut through the main part of a tree so that it falls on the ground4KILLINJUREkill cut somebody ↔ down literary to kill or injure someone, especially in a battle: Hundreds of men were cut down by crossbow fire.hundredmanbe5MAKE SHORTERSHORT/NOT LONGreduce length cut something ↔ down to reduce the length of something such as a piece of writing: Your essay’s too long – it needs cutting down a little.needcut6cut somebody down to sizeCRITICIZE to make someone realize that they are not as important, successful etc as they think they arecut in phrasal verb1INTERRUPTinterrupt to interrupt someone who is speaking by saying something: ‘What shall I do?’ Patrick cut in again.cut in onSorry to cut in on you, but there are one or two things I don’t understand.bething2driving to suddenly drive in front of a moving car in a dangerous waycut in onShe cut in on a red Ford, forcing the driver to brake heavily.force3machine if a part of a machine cuts in, it starts to operate when it is needed: The safety device cuts in automatically.cut4include somebody cut somebody in informalTAKE PART/BE INVOLVED to allow someone to take part in a plan or to make money from itcut somebody in onCome on, Joey, you promised to cut me in on this one!promisecut somebody/something off phrasal verb1PRICE OF STHSEPARATEseparate cut something ↔ off to separate something by cutting it away from the main part: One of his fingers was cut off in the accident.fingerbecut something off somethingCut the fat off the meat.2STOP THE SUPPLYREMOVEstop supply cut something ↔ off to stop the supply of something such as electricity, gas, water etc: The gas had been cut off.havebeThe US has threatened to cut off economic and military aid.havethreaten3get cut off to suddenly not be able to hear someone that you were speaking to on the telephone: I don’t know what happened – we just got cut off.happenget4be cut off a)if a place is cut off, people cannot leave it or reach it: In winter, the town is often cut off by snow.be b)to be a long way from other places and be difficult to get to: Accessible only by air, the town is cut off from the rest of the country.be c)if someone is cut off, they are lonely and not able to meet many other people: Many older people feel cut off and isolated.oldisolate5STOP BEING FRIENDLYSEPARATEstop being friendly cut somebody ↔ off to stop having a friendly relationship with someone: Julia had been completely cut off by all her family and friends.havebefriendcut yourself off (from somebody)After his wife died, he cut himself off completely from the rest of the world.die6interrupt to interrupt someone and stop them from finishing what they were saying: Emma cut him off in mid-sentence.7prevent something cut somebody off from something to prevent someone from having something that they need or want: The project aims to ensure that poorer people are not cut off from the benefits of computer technology.aimpoorbebenefit8MONEY/PROPERTYmoney/property to refuse to let someone receive your money or property, especially when you die: My parents threatened to cut me off without a penny if I married him.parentthreatenmarry9driving cut somebody ↔ off American English to suddenly drive in front of a moving car in a dangerous way: A man in a station wagon cut me off on the freeway.10cut off your nose to spite your faceHARM/BE BAD FOR to do something because you are angry, even though it will harm youcut out phrasal verb1REMOVE STHCUTremove something cut something ↔ out to remove something by cutting round it: The cancerous cells had to be cut out.cellhavecut something ↔ out ofBilly showed me the article he’d cut out of the magazine.show2MAKE STH INTO A SHAPECUTcut a shape cut something ↔ out to cut a shape from a piece of paper, cloth etc: The children were cutting out squares from the scraps of material.childbecutsquarescrap3stop something happening cut something ↔ out to stop something from happening or existing: The idea behind these forms is to cut out fraud.formbeA catalytic converter will cut out 90% of carbon monoxide emissions.emission4STOP DOING STHSTOP DOING STHstop doing/eating something cut something ↔ out to stop doing or eating something, especially because it might be bad for your health: The current advice to pregnant women is to cut out alcohol.womanbe5PIECE OF WRITING/NEWS REPORT ETCREMOVEfrom writing cut something ↔ out to remove something from a piece of writing, especially because it might offend people: Cut out the bit about racial prejudice.bite6cut it/that out spokenSTOP DOING STH used to tell someone to stop doing something because it is annoying you: Hey, you guys, cut it out – Mom’s trying to get some sleep.guytry7STOP SB FROM DOING STHPREVENTnot involve somebody cut somebody ↔ out to stop someone from doing something or being involved in something: The new rules will cut out 25% of people who were previously eligible to vote.rulebe8be cut out for something (also be cut out to be something) [usually in questions and negatives]SUITABLE to have the qualities that you need for a particular job or activity: In the end, I decided I wasn’t cut out for the army.decideAre you sure you’re really cut out to be a teacher?be9MOTORengine if an engine or machine cuts out, it suddenly stops working: The engine cut out halfway across the lake.10STOP STH BEING SEENHIDE/MAKE IT HARD TO FIND OR SEElight/view cut something ↔ out to prevent light, sound etc from reaching somewhere: You’ll need sunglasses that will cut out harmful UV rays from the sun.ray11cut somebody out to prevent someone from getting something, especially your money after your death: Em’s father decided to cut her out of his will.decide → have your work cut out at work2(15), → cut out the middleman at middlemancut through something phrasal verb1written to move or pass easily through water or air: The boat cut effortlessly through the water.2to quickly and easily deal with something that is confusing or difficult: You need someone to help you cut through all the irritating legal jargon.irritate3literary if a sound cuts through silence or noise, it is heard because it is loud: A piercing shriek cut through the silence.piercecut up phrasal verb1CUTcut into pieces cut something ↔ up to cut something into small pieces: Could you cut the pizza up, please?cancut something ↔ up intoHe cut the paper up into little pieces.piece2driving cut somebody/something ↔ up British English to suddenly drive in front of a moving vehicle in a dangerous way: Some idiot cut me up on the motorway.3BEHAVEbehave badly American English informal to behave in a noisy or rude way4cut up roughVIOLENT British English informal to react in an angry or violent way: Careful how you approach him – he can cut up a bit rough if he’s got a mind to.biteget5criticize cut somebody ↔ up informal to criticize someone in an unpleasant way → cut up
cutnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Word sets 1 2 3 4 5Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplescutcutscutcut2 S2 W2 noun [countable]
Word family1REDUCTIONreduction [usually plural]REDUCE a reduction in the size or amount of something, especially the amount of money that is spent by a government or company: There will be cuts across all levels of the company.cutlevelcut inCuts in public spending mean that fewer people can go on to higher education.cutspendhighThe decision to make cuts in health care provision has been widely criticized.cuthavebecriticizetax/pay/job etc cutsA shorter working week will mean pay cuts for millions of workers.shortworkcutworkerThe building plans could be hit by possible spending cuts.buildplancanspendcutcut ofA cut of 1% in interest rates was announced yesterday.ratebeannounce2WOUNDskin wound a wound that is caused when something sharp cuts your skin: That’s quite a nasty cut – you ought to get it seen to by a doctor.seeThe driver escaped with minor cuts and bruises.escapecutbruise3HOLE/MARKCUThole/mark a narrow hole or mark in the surface of something, made by a sharp tool or object: Make a small cut in the paper.4HAIRhair [usually singular] a)CUTan act of cutting someone’s hair SYN haircut: How much do they charge for a cut and blow-dry? b)the style in which your hair is cut SYN haircut: a short stylish cut5clothes [usually singular] the style in which clothes have been made: I could tell by the cut of his suit that he wasn’t a poor man.can6share of something [usually singular]MONEY someone’s share of something, especially moneycut ofShe was determined to claim her cut of the winnings.bedetermine7REMOVEremoval from film an act of removing a part from a film, play, piece of writing etc, or a part that has been removed8FILMfilm [usually singular] the process of putting together the different parts of a film and removing the parts that will not be shown: Spielberg himself oversaw the final cut.oversee9music one of the songs or pieces of music on a record, cassette, or CD10the cut and thrust of somethingVIOLENT the exciting but sometimes difficult or unpleasant way that something is done: the cut and thrust of political debate11be a cut above somebody/somethingBETTER to be much better than someone else or something else: The movie is a cut above recent thrillers.bethrillerHe proved himself to be a cut above the rest.prove12MEATmeat a piece of meat that has been cut to a size suitable for cooking or eating: Long slow cooking is more suitable for cheaper cuts of meat.cookbecheapcut13road American English a road that has been made through a hill → cold cuts, power cut, short cutCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1verbsmake cuts The country needs to make cuts in the carbon dioxide it produces.needcutproduceannounce cuts A major engineering company has announced big job cuts.engineerhaveannouncecuttake/accept cuts (=agree to have something reduced) Some employees were forced to take pay cuts.employeebeforcecutNOUN + cuttax cuts The President announced tax cuts.announcecutpay/wage cuts Millions of workers face pay cuts.workercutjob/staff cuts There have been falling sales and job cuts at the newspaper.befallsalecutspending cuts His proposals could involve spending cuts of up to £12 billion.proposalcanspendcutprice cuts The company announced big price cuts on all its computers.announcecutcomputerdefence cuts Further proposals for defence cuts were drawn up.farproposalcutbedrawadjectivesdeep/severe cuts (=big reductions) Deep cuts were made in research spending.cutbemakespenddrastic/sharp cuts (=big and sudden reductions) He resigned over drastic cuts in the education budget.resigncutCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2verbshave a cut on something He had a cut on his forehead.haveget a cut (on something) I fell and got a bad cut on my head.fallgetadjectivessmall/slight It’s only a small cut.minor Two passengers had to be treated for minor cuts.passengerhavetreatcutsuperficial (=not deep) I’m fine - just a few superficial cuts.cutbad/nasty (=wide or deep and bleeding a lot) The cut looked quite bad.look | How did you get that nasty cut?dodeep She fell and got a deep cut on her leg.fallgetphrasescuts and bruises (=cuts and dark marks on the skin) He escaped the crash with just a few cuts and bruises.escapecutbruise
verb (past tense gave /ɡeɪv/, past participle given /ˈɡɪvən/)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: giefan Verb form1present or money [intransitive and transitive]GIVE to let someone have something as a present, or to provide something for someonegive somebody something
What did Bob give you for your birthday?doResearchers were given a £10,000 grant to continue their work.researcherbegiveI’ve got some old diaries that my grandmother gave me years ago.getdiarygiveyeargive something to somebodya ring which was given to him by his motherbegiveI didn’t steal it! Maria gave it to me!giveMost people are willing to give to charity.bewillThe situation is now desperate, so please give generously.be ► Do not say ‘give to someone something’: He gave me a card (NOT He gave to me a card). | They gave a prize to the best chef (NOT They gave to the best chef a prize).2put something in sb’s hand [transitive]GIVE to put something in someone’s handgive somebody somethingGive me the letter, please.give something to somebodyHe poured some wine into a glass and gave it to her.pourgive3let somebody do something [transitive]LET/ALLOW to allow or make it possible for someone to do somethinggive somebody somethingHe finally gave us permission to leave.giveThese meetings give everyone a chance to express their opinions.meetingopinionStudents are given the freedom to choose their own topics.studentbegivetopicLanguage gives us the ability to communicate at a much higher level than any other animal.givehighWomen were given the vote in the early 1900s.womanbegivegive somebody control/authority/responsibility etcShe was given absolute control over all recruitment decisions.begivedecisiongive something to somebodyThis bill will give more power to local authorities.authority4tell somebody something [transitive]TELL to tell someone information or details about something, or to tell someone what they should do: She gave me some information on university courses.givecourseMy secretary will be able to give you more details.detailLet me give you some advice.give orders/instructionsShe certainly likes giving orders.likegiveorderThey were given strict instructions not to tell anyone.begiveinstructionCan you give me directions to the station (=tell me how to go there)?directionHe gave the following example.givefollowYou may have to give evidence in court (=tell a court about what you have seen or know to be true).give an account/descriptionHe gave a disturbing account of the murder.givedisturb5make a movement/do an actionDO [transitive] to do something by making a movement with your hand, face, body etcgive a smile/laugh/grin/frown/yawn etcShe gave a little frown.giveJoel gave me a smile as I walked in.givewalkHe gave her a big hug.givegive a wave/movement/signalHe gave a wave of his hand.giveDon’t move until I give the signal.give something a shake/rattle/tug etcShe picked up the envelope and gave it a shake.pickgive6speech/talk/performance [transitive]PERFORM to make a speech, perform a piece of music etc for a group of peoplegive a talk/speech/lectureHe’s giving a talk on early Roman pottery.givegive a performance/displayThey gave one of their best performances to date.givewellperformance7make somebody have a feeling [transitive]CAUSE to make someone have a feelinggive somebody somethingHe gave us quite a shock.giveThe course has given me a lot more confidence.havegiveHis job did not give him much sense of fulfilment.dogive something to somebodyTheir music has given pleasure to a lot of people over the years.havegiveyeargive somebody a headache/hangoverKeep the noise down – you’re giving me a headache!give8make somebody have problems [transitive] to make someone have problemsgive somebody problems/trouble/difficultiesThe new software has given us quite a few problems.havegiveproblem9make somebody ill [transitive]GIVE to infect someone with the same illness that you havegive somebody somethingDon’t come too close – I don’t want you to give me your cold!give something to somebodyIt’s very unlikely a doctor could give HIV to a patient.can10organize a social eventPARTY [transitive] to organize a social event such as a party SYN hold, put on: We’re giving a small party for dad’s birthday next week.give11make somebody do something [transitive]JOB/TASK to tell someone to do a job or piece of workgive somebody work/homework etcHow much homework are you given in a week?begiveHe’s always giving us chores to do around the house.givechore12make somebody/something have a quality [transitive]PROVIDE to make someone or something have a particular quality SYN lendgive somebody/something sthThe ginger gives the dish a wonderful spicy flavour.giveHis grey hair gave him an air of distinction.giveIts association with the movie industry has given the place a certain glamor.havegive13pay for [transitive]PAY FOR to pay a particular amount of money for something: They say they’re not willing to give any more than they’ve already offered.willoffergive somebody something for somethingThey gave us £700 for our old car.giveHow much will you give me for these two games?game14behave towards [transitive] to behave towards someone in a way that shows you have a particular attitude or feeling towards themgive somebody loyalty/obedience/respectThe people were expected to give their leader absolute obedience and loyalty.beexpect15punishment [transitive] to officially say that someone must have a particular punishmentgive somebody a fine/a sentenceIf you don’t pay on time, you could be given a fine of up to $1,000.cangivegive somebody six months/three years etc (=in prison)The judge gave her two years in prison.giveyear16give (somebody) an impression/a sense/an ideaIDEA to make someone think about something in a particular way: I didn’t want to give him the wrong idea about the job.The report gives us a very accurate picture of life in the inner cities.givecity17give something thought/attention/consideration etc (also give thought/attention/consideration etc to something)THINK ABOUT to spend some time thinking about something carefully: Congress has been giving the crime bill serious consideration.havebegiveI’ll give the matter some thought and let you know my decision next week.think18give (somebody) a hand spokenHELP to help someone do something: Can you give me a hand?give (somebody) a hand withShall I give you a hand with that bag?19give somebody a call/buzz (also give somebody a ring/bell British English) informalTELEPHONE to telephone someone: I’ll give you a call about seven, okay?20give something a try/shot/whirl (also give something a go British English) informalTRY TO DO OR GET STH to try to do something, especially something you have not done before: I’m not usually much good at this sort of game, but I’ll give it a go.21give somebody time/a few weeks/all day etcTIME/HAVE TIME to allow time for someone to do something, or for something to happen: I’ve asked him to give me a couple more days to finish my essay.askdayFlexible working hours could give working parents more time to spend with their children.workhourcanworkparentchild22I give it six weeks/a month etc spokenCONTINUOUS used to say that you do not think something will continue successfully for very long: I give the project six months at the most before it all falls apart.monthfall23not give something a second thought/another thought to not think or worry about something at all: The matter didn’t seem important, and I hardly gave it a second thought.givethink24be less strict [intransitive]CHANGE/BECOME DIFFERENT to be willing to change what you think or do according to what else happens: I think that both sides need to give a little.side25state a decision [transitive] British English to state what your official decision or judgement is, for example in a game: The referee has given a penalty.havegiveThe jury will be giving its verdict within the next couple of days.giveday26give a mark/score [transitive] to decide that someone should have a particular score or mark for something that they have done: She only gave me a B for my last essay.giveThe judges have given him top marks for this performance.judgegivemark27bend/stretch [intransitive]LOOSE if a material gives, it bends or stretches when you put pressure on it: New shoes often feel tight, but the leather should give a little after a few days.shoeshallday28break/move [intransitive]BREAK if something gives, it breaks or moves away suddenly because of weight or pressure on it: The branch suddenly gave beneath him.giveI pushed against the door with all my might, but it still wouldn’t give.push29give me something (any day/time) spokenPREFER used to say that you like something much more than something else: Give me good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll any day!fashion30would give anything/a lot/your right arm etc for something spokenWANT used when you would like something very much: I’d give my right arm for a figure like that.31not give a damn/shit etc spoken not politeDON'T CARE used to say that you do not care at all about something: I don’t give a damn what you think.32don’t give me that spokenBELIEVE used to say that you do not believe someone’s excuse or explanation: Don’t give me that! I know exactly where you’ve been!be33ANNOYgive somebody what for spoken to tell someone angrily that you are annoyed with them: I’ll give that boy what for when I see him!34give as good as you getFIGHT FOR OR AGAINST STH to fight or argue with someone using the same amount of skill or force that they are using: I don’t worry about Emma because I know she can give as good as she gets.get35give and take informal to help other people and do things for them as well as expecting them to do things for you: You have to learn to give and take in any relationship.36give or take a few minutes/a penny/a mile etcAPPROXIMATELY spoken used to say that the amount or figure that you have just mentioned is nearly correct, but not exactly: It’ll be a £1,000, give or take £50 or so.37I’ll give you that spokenTRUE used to admit that someone is right about something: I was wrong to trust him, I’ll give you that.be38give somebody to understand/think/believe something formal to make someone think that a particular thing is true: I was given to understand that I would be offered a permanent job.begivewilloffer39give it to somebody straight informal to tell someone something in a clear direct way: There’s no point in beating about the bush, so I’ll give it to you straight.beat40PRAISEI give you the chairman/prime minister/groom etc British English spoken used at the end of a formal speech to invite people to welcome a special guest41sex [transitive] old-fashionedGIVE if a woman gives herself to a man, she has sex with himTHESAURUSgive to let someone have something, without expecting to be paid for it: He was always giving me gifts.begivegift | They gave a free drink to all their customers.givecustomerdonate to give money to an organization that helps people or protects something, or to give your blood or part of your body to save someone’s life: The company donates 1 per cent of its profits to charity.donateprofit | 70% of people wanted to donate their organs after death.wantorganaward to officially give money or a prize to someone: She was awarded a million dollars in damages.beawarddollardamage | Hollywood awarded him an Oscar for his performance.awardpresent to formally or officially give something to someone by putting it in their hands, especially at a formal ceremony: They presented her with a bouquet of flowers.presentflowerleave (also bequeath /bɪˈkwiːð, bɪˈkwiːθ/ formal) to officially arrange for someone to have something that you own after your death: He left most of his property to his wife.leavelavish somebody with something/lavish something on somebody formal to give someone a lot of something, especially praise, attention, or gifts: After his team won, the press lavished him with praise.winlavishconfer formal to give someone an honour, a university degree, or the right or power to do something: the powers conferred on him by Parliamentpowerconfer | the highest honor that her country could confer on herhighcanbestow formal to give someone something to show how much they are respected, for example an honour, a title, or a gift – a very formal use: He was also bestowed the title of ‘Cultural Ambassador of Grenada’.bebestowto give something to a group of peoplehand something out/give something out to give something to each of the people in a group: The teacher handed out the test papers.handpaper | I’m going to give out some forms for you to fill in.goformdistribute to give things to a large number of people, especially in the streets: Anti-war protesters were distributing leaflets.protesterbedistributeleafletshare (also share something out British English) to divide something into equal parts and give a part to each person: They shared the profits among the staff.shareprofitgive somebody/something away phrasal verb1GIVEto give something to someone because you do not want or need it for yourself: I gave most of my books away when I left college.givebookleavegive somebody/something away toGive your old clothes away to a thrift shop.clothe2GIVEto give something to someone without asking for any money, rather than selling it to them: We’re giving away a free diary with tomorrow’s newspaper.givegive somebody/something away toWe have 1,000 CDs to give away to our readers.reader3SHOW/BE A SIGN OFto show where someone is or what they are doing or thinking when they are trying to keep this a secret: Don’t worry, I won’t give you away.winSue tried to smile, but her voice gave her away.trygivegive yourself awayI knew that if I moved I would give myself away.knowmovewillThe look on his face gave the game away (=showed something that he was trying to keep secret).give4TELL A SECRETto tell someone something that you should keep secret: He gave away as little information as possible.giveI don’t want to give away exactly how the system works.workI don’t want to give the game away (=give information that should be secret) by saying too much.say5LOSE A GAME, COMPETITION, OR WARto lose in a game or competition by doing something badly or making mistakes: We gave away two goals in the first half.givegoalThe Democrats are now in danger of giving the whole election away.democratbegive6MARRYto give formal permission for a woman to marry a man as part of a traditional wedding ceremonygive something ↔ back phrasal verb1GIVEto give something to the person it belongs to or the person who gave it to you: This isn’t your money and you must give it back.Of course you can have a look at it, as long as you give it back.give something back to somebodyI’ll give the keys back to you tomorrow morning.keygive somebody something ↔ backHer ex-husband refused to give her back any of her old photos and letters.refusephotoletter2GIVEto make it possible for someone to have or do something again SYN restoregive somebody something ↔ backHe underwent an expensive operation to give him back his sight.undergoThe company finally agreed to give the women their old jobs back.agreewomanjobgive something back to somebodyThis legislation will give more power back to local authorities.authoritygive in phrasal verb1ACCEPTto finally agree to do or accept something that you had at first opposed, especially because someone has forced or persuaded you to: Eventually I gave in and accepted the job on their terms.giveaccepttermBob’s wife went on at him so much that eventually he gave in.gogivegive in toThe government refused to give in to their demands.refusedemand2LOSE A GAME, COMPETITION, OR WARto accept that you are defeated in a game, fight, competition etc → surrender: The rebels were eventually forced to give in.rebelbeforceWe will carry on fighting to the end. We will never give in.fight3give something ↔ in British EnglishGIVE to give a piece of work or something you have written to someone in authority SYN hand in: You were supposed to give this work in four days ago.besupposedayRose decided to give in her notice (=officially say she was going to leave her job).risedecidegive something ↔ in toAll assignments must be given in to your teacher by Friday.assignmentgivegive in to something phrasal verb CONTROLto no longer try to stop yourself from doing something you want to do: Don’t give in to the temptation to argue back.If you feel the urge for a cigarette, try not to give in to it.give of something phrasal verb formal GIVEif you give of yourself, your time, your money etc, you do things for other people without expecting anything in return: Retired people are often willing to give of their time to help with community projects.retirebewillprojectgive off something phrasal verb SENDto produce a smell, light, heat, a sound etc: The wood gave off a sweet, perfumed smell as it burned.giveperfumeburngive onto something phrasal verb FRONTif a window, door, or building gives onto a particular place, it leads to that place or you can see that place from it: the garden gate that gives onto the main roadgivea small balcony giving onto fieldsgivefieldgive out phrasal verb1give something ↔ outGIVE to give something to each person in a group SYN hand out: Can you give the drinks out, please?drinkgive something ↔ out toStudents were giving out leaflets to everyone on the street.studentbegiveleaflet2STOP MOVINGif part of your body gives out, it stops working properly or becomes much weaker: Just as I approached the town, my legs finally gave out.approachleggive3FINISH/USE ALL OF STHif a supply of something gives out, there is none left: My money was beginning to give out and there were no jobs to be found.bebeginbejobfindAfter two hours her patience gave out.hourgive4give out somethingSEND to produce something such as light, heat, or a signal SYN emit: A gas lamp gave out a pale yellowish light.give5give something ↔ out British English formalSAY/STATE to announce something, especially officially: It was given out that the government was to enter into negotiations with the rebels.begivebenegotiationrebelgive over phrasal verb British English spoken informal STOP DOING STHto stop doing or saying something that is annoying other people: I wish you lot would just give over!willgive over doing somethingOh, give over complaining, we’re nearly there.complaingive something over to somebody/something phrasal verb1be given over to somethingUSE STH to be used for a particular purpose: The land surrounding the village was given over to vineyards.surroundbegivevineyardThe whole day was given over to cooking and preparing for the celebrations.begivecookpreparecelebration2give yourself over to somethingCONTROL to spend all your time doing something: In his youth he had given himself over to pleasure.havegive3RESPONSIBLEto give responsibility for or control over something to a particular person, organization etc: The running of internal affairs was given over to the Chancellor.runaffairbegivegive up phrasal verb1give something ↔ upSTOP DOING STH to stop doing something, especially something that you do regularly: Darren has decided to give up football at the end of this season.havedecideShe gave up her job and started writing poetry.givestartwritegive up doing somethingI gave up going to the theatre when I moved out of London.givegomoveWhy don’t you give up smoking?smoke2STOP DOING STHto stop trying to do something: We spent half an hour looking for the keys, but eventually gave up and went home.spendlookkeygivegoI give up. What’s the answer?You shouldn’t give up so easily.give up doing somethingI gave up trying to persuade him to continue with his studies.givetrystudygive something ↔ upShe has still not given up the search.havegiveThe ground was too hard to dig so I gave it up as a bad job (=stopped trying because success seemed unlikely).grindbegive3give yourself/somebody upCATCH to allow yourself or someone else to be caught by the police or enemy soldiers: The siege ended peacefully after the gunman gave himself up.endgivegive yourself/somebody up toIn the end, his family gave him up to the police.give4give up somethingSPEND TIME to use some of your time to do a particular thing: I don’t mind giving up a couple of hours a week to deal with correspondence.givehour5give something/somebody ↔ upGIVE to give something that is yours to someone else: The family refused to give up any of their land.refuseShe was put under tremendous pressure to give the baby up.begive something/somebody ↔ up toI would always give my seat up to an elderly person on the bus.will6give somebody ↔ upFINISH/COME TO AN ENDRELATIONSHIP to end a romantic relationship with someone, even though you do not really want to: I knew deep down that I should give him up.knowshall7give somebody up for dead/lost etcDIE to believe that someone is dead and stop looking for them: The ship sank and the crew were given up for dead.sinkbegive8give it up for somebody spoken informal used to ask people to applaud someone → give up the ghost at ghost1(5)give up on somebody/something phrasal verb HOPEto stop hoping that someone or something will change or improve: He’d been in a coma for six months, and doctors had almost given up on him.bemonthdoctorhavegiveAt that point, I hadn’t completely given up on the marriage.givegive yourself up to something phrasal verb EMOTIONALto allow yourself to feel an emotion completely, without trying to control it: He gave himself up to despair.give
givenounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesgivegivesgivegive2 noun [uncountable] LOOSEthe ability of a material or substance to bend or stretch when put under pressure: The rope has quite a bit of give in it.havebite
noun (plural authorities)
Word familyDate: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: auctorité, from Latin auctoritas ‘opinion, decision, power’, from auctor; → AUTHOR1 1power [uncountable]POWER the power you have because of your official positionthe authority to do something
Only the president has the authority to declare war.haveauthority overSeveral countries claim authority over the islands.countryislandin authorityI need to speak to someone in authority (=who has a position of power).2the authorities [plural]GOVERNMENT the people or organizations that are in charge of a particular country or area: an agreement between the US and Colombian authoritiesauthority3organizationORGANIZATION [countable] an official organization or a government department that has the power to make decisions, and has particular responsibilities: the local authorityEast Sussex Education Authoritythe San Diego Water AuthorityWelsh health authorities face a £13m deficit this year.authority4expertKNOW STH [countable] someone who knows a lot about a subject and whose knowledge and opinions are greatly respectedauthority onMr Li is a leading authority on Chinese food.belead5permissionLET/ALLOW [uncountable and countable] official permission to do somethingunder the authority of somebodyThe attack took place under the authority of the UN Security Council.takewithout sb’s authorityNo one may enter without my authority.6authority figure someone who has a position of power, especially because of their job: teenage rebellion against authority figuresfigure7personal quality [uncountable] a quality in the way you speak or behave which makes people obey you: Jack’s air of quiet authority8I have it on good authoritySURE used to say that you are sure that something is true because you trust the person who told you about it9speak with authority to be sure of what you are saying, because of your knowledge or experienceCOLLOCATIONSverbshave authority Teachers should have the authority to discipline their students.teachershallstudent | He has no authority over us anymore.haveexercise/exert your authority (also wield authority formal) (=use your authority) In practice it’s very difficult for the president to exercise his authority. | He was one of those people who want to wield authority over others.beabuse/misuse your authority (=use your authority in a bad way) The mayor was accused of abusing his authority and taking bribes.beaccuseabusetakebribeestablish/assert/impose/stamp your authority (=show people that you have authority) The new manager was anxious to establish her authority.be | Robertson quickly stamped his authority on the team.stamp | The State Department pressed him to take bolder steps to assert his authority.pressboldsteplose your authority He’s worried that he is losing his authority over the party.worrybeloseundermine/weaken sb’s authority (=make someone’s authority weaker) I wasn’t trying to undermine your authority.tryexceed/overstep your authority (=do more than you have the power or right to do) A higher court decided that the judge had exceeded his authority.highdecidehaveexceedchallenge sb’s authority (=try to take the power away from someone) There had been no-one to really challenge his authority.havebeadjectivesfull/complete/total authority The manager has full authority to make decisions.havedecisionabsolute authority (=complete authority over everyone – used especially about the leader of a country) In those days, the emperor had absolute authority.dayhaveparental authority The younger children are more likely to resist parental authority.youngchildbegovernmental authority Their failure undermined governmental authority.underminepresidential authority A number of constitutional amendments have increased presidential authority.numbamendmentincreaselegal authority US agents have legal authority to bring criminals back from overseas.agentcriminalphrasesbe in a position of authority I’ve never been in a position of authority before.behave an air of authority approving (=look like you have authority, in a way that makes people obey you) The commander had an unmistakeable air of authority.havea challenge to sb’s authority The leadership saw the demonstrations as a challenge to their authority.seedemonstrationan authority figure (=someone, such as a parent or teacher, who has the power to tell young people what they can do) The teacher is an authority figure, like the parent.beTHESAURUSexpert someone who has a lot of knowledge about something or skill at doing something: a computer expert | an expert on beetlesbeetle | It’s best to ask an expert.wellspecialist an expert who has studied a particular medical or technical subject for a long time and knows much more about it than other people: She is a specialist in corporate finance.bespecial | My doctor sent me to see a heart specialist.sendspecialauthority an expert whose knowledge and opinions are greatly respected: The professor is one of the world’s leading authorities on African art.beleadauthorityconnoisseur /ˌkɒnəˈsɜː $ ˌkɑːnəˈsɜːr/ an expert on food, art, literature, or design, who has had a lot of experience and knows when something is of very good quality: He was a connoisseur of fine wines.bewine | His works are popular among connoisseurs.workbeconnoisseurbuff /bʌf/ informal someone who is very interested in a subject and knows a lot about it: a wine buff | Jazz buffs will be familiar with the band’s first album.buffvirtuoso /ˌvɜːtʃuˈəʊsəʊ $ ˌvɜːrtʃuˈoʊsoʊ/ an expert player or performer: The piece was played by violin virtuoso Pavel Sporcl.beplay | a virtuoso pianist
nounWord familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: fær ‘sudden danger’ 1FRIGHTENED[uncountable and countable] the feeling you get when you are afraid or worried that something bad is going to happenfear of
a fear of flyingflyfear thatThere are fears that share prices could decrease still further.befearpricecanfarfear forThe girl’s parents expressed fears for her safety.parentexpressfearin fearThe children looked at her in fear.childlookwithout fearPeople must be able to express their views without fear of criticism.view2for fear (that), for fear of somethingFRIGHTENED because you are worried that you will make something happen: She finally ran away for fear that he would kill her.runwillfor fear of doing somethingHe got to the station early, for fear of missing her.getmiss3no fear! British English informalNO used humorously to say that you are definitely not going to do something: ‘Are you going to Bill’s party tonight?’ ‘No fear!’bego4[uncountable] the possibility or danger that something bad might happen: There’s no fear of revolt now.5put the fear of God into somebody informalFRIGHTENED to make someone feel that they must do something, by making sure they know what will happen if they do not do it: The Italian manager must have put the fear of God into his team.6without fear or favour British English formalFAIR in a fair way: The law must be enforced without fear or favour.enforceCOLLOCATIONSadjectivessb’s worst/greatest fear Her worst fear was never seeing her children again.illbeseechildan irrational fear (=one that is not reasonable) He grew up with an irrational fear of insects.growinsecta deep-seated fear (=very strong and difficult to change) He exploited people’s deep-seated fears about strangers.exploitseatfearstrangergroundless (=without any reason) As it turned out, these fears were groundless.turnfearbeverbsconquer/overcome your fear (=stop being afraid) She managed to conquer her fear of flying.manageflyshake/tremble with fear He was shaking with fear after being held at gunpoint.beshakebeholdshow fear She was determined not to show fear.bedeterminebe gripped by fear (=be very afraid) We were gripped by fear as the boat was tossed around by the waves.begripbetosswavebe paralysed with fear (=be so afraid that you cannot move) Bruce was paralysed with fear when he saw the snake.beparalyseseeconfirm sb’s fears (=show that what you were afraid of has actually happened) The look on Colin’s face confirmed all my worst fears.confirmillfearease/allay/dispel sb’s fears (=help someone stop being afraid) Frank eased my fears about not being able to speak the local language.easefearbephrasesbe in fear of/for your life (=be afraid that you may be killed) Celia was in fear of her life when she saw the truck coming toward her.beseecomebe full of fear The residents are too full of fear to leave their houses.residentbehousebe/live in fear of something (=be always afraid of something) They were constantly in fear of an enemy attack.behave no fear of something He had no fear of death.havesb’s hopes and fears We each had different hopes and fears about the trip.havehopefearCOMMON ERRORS ► Do not say that someone 'has fear'. Say that someone is frightened or is afraid.THESAURUSfear a feeling of being frightened: He was trembling with fear.betremble | Fear of failure should not stop you trying.shalltryterror a feeling of great fear, because you think that something terrible is about to happen: She let out a scream of pure terror.fright a sudden feeling of fear, or a situation that makes you feel this: My body was shaking with fright.beshake | You gave me a fright!give | He’s had a bit of fright, that’s all.havebitepanic a sudden feeling of fear or nervousness that makes you unable to think clearly or behave sensibly: She was in such a panic that she hardly knew what she was doing!beknowbedo | There were scenes of sheer panic immediately following the bomb blast.bescenefollowalarm a feeling of fear or worry which shows in your voice or behaviour, because you think something bad might happen: When I mentioned her name, he looked up at me in alarm.mentionlook | The streets were calm and there was no sign of alarm.streetbebeforeboding /fɔːˈbəʊdɪŋ $ fɔːrˈboʊ-/ a feeling that something bad or unpleasant might happen although there is no obvious reason why it should: She felt the same sense of foreboding she had before her father died.feelforebodehavediephobia /ˈfəʊbiə $ ˈfoʊ-/ a permanent strong unreasonable fear of something: I had a phobia about going to the dentist.havego
fearverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesfearfearsfearedfearingfearfear2 W2 verbWord familyVerb form1FRIGHTENED[intransitive and transitive] to feel afraid or worried that something bad may happen: Fearing violence, the group asked for police protection.fearaskfear (that)Police fear that there may be further terrorist attacks.farattackfear to do something formal: Women feared to go out at night.womanfearfear for somebodyHis wife seemed depressed, and he feared for his children.seemdepressfearchildfear for sb’s safety/lifea terrifying ordeal in which she feared for her lifeterrifyfearHundreds of people are feared dead in the ferry disaster.hundredbefear2fear the worstEXPECT to think that the worst possible thing has happened or might happen: When Tom heard about the accident he immediately feared the worst.hearfearill3FRIGHTENED[transitive] to be afraid of someone and what they might do: As a leader, he was distrusted and even feared.bedistrustfear4I fear formalTHINK/HAVE THE OPINION THAT used when telling someone that you think that something bad has happened or is trueI fear (that)I fear that there is little more we can do.beI fear so/I fear not‘Were they satisfied?’ ‘I fear not.’besatisfy5fear not/never fear formalWORRIED used to tell someone not to worry: Never fear, he’ll be with us soon. → God-fearing
verb
Word familyDate: 1300-1400Language: French
Origin: accepter, from Latin acceptare, from accipere ‘to receive’, from ad- ‘to’ + capere ‘to take’ Verb form1gift/offer/invitation [intransitive and transitive] to take something that someone offers you, or to agree to do something that someone asks you to do OPP refuse:
Rick accepted her offer of coffee.acceptHe accepted the invitation to stay with us.acceptHis school reports said that he is always ready to accept a challenge (=agree to do something difficult).reportsaybePlease accept this small gift.They offered me a job and I accepted.offeracceptaccept something from somebodyHe accepted a glass of water from Helen.acceptHe readily accepted her invitation (=accepted it quickly).acceptRegisterIn everyday English, when talking about accepting a job, accepting responsibility or blame, or accepting a method of payment, people usually use take: They offered me the job and I accepted. ➔ They offered me the job and I took it.When talking about accepting an offer, people often say take someone up on their offer:He decided to take her up on her offer.decide2situation/problem etc [transitive] to decide that there is nothing you can do to change a difficult and unpleasant situation or fact and continue with your normal life: He’s not going to change, and you just have to accept it.goaccept thatWe have to accept that this is not an ideal world.beYou need to accept the fact that most of your problems are caused by jealousy.problembecause3think somebody/something is good enough [transitive] to decide that someone has the necessary skill or intelligence for a particular job, course etc or that a piece of work is good enough OPP reject: Students accepted by Stanford Law School had very high scores on the LSAT.studentaccepthavescoreaccept somebody/something as somethingThey have accepted him as the representative of the company.acceptaccept somebody/something for somethingRandom House accepted the book for publication.accept4become part of a group [transitive] to allow someone to become part of a group, society, or organization, and to treat them in the same way as the other members OPP rejectaccept somebody as somethingThe children gradually began to accept her as one of the family.childbeginaccept somebody into somethingIt often takes years for immigrants to be accepted into the host community.takeyearimmigrantaccept5agree to take/deal with something [transitive]FORGIVE to agree to take or deal with something that someone gives you, or to say that it is suitable or good enough: The government has accepted the resignation of a senior army commander.haveacceptPlease accept my sincere apologies.apologySorry, we don’t accept traveller’s cheques.cheque6suggestion/advice [transitive] to decide to do what someone suggests or advises you should do: Be prepared to accept the advice of members of staff.preparemember7believe an explanation/statement [transitive] to agree that what someone says is right or true OPP reject: She has accepted your explanation as to why you didn’t attend the meeting.haveacceptmeet8accept responsibility/blame for somethingRESPONSIBLE to admit that you were responsible for something bad that happened: The University will not accept responsibility for items lost or stolen.itemlosestealCOLLOCATIONSnounsaccept an offer In the end I had to accept his offer of £4,500.haveaccept an invitation Are you going to accept their invitation to the wedding?begoaccept help Don’t be afraid to accept help if you need it.accept aid Egypt gratefully accepted American economic aid.acceptaccept assistance They were ready to accept French military assistance.beaccept a challenge To protect the environment we must accept some difficult challenges.challengeaccept an award Miller accepted the award for best comedy show.acceptwellaccept an opportunity I wish that I’d accepted the opportunity to retire when it was offered.acceptbeofferaccept a gift/present Accepting presents from him made her feel uncomfortable.acceptpresentmakeaccept a job She was desperate for money so she accepted the job.beacceptaccept a lift British English, accept a ride American English I had been taught not to accept lifts from strangers.havebeteachliftstrangeraccept a bribe The president’s family and friends accepted massive bribes in exchange for official favours.friendacceptbribefavouradverbsgladly/willingly/readily accept She invited him for a drink and he gladly accepted.inviteacceptgratefully accept He gratefully accepted Athena’s help.acceptgraciously accept She accepted her gift graciously.accept
, EastEastsEast /iːst/ noun [singular, uncountable] (written abbreviation E)Word familyLanguage: Old English
1the direction from which the sun rises, and which is on the right if you are facing north: Which way is east?befrom/towards the eastHe turned and walked away towards the east.turnwalkto the east (of something)To the east of the pier were miles of sandy beaches.bemilbeach2the east the eastern part of a country or area: housing problems in the easthouseproblemthe east ofthe east of Scotland
eastadjectiveCollocations from other entriesWord sets 1 2Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary exampleseasteasteast2, EastEast adjective (written abbreviation E)Word family1[only before noun] in the east or facing the east: I don’t know the east coast well.He was born in East Jerusalem.be2an east wind comes from the east
eastadverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleseasteasteast3 adverb (written abbreviation E)Word family1towards the east: We drove east along Brooklyn Avenue.driveeast ofa small farming community 18 miles east of Parisfarmmilan east-facing bedroomface2out east to or in the countries in Asia, especially China and Japan: The drug is being used all the time out east.bebeuse
EastnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from the corpusCorpus examplesEastEastsEastEast
noun1the East a)the countries in Asia, especially China and Japan: Martial arts originated in the East.artoriginate b)the countries in the eastern part of Europe and Central Asia: American relations with the East.relation c)American English the part of the US east of the Mississippi River, especially the states north of Washington DC: She was born in the East but now lives in Atlanta.beliveHe was born in Utah but went to college back East.bego2East-West relations/trade etc political relations etc between countries in eastern Europe and those in western Europe and North America → Far East, Middle East, Near East
adjectiveDate: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: blou 1COLOURhaving the colour of the sky or the sea on a fine day → navy, navy blue:
the blue waters of the lakewaterdark/light/pale/bright bluea dark blue raincoat2SAD[not before noun] informalSAD/UNHAPPY sad and without hope SYN depressed: I’ve been feeling kind of blue.befeel3SEXY informal blue jokes, stories etc are about sex, in a way that might offend some people → blue movie4argue/talk etc till you’re blue in the face informalLOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT to argue, talk etc about something a lot, but without achieving what you want: You can tell them till you’re blue in the face, but they’ll still do what they want.5blue with cold especially British EnglishCOLD someone who is blue with cold looks extremely cold6go blue British EnglishCOLD if someone goes blue, their skin becomes blue because they are cold or cannot breathe properly7talk a blue streakTALK TO SB American English informal to talk very quickly without stopping—bluenessblueness noun [uncountable] → black and blue, → once in a blue moon at once1(15), → scream blue murder at scream1(1)
bluenounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesbluebluesblueblue2 noun1[uncountable and countable] the colour of the sky or the sea on a fine day: She nearly always dresses in blue.dressthe rich greens and blues of the tapestrygreenblue2blues (also the blues) [uncountable] a slow sad style of music that came from the southern US: a blues singerblue → rhythm and blues3the blues [plural] informalSAD/UNHAPPY feelings of sadness: A lot of women get the blues after the baby is born.womanbluebe4out of the blue informalEXPECT if something happens out of the blue, it is very unexpected → a bolt from/out of the blue at bolt1(3)5Blue [countable] British English someone who has represented Oxford or Cambridge University at a sport, or the title given to such a person6the blue literary the sea or the sky → boys in blue at boy1(9)
British English, laborlaborslabor American English noun
Word family1work [uncountable]WORK/DO WORK work, especially physical work: The garage charges £30 an hour for labour.chargeMany women do hard manual labour (=work with their hands).womanWorkers withdrew their labour (=protested by stopping work) for twenty-four hours.workerwithdrawhour → hard labour2workers [uncountable]WORKER all the people who work for a company or in a country: a shortage of skilled laborWe need to reduce our labour costs.cost3baby [singular, uncountable]BABY/HAVE A BABY the process of giving birth to a babyin labourMeg was in labour for ten hours.behourDiane went into labour at 2 o'clock.goa long/short/difficult labourThe labour pains were unbearable.painbelabour ward/room (=a room in a hospital where women give birth)4a labour of loveLIKE SB OR STH something that is hard work but that you do because you want to5sb’s labours formalWORK HARD a period of hard work: After several hours' gardening, we sat down to admire the results of our labours.hourgardensitresultlabourCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2ADJECTIVES/NOUN + labourskilled/unskilled labour Employers want to keep skilled labour because of the cost of training.employertraincheap labour (=workers who have low wages) Women and children were used as cheap labour.womanchildbeusecasual labour (=workers who do jobs that are not permanent) The industry makes use of a large supply of casual labour.makechild labour The shoe company was accused of using child labour in its factory.beaccuseuseslave labour Cotton was grown using slave labor.begrowuselabour + NOUNthe labour force (=all the people who work in a country or for a company) We need an educated labour force.educatethe labour supply (=all the people available to work) What was the effect of the war on the labour supply?bethe labour market (=the people looking for work and the jobs available) the percentage of women in the labour marketwomana labour shortage Immigrants came into the country to fill the labour shortage.immigrantcomelabour costs There was pressure to keep down labour costs.becost
labourverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleslabourlabourslabouredlabouringlabourlabour2 AC British English, laborlaborslaboredlaboringlabor American English verb [intransitive]Word familyVerb form1WORK HARDto work hard: They laboured all day in the mills.labourmilllabour overI’ve been labouring over this report all morning.belabourlabour to do somethingRay had little talent but labored to acquire the skills of a writer.havelaborskill2labour under a delusion/misconception/misapprehension etcWRONG/INCORRECT to believe something that is not true: She had laboured under the misconception that Bella liked her.havelabourlike3labour the pointEMPHASIZE to describe or explain something in too much detail or when people have already understood it4[always + adverb/preposition] to move slowly and with difficulty: I could see the bus labouring up the steep, windy road.canlabour
LabournounCollocations from this entryCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1Corpus examplesLabourLaboursLabourLa‧bour /ˈleɪbə $ -ər/
noun the British Labour Party → Liberal Democratunder LabourMost people will pay higher taxes under Labour.hightaxThey always vote Labour.a Labour governmentLabour MP/candidate
verb (past tense got, past participle got /ɡɒt $ ɡɑːt/ British English, gotten /ˈɡɒtn $ ˈɡɑːtn/ American English, present participle getting)
Date: 1200-1300Language: Old Norse
Origin: geta Verb form1receive [transitive not in passive]GET to receive something that someone gives you or sends you:
She got loads of presents.getloadpresentWhat did you get for Christmas?doWe get a lot of junk mail.get something from somebodyWe got a letter from Pam this morning.getget something off somebody spoken informal: I got it off my Dad.getI got a few games free when I bought my computer.getgamebuy2obtain [transitive]GET to obtain something by finding it, asking for it, or paying for it: We need to get help quickly!It would be a good idea to get professional advice.willYou may be able to get a grant from the local authority.He cleared his throat to get our attention.clearget something for somebodyI want you to get some information for me.get somebody somethingHis father managed to get him a job at the local factory.manage3bring [transitive]TAKE/BRING to bring someone or something back from somewhere: Run upstairs and get a pillow.I went back into the office to get a pen.goShall I go and get the phone book?get somebody/something from somethingShe’s just gone to get the kids from school.gokidget something for somebodyI’ll get a towel for you.get somebody somethingI’ll get you a chair.4buy [transitive]GET a)to buy something: Where did you get that jacket?doget something for somebodyJoe’s going to get tickets for all of us.goticketget somebody somethingWhile you’re out, could you get me some batteries?canbatteryget yourself somethingHe’s just got himself a new van.getget something from somethingI usually get vegetables from the supermarket.vegetableget something for $20/£100/50p etcYou can get a decent PC for about £500 now.It’s a lovely coat, and I managed to get it cheap in the sales.managesale b)spoken to pay for something for someone else: I’ll get these drinks.drink c)to buy a newspaper regularly: My parents always used to get the ‘Daily Telegraph’.parentuse5money [transitive]GET a)to receive money for doing work: Hospital doctors get a minimum of £50,000 a year.doctorget £2,000/$4,000 etc for doing somethingHe gets £4 an hour for stacking shelves.getstackshelve b)to receive money when you sell somethingget £100/$200 etc for somethingYou should get a couple of hundred pounds for your old car.shallpoundDid you get a good price for it?do6have a feeling/idea [transitive] to start to have a feeling or an idea: She began to get an uncomfortable feeling that she was being watched.beginfeelbebewatchI got a terrible shock when I saw how ill he looked.getseelookI got the impression that everyone was fed up with us.getbefeedget pleasure from/out of somethingShe gets a lot of pleasure from her garden.get7have/experience [transitive] to have, do, or experience something: You don’t get enough exercise.I never get time to read these days.dayThe west of the country gets quite a lot of rain.getWe might get the chance to go to America this year.8illness [transitive not in passive]GET to catch an illness: I got flu last winter and was in bed for three weeks.getbeweekShe was worried she might get food poisoning.beworrypoison9achieve [transitive] to achieve something: I got 98% in my last maths test.getmaththe person who gets the highest scoregethigh10receive a punishment [transitive] to receive something as a punishment: He got ten years in prison for his part in the robbery.getyear11arrive [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]ARRIVE to arrive somewhere: What time will we get there?We didn’t get home until midnight.get toWe got to Paris that evening.geteven12reach a point [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]REACH to reach a particular point or stage of something: I’ve got as far as chapter 5.getI couldn’t wait to get to the end of the book.Where have you got up to in the story?getIt was disappointing to lose, having got this far in the competition.bedisappointhaveget13get (somebody) somewhere/anywhere/nowhere if you get somewhere, or if an action gets you somewhere, you make progress: I think we’re getting somewhere at last.getWe didn’t seem to be getting anywhere.getI’ve tried arguing, but it got me nowhere.tryargueget14move [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]MOVE/CHANGE POSITION to move or go somewhere: Get out of my house!We managed to get past the guards.manageguardThey shouted at us to get back.shoutPeter got to his feet (=stood up).getfoot15make something move [transitive always + adverb/preposition]MOVE STH OR SB to make something or someone move to a different place or position, especially with some difficulty: I couldn’t get the disk out of the computer.Could you help me get the wardrobe up the stairs?canstairWe must get food and emergency aid into the area as quickly as possible.16travel [transitive]GET ON OR OFF A BUS, PLANE ETC to travel somewhere on a train, bus etc: You can get a bus to the station.I got the 9.15 from London to Edinburgh.get17become [linking verb]BECOME to change to a new feeling, situation, or state SYN become: Don’t get upset.She soon got bored with the job.getboreHe calmed down as he got older.calmgetoldEat your dinner before it gets cold.getThis is getting silly.begetget to be something informal: It’s getting to be a problem.get18make somebody/something become something [transitive] to make someone or something change to a new feeling, situation, or state: Sometimes she gets me so angry!getDon’t get the children too excited.childexciteHe was terrified of getting her pregnant.beterrifygetIt took them 15 minutes to get the boat ready.takeminute19be hurt/broken etc [linking verb, transitive] used to say that something, especially something bad, happens to someone or somethingget hurt/broken/stolen etcYou might get hurt if you stand there.Mind the camera doesn’t get broken.breakMy dad got killed in a car crash.getkillI knew I would get shouted at if I was late home.knowwillshoutbeThis is a question we very often get asked.beaskget something caught/stuck etcShe got her foot caught in the wire.getcatch20make something happen to somebody/something [transitive] a)to accidentally make someone or something experience something: You’re going to get us all killed!gokillMind you don’t get yourself burned.burn b)to do something, or arrange for it to be done: I need to get the washing machine fixed.washfixWe must get this work finished on time.finish21make something do something [transitive not in passive]FORCE SB TO DO STH to make something do a particular thingget something to do somethingI couldn’t get the engine to start.get something doing somethingWe got the lawn mower working again eventually.getwork22make somebody do something [transitive not in passive] to persuade or force someone to do somethingget somebody to do somethingI’ll get Terry to check the wiring for me.wireWe couldn’t get him to sign the agreement.get somebody doing somethingIn the end, we got the children clearing the playground.getchildclear23understand [transitive not in passive or progressive] informalUNDERSTAND to understand something: I don’t think she got the joke.getI don’t get it – it doesn’t make sense.get what/how/who etcI still don’t get how she knew about the meeting.knowmeet24cook [transitive not in passive] to prepare food or a meal: She’s just getting lunch.getget somebody somethingShall I get you a sandwich?25radio/television [transitive not in passive or progressive] to be able to receive a particular radio signal, television station etc: Can you get satellite TV here?26answer the door/telephone [transitive] informal to answer the door or telephone: Can you get the phone?27catch somebody [transitive] to catch someone: The police got him in the end.get28hurt/kill somebody [transitive] informal to attack, hurt, or kill someone: The other gang members threatened to get him if he went to the police.memberthreatengoI’ll get you for this!29trick somebody [transitive] informal to deceive or trick someone: I got you that time!get30on the telephone [transitive] if you get someone on the telephone, they answer the telephone when you have made a call, and so you talk to them: I tried phoning him at work, but I just got his secretary.tryphoneget31get doing somethingIMMEDIATELY to begin doing something: We got talking about the old days.gettalkdayI think we should get going quite soon.shallgoWhat are we all waiting for? Let’s get moving!bewaitmove32get to do something informal to have the opportunity to do something: We got to meet all the stars after the show.getstarShe gets to travel all over the place with her job.get33get to like/know/understand somebody/something to gradually begin to like, know, or understand someone or something: It’ll take a while for you to get to know everyone.After a while, I got to like him.get → have got at have2SPOKEN PHRASES34you get somethingEXIST used to say that something happens or exists: I didn’t know you got tigers in Europe.gettiger35you’ve got me (there)NOT KNOW used to say you do not know the answer to something36it/what gets meANNOY used to say that something really annoys you: It really gets me the way he leaves wet towels on the bathroom floor.getleavetowelWhat gets me is their attitude.getbe37get this especially American English used to draw attention to something surprising or interesting that you are about to mention: And the whole thing only cost – get this – $12.95.THESAURUSget [not in passive] to get something by finding it, asking for it, or paying for it: I’ve been trying to get some information.betry | She went to the bank to get some money.goobtain formal to get something: Maps and guides can be obtained from the tourist office.mapguideobtain | The newspaper has obtained a copy of the letter.haveobtainacquire formal to get something – used about knowledge, skills, or something big or expensive: The course helps older people to acquire computing skills.helpoldcomputeskill | He acquired the property in 1985.acquireinherit to get someone’s money or property after they die: Jo inherited a lot of money from her mother.inheritgain to get something useful or necessary, such as knowledge or experience: I’ve gained a lot of useful experience.gain | The research helped us gain an insight into how a child’s mind works.helpworkearn to get something because you deserve it: He had earned a reputation as a peacemaker.haveearn | She earned a lot of respect from her colleagues.earncolleagueget hold of something informal to get something that is rare or difficult to find: I’m trying to get hold of a ticket for the game.trylay your hands on something informal to get something that you want very much or that you have spent a lot of time looking for: I read every book I could lay my hands on.canliehandget about phrasal verb British English1TRAVELto go or travel to different places: She’s 80 now, and doesn’t get about much any more.He’s got an old van which he uses for getting about.getuseget2SPREADif news or information gets about, it is told to a lot of people: I don’t really want this to get about.get across phrasal verb EXPRESSto succeed in communicating an idea or piece of information to someone, or to be communicated successfullyget something ↔ acrossIt took him ages to get his point across.takeageWe must get across the simple fact that drugs are dangerous.drugbeThe message isn’t getting across.getget across toIt is important that we get this message across to voters.bevoterget ahead phrasal verb to be successful and do better than other people in a job or work: She soon found that it wasn’t easy to get ahead in the movie business.findget along phrasal verb1RELATIONSHIPif two or more people get along, they have a friendly relationship: We’ve always got along quite well.getget along withThey seem to get along with each other.2PROGRESSto deal with a job or situation or to make progress: How’s Sam getting along at university?getget along withoutDon’t worry, we’ll get along without you.3CONTINUE/START AGAINI must/I’d better be getting along spoken used to say that it is time for you to leave, for example because you have something else to do spokenget around phrasal verb1get around (something)TRAVEL to go or travel to different places: We had to use public transport to get around.haveIt’s quite easy to get around London.2SPREADif news or information gets around, it is told to a lot of people: News of the accident soon got around.getWord got around that the department might be closed.getclose3AVOIDget around something to avoid something that is difficult or causes problems for you: I think we should be able to get around most of these problems.shallproblemShe was always very clever at getting around the rules.begetruleget around to something phrasal verb DOto do something that you have been intending to do for some time: I meant to phone her yesterday, but I never got around to it.meangetget around to doing somethingWe finally got around to clearing out the garage.getclearget at somebody/something phrasal verb1CRITICIZEcriticize to keep criticizing someone in an unkind way: Why is he always getting at me?begetHe felt he was being got at by the other students.feelbebegetstudent2be getting at somethingCLEAR/EASY TO UNDERSTAND to be trying to say something in a way that is difficult for other people to understand: What are you getting at, Helen?begetDo you see the point I’m getting at?get3REACHreach to be able to reach something: We had to move the washing machine out to get at the wiring behind it.havewashwire4FIND OUTinformation to discover information, especially the truth about a situation: I was determined to get at the truth.bedetermine5threaten informalTHREATEN to use threats to influence the decision of people who are involved in a court case: Do you think some of the jury have been got at?begetget away phrasal verb1LEAVE A PLACEleave to leave a place, especially when this is not easy: The meeting dragged on, and I didn’t get away until seven.meetdragget away fromI like to get away from London at the weekend.2on holiday informalHOLIDAY to take a holiday away from the place you normally live: Will you manage to get away this summer?get away toWe’re hoping to get away to Scotland for a few days.hopeday3ESCAPEescape to escape from someone who is chasing you or trying to catch you: The three men got away in a stolen car.mangetstealget away fromWe knew it wouldn’t be easy to get away from the police.knowget away withThe thieves got away with jewellery worth over £50,000.thieveget4get away! British English spokenSURPRISED used to say you are very surprised by something or do not believe it5the one that got awayGOOD/EXCELLENTNOT HAVE something good that you nearly had or that nearly happenedget away from somebody/something phrasal verb1to avoid something that is difficult or unpleasant for you, or something that limits what you can do in some way: I needed to get away from the pressures of work.needpressureShe wanted to get away from the traditional ideas of what theatre is about.wantideabeThere is no getting away from this fact (=you cannot avoid or deny this fact).beget2ATTENTIONto begin to talk about other things rather than the subject you are supposed to be discussing: I think we’re getting away from the main issue.get3get away from it allHOLIDAY to have a relaxing holiday: You need to get away from it all for a couple of weeks.weekget away with something phrasal verb1to not be caught or punished when you have done something wrong: Watch Frank – he’ll cheat if he thinks he can get away with it.thinkNo one insults my family and gets away with it!insultget2get away with murder informal to not be punished for doing something wrong: Some of those children get away with murder!child3to receive only a small punishment for something: The charge was reduced to manslaughter, and she got away with three years in prison.bereducegetyear4to do something without experiencing any problems or difficulties, even though it is not the best thing to do: At school he had always got away with doing the bare minimum amount of work.havegetdoThe colour’s not quite right, but I think you’ll get away with it.get back phrasal verb1RETURNreturn to return to a place: I’ll talk to you when I get back.get back toHe got back to the office just before lunchtime.get2CONTINUE/START AGAINdo something again to start doing something again or talking about something againget back toLet’s get back to the main point of the discussion.Well, I must get back to work.get back intoHave you ever thought about getting back into teaching?thinkgetteach3be in a state again to change to a previous state or condition againget back toLife was beginning to get back to normal.bebeginI couldn’t get back to sleep.get back togetherDo you think they’ll get back together (=start having a relationship again)?4GIVEget something again get something ↔ back to get something again after you have lost it or someone else has taken it: Did you get your books back?dobook5punish somebody get somebody back informalREVENGE to do something to hurt or harm someone who has hurt or harmed youget somebody back forI’ll get you back for this!get back at somebody phrasal verb REVENGEto do something to hurt or harm someone who has hurt or harmed you: He’ll probably go out with her just to get back at me.get back to somebody phrasal verb informal ANSWER/REPLYto talk to someone or telephone them later in order to answer a question or give them information: I’ll find out the prices and get back to you.priceget behind phrasal verb1NOT DO STHif you get behind with a job, payments, rent etc, you do not do or pay as much of it as you should have by a particular timeget behind withI don’t want to get behind with my work.You can always catch up later if you get behind.late2get behind somebody informal to support someone: The crowd really got behind them and cheered them on.getcheerget by phrasal verb SURVIVEto have enough money to buy the things you need, but no more: I don’t earn a huge salary, but we get by.get by onSometimes they had to get by on very little.haveget down phrasal verb1make somebody sad get somebody downSAD/UNHAPPY to make someone feel unhappy and tired: His lack of social life was beginning to get him down.bebegin2write something down get something ↔ downWRITE to write something, especially something that someone is saying: He was followed by a group of reporters trying to get down every word he said.befollowreportertrysayIt’s important to get things down on paper.thing3eat/drink get something down (somebody)EAT to eat or drink something, or persuade someone else to eat or drink something: I knew I’d feel better once I’d got some food down.knowwellgetGet that tea down you.He still says he’s not hungry, and I can’t get anything down him.say4after a meal British English to leave the table after a meal – used by children or when you are talking to children: Please may I get down?get down to something phrasal verb START DOING STHto start doing something that is difficult or needs a lot of time or energy: It’s time we got down to work.getWe need to get down to some serious talking.talkget down to doing somethingI always find it hard to get down to revising.reviseget in phrasal verb1ENTERenter to enter a place, especially when this is difficult: We managed to get in through a window.manageThe theatre was already full, and we couldn’t get in.be2ARRIVEarrive if a train, plane etc gets in at a particular time, it arrives at that time: What time does the bus get in?doget in toWe get in to Heathrow at ten o'clock.3ARRIVEget home to arrive home: We didn’t get in until late.What time do the boys get in from school?boy4be elected to be elected to a position of political power: The Conservatives have promised to increase spending on health and education if they get in.conservativepromisespend5JOIN AN ORGANIZATIONcollege/university to be allowed to be a student at a university, college etc: I applied to Bristol University, but I didn’t get in.apply6buy a supply get something ↔ in to buy a supply of something: I must remember to get some food in for the weekend.7crops get something ↔ in to gather a crop and bring it to a sheltered place: The whole village was involved with getting the harvest in.beinvolveget8ask for worker get somebody ↔ inASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STH to ask someone to come to your home to do a job, especially to repair something: We’ll have to get a plumber in.9give something to somebody get something inGIVE to send something to a particular place or give it to a particular person: Please can you get your essays in by Thursday.essayIt’s best to get your insurance claim in as quickly as possible.well10do something get something ↔ in to manage to do something even though you do not have much time: We’re hoping to get in a game of golf over the weekend.hopeget in on something phrasal verb informal TAKE PART/BE INVOLVEDto become involved in something that other people are doing or planning: Quite a few companies would like to get in on the project.companywillThe scheme has proved very successful, and now other local authorities are keen to get in on the act (=become involved in something exciting or interesting).haveproveauthoritybeget in with somebody phrasal verb informal RELATIONSHIPto become friendly with someone: He got in with a bad crowd and started getting into trouble.getstartgetget into something1enter to enter a place, especially when this is difficult: The door was locked and we couldn’t get into the house.belock2arrive to arrive at a place: What time do we get into New York?3be elected to be elected to a Parliament: He first got into Parliament in 1982.get4college/university to be allowed to be a student at a university, college etc: She got into UCLA.get5team to be made a member of a team: Do you think you might get into the Olympic team this year?6start doing something to start doing or feeling something, or being in a particular situation: He’s started getting into trouble at school.startgetMy parents were always terrified of getting into debt.parentbeterrifygetShe got into the habit of going for long walks by herself.getgowalkHe got into a terrible temper and started throwing things around.getstartthrowthing7become involved to begin to be involved in doing something: How did you first get into script writing?dowriteShe was starting to get into politics.bestart8enjoy informalINTERESTED to begin to enjoy something or be interested in it: I first got into jazz when I was at college.getbe9clothing informal to put on a piece of clothing, especially when this is difficult because the piece of clothing is too small for you: I don’t know how she managed to get into those trousers.managetrouser10what’s got into somebody? spokenSTRANGE used to express surprise that someone is behaving very differently from the way they usually behave: I don’t know what’s got into Sally recently.getget off phrasal verb1LEAVE A PLACEleave to leave a place, or to help someone to leave a place: We’ll try and get off straight after lunch.get off somethingGet off my land!get somebody offI’ll phone you as soon as I’ve got the children off to school.getchild2LEAVE A PLACEfinish work get off (something) to finish work and leave the place where you work at the end of the day: I usually get off at six o'clock.What time do you get off work?3send something get something offSEND to send a letter or package by post: I’ll have to get this letter off by tonight.get something off toI’ll get the forms off to you today.form4clothing get something off to remove a piece of clothing: Why don’t you get those wet clothes off?clothe5not be punished if someone gets off, they are not punished for doing something wrong, or they receive only a small punishment: In the end he got off because there wasn’t enough evidence against him.getThe police felt he had got off very lightly.feelhavegetget off withIf you’re lucky, you’ll get off with a fine.6help somebody not be punished get somebody offPUNISH to help someone avoid being punished for a crime: Her lawyers were confident that they could get her off.lawyerbecan7SLEEPsleep get (somebody) off to go to sleep, or to help a child go to sleep: I went to bed but couldn’t get off to sleep.goIt took us ages to get the baby off.takeage8START DOING STHget off to a good/bad etc start to start in a particular way: The day had got off to a bad start.haveget9stop talking about something get off something to stop talking about a subject: Can we get off the subject of death, please?10stop touching something get off (something/somebody) informalSTOP DOING STH used to tell someone to stop touching something or someone: Get off me!Get off those cakes, or there’ll be trouble.cakeGet off (=stop touching me)!11tell somebody where to get off informalDISAGREE to tell someone that they are asking you for too much or are behaving in a way you will not accept: He wanted £50, but I told him where to get off.wanttell12get off your butt/ass American English spoken not polite used to tell someone that they should stop being lazy and start doing something usefulget off on something phrasal verb informal EXCITEDto become excited by something, especially sexually excitedget off with somebody phrasal verb informal SEX/HAVE SEX WITHto start a sexual relationship with someone: She spent the whole evening trying to get off with Phil.spendeventryget on phrasal verb1like somebody especially British EnglishRELATIONSHIP if people get on, they like each other and have a friendly relationship with each otherget on withI’ve always got on well with Henry.getThe two boys get on well most of the time.boy2progressPROGRESS to deal with a job or situation or to make progress: How is George getting on at school?begetget on withHow are you getting on with your essay?begetget on withoutI don’t know how we’ll get on without Michael.3continue doing somethingCONTINUE/START AGAIN to continue doing somethingget on withBe quiet and get on with your work!4be successful to be successful in your job: You’ll have to work hard if you want to get on.5clothing get something on to put a piece of clothing on: I can’t get my boots on!boot6be getting on a)LATEif time is getting on, it is quite late: Come on, it’s getting on and we ought to go home.getI realized that time was getting on and we would have to hurry.realizebegetwill b)informalOLD/NOT YOUNG if someone is getting on, they are quite old7getting on for 90/10 o'clock/2,000 etcTIME/AT A PARTICULAR TIME almost a particular age, time, number etc: Mrs McIntyre must be getting on for 90 by now.getThe total cost was getting on for $100,000.beget8get it on American English informalSEX/HAVE SEX WITH to have sex9get on with it! spokenHURRY used to tell someone to hurry: Will you lot stop messing around and get on with it!mess10let somebody get on with it informal to let someone do something on their own, and not help them or tell them what to do: She wanted to decorate her room, so I just let her get on with it.wantget onto somebody/something phrasal verb1CONTACT SBspeak/write to somebody informal to speak or write to someone: I’ll get onto my lawyer about this.2FIND OUTlearn about somebody informal to find out about someone who has been doing something wrong: How did the police get onto him?do3CHOOSEbe elected to be elected as a member of a committee, a political organization etc: She was quite keen to get onto the management committee.be4SUBJECTtalk about something to begin to talk about a subject after you have been discussing something else: After a few minutes they got onto the subject of the election.minuteget5do something informal to start dealing with something: Right, I’ll get onto it straight away.get out phrasal verb1leave to leave a room or building: You ought to get out into the fresh air.Mary screamed at me to get out.screamget out ofGet out of the kitchen!2ESCAPEescape to escape from a place: Some of the animals had got out.animalhavegetget out ofHe was determined to get out of prison.bedetermine3help somebody escape get somebody outESCAPE to help someone leave a place or escape from a place: It’s important to get these people out as soon as possible.get somebody out ofWe knew it was going to be difficult to get him out of the country.knowbego4take something from a place get something ↔ out to take something from the place where it is kept: She got out her violin and started to play.getstart5FIND OUTinformation if information gets out, a lot of people then know it although it is meant to be secret: We have to make absolutely certain that none of this gets out.getIt’s bound to get out that he’s retiring soon.bindretire6produce something get something ↔ out to produce a book or other product that can be sold to people: We’re hoping to get the new catalogue out next week.hope7say something get something ↔ outSAY/STATE to succeed in saying something, especially when this is very difficult: I wanted to tell him I loved him, but couldn’t get the words out.wantlovewordget out of something phrasal verb1AVOIDavoid doing something to avoid doing something you have promised to do or are supposed to do: See if you can get out of that meeting tomorrow.meetget out of doing somethingHe’s trying to get out of tidying his room.trytidy2stop doing something to stop doing something or being involved in something: I wanted to get out of teaching.wantteach3make somebody give/tell you something get something out of somebodyPERSUADE to force or persuade someone to tell you something or give you something: I was determined to get the truth out of her.bedetermine4enjoy something get something out of somethingENJOY/LIKE DOING STH to enjoy something you do or experience, or to learn something as a result: I hope he got something out of his visit.getget something out of doing somethingChildren can get a lot out of being involved in community projects.childbeinvolveprojectget over1illness get over something to become well again after an illness: It’s taken me ages to get over the flu.takeage2unpleasant experience get over something to begin to feel better after a very upsetting experience: She never got over the death of her son.get3ideas/information get something ↔ overEXPRESS to succeed in communicating ideas or information to other peopleget something ↔ over toIt’s important that we get this message over to young people.4finish something get something over (also get something over with)FINISH DOING STH to do and finish something difficult that you have to do: I’ll be in touch once I’ve got my exams over.getexamI can’t wait to get the interview over with.5problem/difficulty get over somethingDEAL WITH to successfully deal with a problem or difficulty: I don’t know how we’re going to get over this problem.goOnce we’ve got over the first few months, we should be making a reasonable profit.getmonthshallmake6can’t/couldn’t get over something spokenSHOCK used to say that you are very surprised, shocked, or amused by something: I can’t get over how well you look.get round phrasal verb British English1SPREADif news or information gets round, it is told to a lot of people: News like this soon gets round.get2get round somethingAVOID to avoid something that is difficult or causes problems for you: Most companies manage to get round the restrictions.companyrestriction3get round somebodyPERSUADE to gently persuade someone to do what you want by being nice to them: I know how to get round Chris.get round to something phrasal verb British English EVENTUALLYto do something that you have been intending to do for some time: I keep meaning to put a lock on it, but I never get round to it.meanget round to doing somethingI haven’t got round to unpacking from my holiday yet.getunpackget through phrasal verb1do work get through something to do an amount of work: We got through half the application forms this morning.getformWe’ve got a lot of work to get through.get2use something get through something informal to use a lot of something: You wouldn’t believe the amount of food children can get through in a week!child3spend money get through something informalSPEND MONEY to spend a lot of money: He can get through £100 in one evening.even4difficult time get (somebody) through somethingFINISH DOING STH to come successfully to the end of an unpleasant experience or period of time, or to help someone do this: I don’t know how we’re going to get through the winter.goIt was their love that got me through those first difficult months.begetmonth5PASS A TESTtest/competition get (somebody/something) through (something) to be successful in a test or competition, or to make sure that someone or something is successful: I finally managed to get through my driving test.managedriveI knew it was going to be difficult to get the car through its MOT test.knowbegoget (somebody/something) through (something) toLiverpool have got through to the final of the FA Cup.get6reach a person/place to reach a place or person that is difficult to reachget through toAid agencies have been unable to get through to the thousands of refugees stranded on the border.agencyberefugeestrand7TELEPHONEby telephone to succeed in speaking to someone on the telephone: I tried phoning her office, but I couldn’t get through.tryphoneget through toAt last I managed to get through to one of the managers.managemanager8new law get (something) through (something) if a new law gets through parliament, or if someone gets it through, it is officially approved: Anti-hunting legislation will never get through the House of Lords.huntlordOnce again we failed to get the Bill through Parliament.failget (something) through to somebody phrasal verb EXPLAINto succeed in making someone understand something, especially when this is difficult: I couldn’t seem to get through to her.How can I get it through to him that this is really important?beget to somebody/something phrasal verb informal1UPSETto make someone feel annoyed or upset: I’m under a lot of pressure at work, and sometimes it gets to me a bit.getbiteDon’t let things get to you.thing2get to thinking/wondering something informal to start thinking something: He got to thinking how disappointed his parents would be.getthinkdisappointparentwillget together phrasal verb1MEETif people get together, they meet in order to spend time with each other: We must get together for a drink.2RELATIONSHIPif two people get together, they start a romantic or sexual relationship3get something ↔ together to collect things together: I need to get some paperwork together for the meeting.meet4get somebody ↔ together to bring people together to make a group: He got together a group of local businessmen to discuss the problem.getbusinessman5get something ↔ together to succeed in getting enough money to do or buy something: We’re trying to get together enough money to buy a flat.try6get something together informal to change your life so that it is organized and you are in control of it: He’s just trying to get his life together at the moment.tryget yourself togetherI’m staying with my parents for a while, until I’ve got myself together a bit.stayparentgetbite7get it together spokenCONTROL to be organized and successful in your life, job etc: The government can’t seem to get it together on the environment.get up phrasal verb1get (somebody) upWAKE UP/GET UP to get out of your bed after sleeping, or to make someone get out of their bed: We didn’t get up until lunchtime.Get me up at seven, would you?will2STANDto stand up: He got up and walked over to the window.getwalk3if a wind or storm gets up, it starts and gets stronger4be got up as/in something British English informalPRETEND to be dressed in particular clothes: He arrived at the party got up as Count Dracula.arrivegetThe men were all got up in suits.manbegetsuit5get it up informal to get an erection(1)get up to something phrasal verb DOto do something, especially something slightly bad: Go upstairs and see what the kids are getting up to.kidbegetWhat did you get up to at the weekend?do
noun
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: grund 1earthLAND/GROUND [uncountable] a)the surface of the earththe ground
The leaves were slowly fluttering to the ground.leavebefluttergrindHe lay on the ground and stared up at the sky.liegrindstareThe ground was frozen solid.grindbefreezeabove/below/under groundAt night, badgers feed above ground.badgergrindThese youngsters work 70 metres below ground level.youngstermetregrindA raised platform stood two metres off the ground.raisestandmetregrindThe air raids were followed by military action on the ground (=on land).raidbefollowgrindground troops (=soldiers who fight on land)grindtroop b)the soil on and under the surface of the earth: Dig the ground over in the autumn.grindPlant the seeds 2 cm deep in the ground.seedgrindThe ground was dry, far too dry for growing corn.grindbegrow2LAND/GROUNDarea of land a)[uncountable] an area of land without buildings, fences, woods etc: The landscape is a mixture of open ground and woodland.begrindThey were standing on the waste ground (=land in a town that is not being used) behind the car park.bestandgrind b)[countable] (also grounds [plural]) an area of land or sea that is used for a particular purpose: fishing groundsfishgroundparade/hunting/burial etc groundThese fields served as a hunting ground for the local people.fieldservehuntgrindThe rivers are used as dumping grounds for industrial waste.riverbeusedumpgroundHe is buried in sacred ground.beburygrind → playground(1) c)grounds [plural] the land or gardens surrounding a large building: We decided to take a stroll in the hotel grounds.decideground3REASONreason grounds [plural] a good reason for doing, believing, or saying somethinggrounds for (doing) somethingMental cruelty can be grounds for divorce.groundThere are strong grounds for believing his statement.begroundbelievehave grounds to do somethingDid the police have reasonable grounds to arrest him?dogroundon moral/legal/medical etc groundsThe proposal was rejected on environmental grounds.berejectgroundon (the) grounds of somethingFlying was ruled out on grounds of cost.flyberuleground‘You’re under arrest.’ ‘On what grounds?’groundon the grounds thatWe oppose the bill, on the grounds that it discriminates against women.grounddiscriminatewoman4subject [uncountable]KNOW STH a subject or area of knowledge: At meetings, we just keep going over the same ground (=talking about the same things).meetinggogrindHis latest movie looks set to break new ground (=introduce new and exciting ideas).latelookgrindfamiliar/home ground (=a subject etc that you know something about)In his latest book, McManus returns to more familiar ground.latereturngrind5opinion [uncountable] a general opinion or set of attitudes: Often parents and teenagers find they have little common ground (=they do not share the same attitudes etc).parentteenagergrindthe middle/centre ground (=opinions that are not extreme that most people would agree with)Both parties are battling to occupy the centre ground.partybebattlegrindCareful, Laura. You could be treading on dangerous ground (=expressing opinions etc that might offend someone).cantreadgrindEach side was unwilling to give ground (=change their opinion).begrind6sport [countable] British English the place where a particular sport is played → stadium: a new football groundgrindIt’s their first defeat at their home ground (=the ground that belongs to a particular team) all season.grind7hold/stand your groundCHANGE YOUR MIND a)to stay where you are when someone threatens you, in order to show them that you are not afraid: The men threatened him, but he stood his ground and they fled.manthreatenstandgrindflee b)to refuse to change your mind about something, even though people are opposing you: Jason vowed to stand his ground, even if it meant losing his job.vowgrindmeanlose8get off the groundSUCCESSFUL to start to be successful: Her show never really got off the ground in the UK.getgrind9gain ground a)ADVANTAGEto become more successful: It was feared that the extreme right would gain ground in the election.befearwillgrind b)RIGHT/PROPERif an idea, belief etc gains ground, more people start to accept it: His theories gradually gained ground among academics.theorygaingrindacademic c)to get closer to someone or something that you are competing with10lose groundSUCCESSFUL to become less successful compared with someone or something you are competing with: The Indian team seem determined to regain the ground they lost in the last game.determinegrindlose11SITUATIONbreeding/fertile/proving ground a situation in which something develops quickly or successfully: The region, with its widespread poverty, provided fertile ground for revolutionary activists.providegrindactivistprepare/lay the ground (=to provide the situation or conditions in which something can develop successfully)breeding/fertile/proving ground forMy task was to prepare the ground for the recruitment of support workers.begrindworker12burn/raze something to the ground to destroy a city, building etc completely by fire, bombs etc: The city of Tortona was burnt to the ground.beburngrind13work/drive/run yourself into the groundWORK HARD to work so hard that you become very tired or ill: Kay’s working herself into the ground trying to meet her deadlines.workgrindtrydeadline14on the groundHERE in the place or situation where something important is happening, rather than somewhere else – used especially in news reports: While the politicians talk of peace, the situation on the ground remains tense.politiciangrindremain15stamping ground British English, stomping ground American English informal someone’s stamping ground is an area where they are known or have a lot of influence: I guess he’ll try to reach his old stomping ground to drum up support.stompgrind16electrical [singular] American English a wire that connects a piece of electrical equipment to the ground for safety SYN earth British English17grounds [plural] small pieces of solid material that sink to the bottom of a liquid: coffee groundsground18go to ground British EnglishHIDE/MAKE IT HARD TO FIND OR SEE to make it hard for people to find you: The man has gone to ground since his photograph was published in a national newspaper.havegogrindbepublish19run somebody/something to ground British English to succeed in finding someone or something after a long search20background [countable] technical the colour used as the background for a design → cut the ground from under sb’s feet at cut1(37), → have/keep both feet on the ground at foot1(18), → suit somebody down to the ground at suit2(1), → be thin on the ground at thin1(12), → hit the ground running at hit1(24)THESAURUSthe ground the surface of the earth, or the soil on its surface: He collapsed and fell to the ground.collapsefallgrind | The ground was wet and muddy.grindbethe ocean/forest/cave etc floor the ground at the bottom of the ocean, a forest, a cave etc: Many wonderful creatures live on the ocean floor.creatureland used when talking about an area of ground that is owned by someone, or is used for an activity. Also used when talking about the part of the earth’s surface that is not covered with water: His family owns a lot of land.own | agricultural land | She got off the ferry, happy to be back on dry land.getterrain a type of land – used when talking about how easy an area of land is to cross, and whether it is rocky, flat etc: The Land Rover is built to go over rough terrain.bebuild | The terrain gets flatter when you go further south.getflatfarearth/soil the substance that plants grow in: The vegetables were still covered in black soil.vegetablebecovermud wet earth: Your shoes are covered in mud.shoebecover
groundverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Word sets 1 2 3Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesgroundgroundsgroundedgroundinggroundground2 verb
Word familyVerb form1aircraft [transitive usually passive]PREVENT to stop an aircraft or pilot from flying: All planes are grounded until the fog clears.planebegroundclear2boat [intransitive and transitive]STOP MOVING if you ground a boat or if it grounds, it hits the bottom of the sea so that it cannot move: Both boats grounded on a mud bank.boatground3be grounded in/on somethingCOME FROM/ORIGINATE to be based on something: Lewis’ ideas were grounded in his Christian faith.ideabeground4child [transitive] informalFORBID to stop a child going out with their friends as a punishment for behaving badly: I got home at 2 am and Dad grounded me on the spot.getbeground5electricity [transitive] American English to make a piece of electrical equipment safe by connecting it to the ground with a wire SYN earth British English → well-groundedground somebody in something phrasal verb TEACHto teach someone the basic things they should know in order to be able to do something: Most seven-year-olds are grounded in the basics of reading and writing.begroundreadwrite
groundadjectiveCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Word sets 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesgroundgroundground3 adjective [only before noun] ground coffee or nuts have been broken up into powder or very small pieces, using a special machine → grind
groundCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entriesgroundgroundground4 the past tense and past participle of grind1
noun
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: ham ‘village, home’ 1place where you live [uncountable and countable]HOME the house, apartment, or place where you live:
They have a beautiful home in California.Good luck in your new home!at homeLast night we stayed at home and watched TV.staywatchaway from homeHe was spending more and more time away from home.bespendwork from/at home (=do your work at home instead of at a company office)A family of birds made their home (=started living) under the roof.birdmake2family [uncountable and countable]HOME the place where a child lived with his or her family: Jack left home when he was 16.leavebeWere you still living at home (=with your parents)?beliveCarrie moved out of the family home a year ago.move3where you came from/belong [uncountable and countable]HOME the place where you came from or where you usually live, especially when this is the place where you feel happy and comfortable: She was born in Italy, but she’s made Charleston her home.bemakeback homeThe folks back home don’t really understand what life is like here.folkbe4your countryCOUNTRY/NATION [uncountable] the country where you live, as opposed to foreign countriesat homeauto sales at home and abroadsaleback homeHe’s been travelling, but he’s kept up with what’s going on back home.betravelkeepgo5be/feel at home a)USED TO/ACCUSTOMED TOto feel comfortable in a place or with a personbe/feel at home in/withI’m already feeling at home in the new apartment.feelAfter a while we began to feel at home with each other.begin b)USED TO/ACCUSTOMED TOto feel happy or confident about doing or using somethingbe/feel at home with/inPractise using the video until you feel quite at home with it.use6property [countable]HOME a house, apartment etc considered as property which you can buy or sell: Attractive modern homes for sale.home7for taking care of somebody [countable]HOME a place where people who are very old or sick, or children who have no family, are looked after: an old people’s homeI could never put Dad into a home.can → children’s home, nursing home, rest home8make yourself at home spokenRELAXED used to tell someone who is visiting you that they should relax: Sit down and make yourself at home.9make somebody feel at homeRELAXED to make someone feel relaxed by being friendly towards them: We like to make our customers feel at home.customer10the home of something a)INVENTthe place where something was first discovered, made, or developed: America is the home of baseball.be b)PLACEthe place where a plant or animal grows or lives: India is the home of elephants and tigers.beelephanttiger11sports team at home if a sports team plays at home, they play at their own sports field OPP awayat home toBirmingham Bullets are at home to Kingston.bulletbe12home from home British English, home away from home American EnglishHOMECOMFORTABLE a place that you think is as pleasant and comfortable as your own house13home sweet homeCOMFORTABLE used to say how nice it is to be in your own home14dogs’/cats’ home British English a place where animals with no owners are looked after15find a home for something British EnglishPUT to find a place where something can be kept: Can you find a home for the piano?16what’s that when it’s at home? British English spokenEXPLAIN used humorously to ask what a long or unusual word means17games [uncountable] a place in some games or sports which a player must try to reach in order to win a point → home plate, home runCOLLOCATIONSMeanings 1 & 2ADJECTIVES/NOUN + home a secure/stable home (=a caring family without a lot of changes) He had grown up in a stable home.havegrowa happy home (=a happy family) We had a happy home.havea broken home (=a family in which the parents have separated) Many of the youngsters came from broken homes.youngstercomebreakhomethe family home (=where a family lives) The house was once the family home of the O'Dare family.bethe marital home (=where a husband and wife live) He left the marital home to move in with his lover.leavesb’s childhood/boyhood etc home (=where you lived as a child) I had not been back to my childhood home for ten years.havebeyeara permanent/temporary home Flood victims were offered temporary homes.victimbeofferhomeverbslive at home (=live with your parents) More people in their twenties are still living at home because housing is so expensive.twentybelivehousebeleave home (=stop living with your parents at home) Lisa had left home at age 16.haveleavework from/at home (=do your work at home instead of at an office) I work at home three days a week.dayTHESAURUShome the house, apartment, or place where you live: More and more people are working from home.bework | It was past midnight by the time I got home.begethouse a building that someone lives in, especially a building intended for one person, couple, or family: Shall we meet at your house? | Have you seen Dave’s new house – it’s huge!seeplace spoken informal the house, apartment, or room where someone lives: We went to Sara’s place after the movie.go | He’s just bought a fantastic place right by the sea.buyresidence formal the house or apartment where someone lives, especially a large or official one: The Prime Minister’s official residence is 10 Downing Street.bedown | His wife transferred her main residence to Spain.transferholiday home British English, vacation home American English a house that someone owns by the sea, in the mountains etc, where they go for their holidays: They bought a luxury holiday home in Spain.buy
homeadverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleshomehomehome2 S1 W1 adverbWord family1HOMEto or at the place where you live: Is Sue home from work yet?bebring/take somebody/something homeThey brought the baby home from the hospital on Friday.bringWe stayed home last night.stayI’m going home now. See you tomorrow.gocome/get/reach etc home (=arrive at your home)It was midnight by the time we got home.begetWhat time are you coming home?become ► Do not use a preposition such as ‘at’ or ‘to’ before home when it is an adverb: Then we went home (NOT went at home). | He returned home (NOT returned to home).2take home £120 per week/$600 a month etcEARN to earn a certain amount of money after tax has been taken off: The average worker takes home around $300 a week.take3hit/drive/hammer etc something home a)UNDERSTANDto make sure that someone understands what you mean by saying it in an extremely direct and determined way: We really need to drive this message home. b)TIGHTto hit or push something firmly into the correct position4bring something home to somebody/come home to somebodyREALIZE to make you realize how serious, difficult, or dangerous something is: The episode has brought home to me the pointlessness of this war.havebring5hit/strike home if a remark, situation, or experience hits home, it makes you realize how serious, difficult, or dangerous something is: She could see that her remark had hit home.canhave6be home and dry British English informalSUCCEED IN DOING STH to have succeeded in doing something7be home free American English informalSUCCEED IN DOING STH to have succeeded in doing the most difficult part of something: If I last five years with no symptoms, I’ll be home free.yearsymptom → close to home at close2(19)
homeadjectiveCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Word sets 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary exampleshomehomehome3 adjective [only before noun]1HOMErelating to or belonging to your home or familyhome address/number (=the address or telephone number of your house)These children need a proper home life.child2HOMEdone at home or intended for use in a home: good old-fashioned home cookingfashioncooka home computer3played or playing at a team’s own sports field, rather than an opponent’s fieldhome team/game/crowd/club etcThe home team took the lead after 25 minutes.takeminute4COUNTRY/NATIONrelating to a particular country, as opposed to foreign countries SYN domestic: The meat was destined for the home market.be
homeverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from other entriesCorpus exampleshomehomeshomedhominghomehome4 verbWord familyVerb formhome in on something phrasal verb1TOWARDSto aim exactly at an object or place and move directly to it: The bat can home in on insects using a kind of ‘radar’.insectuse2ATTENTIONto direct your efforts or attention towards a particular fault or problem: He homed in on the one weak link in the argument.home
abbreviation for agency for international development
aidnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4Phrases from this entryOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesaidaidsaidaid1 S2 W2 AC /eɪd/
noun1[uncountable] help, such as money or food, given by an organization or government to a country or to people who are in a difficult situation: Foreign aid from many countries poured into the famine area.countrypourconvoys delivering humanitarian aidconvoydelivera substantial aid programmeHe has been granted legal aid (=free legal services).havebegrant2[uncountable] help that you need to do a particular thingwith/without the aid of somethingFather Poole walked painfully, with the aid of a stick.walk3in aid of something in order to help a charity: We’re collecting money in aid of cancer research.collect4HELP[uncountable] help or advice that is given to someone who needs itcome/go to sb’s aid (=help someone)I didn’t speak any French, but a nice man came to my aid.come5[countable]TOOL something such as a machine or tool that helps someone do something: A video is a useful aid in the classroom.bea hearing aidhear6what’s this in aid of?REASON British English spoken used to ask what something is used for or why someone is doing something: What’s this meeting tomorrow in aid of, then?meet7an American spelling of aide → first aidCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1ADJECTIVES/NOUN + aidforeign/international/overseas aid The development of the continent is now dependent on foreign aid.belegal aid If you are on a low income, you may qualify for legal aid.befinancial/economic aid The commission said it was ready to provide financial aid to help farmers.saybefarmermilitary aid Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. economic and military aid.belargemedical aid The capital was in urgent need of food and medical aid.befood aid The government launched an appeal for emergency food aid for 60,000 people.launchhumanitarian aid (=given to people living in very bad conditions) Ministers agreed to send humanitarian aid, including food and medical supplies.ministeragreeincludesupplyrelief/emergency aid (=given when there is a disaster, a war etc) Surrounding countries supplied disaster relief aid.surroundcountrysupplydevelopment aid (=given to help develop poor countries) It’s one of the poorest countries in the world, but it has received no UN development aid.poorcountryhavereceiveverbssend/provide aid EU Ministers meeting in Belgium agreed to send humanitarian aid.ministermeetagreeask for/appeal for aid The Chinese authorities have asked for aid to help the earthquake victims.authorityaskvictimget/receive aid Ethiopia receives less foreign aid than any other developing country.receivelittledevelopdepend on/rely on aid The report stated that some 703,000 people relied on food aid.staterelysuspend aid (=officially stop aid from continuing, usually for a short time) Canada will be suspending aid until democracy is restored.suspendberestorecut off/withdraw aid (=stop giving aid) The US has threatened to cut off aid to the region.havethreaten | Conditons deteriorated further as western aid was withdrawn.deterioratefarbewithdrawqualify for aid (also be eligible for aid) (=have the right to be given aid) The project is eligible for aid from the British Tourist Board.benounsan appeal/request for aid International aid agencies launched an appeal for emergency aid.agencylaunchan aid worker Aid workers warned of a worsening situation.workerwarnworsenaid agency The sanctions could prevent international aid agencies from delivering food and medicine.sanctioncanagencydeliveran aid programme/scheme/package The UN aid programme provided most of the finance.provideCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 5adjectivesa hearing aid Many of the older residents wear hearing aids.oldresidenthearaidvisual/audio/audio-visual aids (=recorded sounds, pictures, film etc, used to help describe or explain something) No scientific lecture is ever given without slides or other visual aids.begiveslidaidteaching/classroom aids teaching aids and resourcesteachaidresourcetraining/study aids Receive free study aids when you enrol, including a copy of The IDM Marketing Guide worth £95.aidincludemarketnavigational/navigation aids (=that help you find the way you need to go when you are travelling from one place to another) navigational aids such as radaraidelectronic aids Fishermen rely primarily on electronic aids for navigation.fishermanaidTHESAURUShelp the things you do to make it easier or possible for someone to do something: Now that I’m working, the kids need to give me more help with the housework.workkid | The book would never have been finished without his help.willbefinishassistance help. Assistance is more formal than help, and is used especially about people giving official help: The police are asking the public for their assistance.beask | The project received financial assistance from the government.receive | Thank you very much for your assistance, sir. | He set up the business with the assistance of his two sons.sonaid help. Aid is more formal than help, and is used especially about money, food, medicine etc. that is given to countries or people that are in a very bad situation: Aid is being sent to areas affected by the earthquake.bebesendareaaffect | The US spends billions of dollars on aid to developing countries.spenddollardevelopcountry | Another driver stopped and came to his aid.stopcomesupport help and encouragement: Thanks to everyone who gave us their support.thankgive | We could not have won the case without your support.canwincooperation help – used especially when people, organizations, or countries work together to get things done, and show that they are willing to do this: a spirit of international cooperation | The cooperation of landowners was needed for the plan to succeed.landownerbeneedbackup extra people, equipment etc that can be used in case people need help: The officer waited for backup to arrive before making any arrests.waitmakearrest
aidverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2Phrases from this entryOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesaidaidsaidedaidingaidaid2 AC verb [transitive]Date: 1400-1500Language: French
Origin: aider, from Latin adjutare, from adjuvare, from ad- ‘to’ + juvare ‘to help’ Verb form1to help someone do something:
an index to aid the readeraid somebody in/with (doing) somethingMrs Coxen was aided in looking after the children by her niece.beaidlookchild2to make something happen more quickly or easily: Welfare spending aids economic development in three ways.spendaidway3aid and abet law to help someone do something illegalTHESAURUShelp to make it easier for someone to do something, by doing something for them or giving them something they need: Is there anything I can do to help?be | Dad, I can’t do my homework. Will you help me?assist formal to help someone: He was employed to assist the manager in his duties.beemployduty | Some of the guests assisted with the preparation of the food.guestassistaid formal to help someone to do something – used especially when saying that something helps your body to do something: Coffee can aid concentration. | Fennel aids the digestion.aid | There are plenty of materials to aid the teacher.bematerialhelp out to help someone, especially because there are not enough people to do all the work, or they need someone to give them something: Organizing the school trip will be a lot of work, so I need some volunteers to help out.organizevolunteer | My parents have helped us out on several occasions by sending us money.parenthelpoccasionsendgive somebody a hand informal to help someone to do something, especially by carrying or lifting things: Can you give me a hand moving these boxes?movebox | Dave wants to paint the kitchen and I promised I’d give him a hand.wantpromiselend a hand informal to help someone, especially when there are not enough people to do something: Scott is moving on Saturday and we promised to lend a hand.bemovepromise | I went over to see if I could lend a hand.gocan
noun [countable]Word family1DISCUSSa large formal meeting where a lot of people discuss important matters such as business, politics, or science, especially for several days: Representatives from over 100 countries attended the International Peace Conference in Geneva.representativecountryattendconference ona UN conference on the environment → press conference2DISCUSSa private meeting for a few people to have formal discussionsconference withAfter a brief conference with his aides, he left for the airport.aideleaveconference room/table etcThe meeting will be held in the conference room at 10 am.meetholdbein conferenceMr Dickson is in conference.be3American English a group of teams that play against each other to see who is the best: the Western Conference finalsfinalCOLLOCATIONSverbsgo to a conference (also attend a conference formal) Hundreds of delegates are attending the conference.hundreddelegatebeattendhold a conference (=have one) Their annual conference was held in Chicago.beholdhost a conference (=have it in your country) In June, Japan hosted a peace conference.hostorganize a conference The administration organized a conference on Africa.organizeconvene a conference formal (=arrange one) a national conference on school violence convened by the U. S. Department of Educationconveneaddress a conference (=give a speech at one) He received a warm welcome when he addressed the conference.receiveaddressADJECTIVES/NOUN + conferencea peace/climate/sales etc conference an international climate conference in Swedena world/international conference the world conference on human rightsrighta national conference Brazil’s national conference on healtha regional conference In Northern Africa, there have been important regional conferences on education.beconferencean annual conference the biggest annual conference for teachers of Englishbigteachera party conference (=for a particular political party) the Labour party conferencea summit conference (=for the leaders of governments) The heads of most Arab states met in Amman for a summit conference.headstatemeetconference + NOUNconference facilities The hotel has conference facilities for 100 people.havefacilitya conference centre (=a building or group of buildings used for conferences)a conference hall Thousands of people demonstrated outside the conference hall, demanding government action.demonstratedemand
verb (past tense began /-ˈɡæn/, past participle begun /-ˈɡʌn/, present participle beginning)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: beginnan Verb form1start doing something [intransitive and transitive] to start doing something:
As everybody’s here, let’s begin.In the third year students begin the study of classical Chinese.studentThe president begins talks with the prime minister tonight.begintalkbegin to do somethingShe began to feel a sense of panic.beginbegin doing somethingI began teaching in 1984.beginteach2start happening [intransitive and transitive] if something begins, or you begin something, it starts to happen or exist from a particular time: It was the coldest winter since records began.becoldrecordbeginbegin atThe meeting begins at 10.30 am.meetbeginbe3do first [intransitive] if you begin with something or begin by doing something, this is the first thing you dobegin withShall we begin with a prayer?begin by doing somethingI’ll begin by thanking you all for being here tonight.thankbe4book/word etc [intransitive] if a book, film, or word begins with something, it starts with a particular event or letterbegin with‘Psychosis’ begins with a P.beginRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say start rather than begin:The movie starts at 7.45.startLet’s start by introducing ourselves.introduceNot many English names start with X.name5speech [intransitive and transitive] to start speaking: ‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ he began. ‘I am delighted to be here.’ladygentlemanbeginbedelight6to begin with a)spoken used to introduce the first and most important point you want to make: Well, to begin with, he shouldn’t even have been driving my car.bedrive b)NOWused to say that something was already in a particular condition before something else happened: I didn’t break it! It was like that to begin with.be c)FIRSTduring the first part of a process or activity: The kids helped me to begin with, but they soon got bored.kidhelpgetbore7can’t begin to understand/imagine etc spokenDIFFICULT used to emphasize how difficult something is to understand etc: I can’t begin to imagine how awful it was.bebegin (something) as something phrasal verb to be a particular thing at the start of your existence, working life etc: Roger began his career as an office boy.begin
verbWord familyDate: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: encreistre, from Latin increscere, from crescere ‘to grow’ Verb form [intransitive and transitive]INCREASE IN NUMBER OR AMOUNT if you increase something, or if it increases, it becomes bigger in amount, number, or degree OPP decrease, reduce:
The population increased dramatically in the first half of the century.increasepolitical tensions that might increase the likelihood of wartensionVisits to the site have increased threefold since May.visitincreaseincrease in value/price/importance etcInvestments are certain to increase in value.investmentbeincrease (something) by somethingFood prices increased by 10% in less than a year.priceincreaselittleincrease (something) from/to somethingThe salary is £18,600 a year, increasing to £23,000.beincreaseRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say that an amount or level goes up rather than increases:The population has gone up a lot.havegoHer investments all went up in value.investmentgo—increasingincreasing adjective: the increasing difficulty of finding trained staffincreasefindtrainEuropean leaders watched events unfold with increasing alarm.leaderwatcheventincrease—increasedincreased adjective: an increased incidence of childhood leukaemiaincreaseTHESAURUSto increaseincrease to become larger in number, amount, or degree: Sales increased by 25%.saleincrease | The level of violence has increased.haveincreasego up to increase. Go up is less formal than increase, and is the usual verb to use in everyday English: The price of coffee has gone up.havegorise to increase. Rise sounds a little formal and is often used when talking about the level of something increasing: The demand for oil has been rising steadily.haveberise | Living standards have risen dramatically.livestandardrisegrow to increase, especially gradually over a period of time – used about numbers or amounts: Since 1990, US imports of foreign goods have grown at a rate of 7.7% per year.importgoodgrow | The number of people working from home has grown substantially.numbworkhavegrowescalate to increase to a high level – used about things that you do not want to increase such as costs, crimes, or violence: Fuel prices are escalating.pricebeescalate | The fighting has escalated.fighthaveescalatedouble/triple to become twice as much or three times as much: Since 1950, the number of people dying from cancer has almost doubled.numbdiehavedouble | The company’s profits tripled last quarter.profittripleexpand to become larger in size, or to include a wider range of activities: The business has expanded at a rate of 15% per year.haveexpand | We are hoping to expand into mobile phone services.behopeservicesoar to increase and reach a very high level – used about numbers and amounts, or about feelings: The temperature soared to 36.6 degrees centigrade.soardegree | His confidence soared.soar | The singer’s popularity has soared.havesoarshoot up to increase very quickly and suddenly – used about prices, numbers, or temperatures: Share prices shot up 30% over the last week.priceshootto make something increaseincrease to make something larger in number, amount, or degree: Being overweight increases the risk of having a heart attack.beincreasehave | We need to increase the number of police officers on the streets.numbofficerstreetput something up to increase prices, taxes etc. Put up something is less formal than increase, and is the usual verb to use in everyday English: The landlord has put the rent up again.haverend | They’re always putting up gas prices.putpriceraise to increase something such as prices or taxes, or levels or standards: The bank has raised interest rates for the third time this year.haveraiserate | The school aims to raise students’ levels of achievement.aimstudentleveldouble/triple to increase the amount of something so that it is twice or three times as large: The airline plans to double the number of passengers it carries by 2015.plannumbpassengercarry | High blood pressure triples the risk of strokes.triplestrokeboost to increase sales, profits, production etc, especially when they have been lower than you want them to be: Growing affluence has boosted sales.growhaveboostsale | Oil exports boosted the economy.exportboostexpand to increase something so that it contains a wider range of things, or to increase the size of a business: The company plans to expand its retail operations.planoperation | Supermarkets have expanded their ranges to include non-food items.supermarketexpandrangeitemextend to increase something such as your power or influence, or the number of things you are involved in: We are hoping to extend the range of services that we offer.behopeservice | The company plans to extend its dominance of the world car market.planstep up something to increase your efforts or activities, especially to change a situation: Security has been stepped up following the bombing.havebestepfollowbomb | Local people have stepped up their campaign to prevent a prison being built in their neighbourhood.stepbebuildheighten to increase a feeling or effect: The attack has heightened concerns about racism in schools.haveheightenconcernschool | Hunger can heighten the effect that alcohol has on you.havemaximize to increase something as much as possible: Businesses try to maximize efficiency and cut costs.businesscost | To maximize the chances of a successful pregnancy, you should make sure that you eat well.chanceshall
increasenounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1 2Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesincreaseincreasesincreasein‧crease2 S2 W1 /ˈɪnkriːs/ noun [uncountable and countable]Word family INCREASE IN ACTIVITY, FEELINGS ETCa rise in amount, number, or degree OPP decreaseincrease inan increase in the crime rateRecent tax increases have affected the poor more than the rich.increaseaffectthe dramatic increase in the population aged over 65ageThere has been a marked increase in the use of firearms.havebemarkfirearmCases of tuberculosis are on the increase.casebeCOLLOCATIONSadjectivesbig/large The company has announced a big increase in its profits for last year.haveannounceprofitslight/small Doctors have reported a slight increase in the number of deaths caused by the disease.doctorreportnumbdeathcause | The temperature increase was quite small.begreat (=big) There has been a great increase in air traffic in the last twenty years.havebeyearhuge/massive (=very big) There was a huge increase in emigration after the war.besubstantial/considerable formal (=quite big) He negotiated a substantial increase in pay for the workers.negotiateworkersignificant/marked (=definite and noticeable) Over the last few years, there has been a marked increase in tourism to developing countries.yearhavebemarkdevelopcountrydramatic/sharp (=large and sudden) What has led to this dramatic increase in prices?haveleadpricerapid (=happening quickly) Recently there has been a rapid increase in fish farming.havebefarmmodest (=small) The figures reveal a modest increase in the birth rate.figuregradual (=happening slowly) Her temperature chart showed a gradual increase over the preceding six hours.showprecedehoursteady (=happening slowly but continuously) The university has benefited from a steady increase in student numbers.havebenefitnumbera threefold/fourfold/fivefold etc increase (=an increase by three, four etc times) The figures show a threefold increase in incidents of car theft.figureincidenta 10%/50% etc increase A 5% increase in petrol prices is predicted.pricebepredictan annual increase The company reported a 10% increase in pre-tax profits.reportprofitverbslead to an increase They argue that the abolition of the death penalty has led to an increase in the number of murders.haveleadnumbmurdercause/bring about an increase The heatwave brought about a massive increase in water consumption.bringNOUN + increasea price increase We expect a price increase of 1.4% this year.a fare increase The airline instituted a 10% fare increase.institutea wage/pay/salary increase Canadian workers received a 5.4% wage increase.workerreceivea tax increase The government had no choice but to impose a tax increase.havephrasesbe on the increase (=be increasing) Knife attacks are on the increase.attackbethe rate of increase The rate of increase in the number of violent crimes is much higher than under the previous government.numbcrimebehighTHESAURUSincrease noun [uncountable and countable] an occasion when the amount or number of something becomes bigger: There has been a significant increase in violent crime over the past year.havebe | price increasesincreasegrowth noun [singular, uncountable] an increase in the number, size, or importance of something. Growth is also used when saying that a company or a country’s economy becomes more successful: The astonishing growth of the Internet has had a dramatic effect on people’s lives.astonishhavehavelive | Japan experienced a period of rapid economic growth.experience | Many people are concerned about the enormous growth in the world’s population.beconcernrise noun [countable] an increase in the amount of something, or in the standard or level of something: The latest figures show a sharp rise (=a sudden big rise) in unemployment in the region.latefigure | There was a 34 percent rise in the number of armed robberies.benumbarmrobbery | The majority of families experienced a rise in living standards.familyexperiencelivestandardsurge noun [countable usually singular] a sudden increase in something such as profits, demand, or interest: There has been a big surge in demand for organically grown food.havebegrow | We have seen a tremendous surge of interest in Chinese medicine.seegain noun [uncountable and countable] an increase in the amount or level of something - used especially in business or political contexts, or when talking about an increase in someone’s weight: sales gainssalegain | The December job figures show a net gain of 81,000 jobs.figurejob | The party has experienced a gain in popularity.haveexperience | The amount of weight gain during pregnancy varies.varyhike noun [countable] informal especially American English a large or sudden increase in prices or taxes - often used in newspaper reports: Despite a 25% hike in fuel costs, the airline made a profit last year.costmake | tax hikeshike | wage hikeshikea very big increaseexplosion noun [countable] a sudden very large increase in the amount or number of something: There has been an explosion in the number of fast food restaurants.havebenumbrestaurant | The country experienced a population explosion.experience | The book caused an explosion of interest in Renaissance Italy.causeboom noun [singular] a sudden large increase in trade, profits or sales, with the result that a country, company, or industry becomes very successful. Boom is also used about a sudden increase in interest in something, with the result that it becomes very popular: the German economic boom of the 1960s | the Internet boom | There has been a boom in sales of diet books and videos.havebesalebookvideo
verb (past tense grew /ɡruː/, past participle grown /ɡrəʊn $ ɡroʊn/)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: growan Verb form1increase a)[intransitive]INCREASE IN NUMBER OR AMOUNT to increase in amount, size, number, or strength OPP shrink:
Support for Mr Thompson is growing.begrowgrow bySales of new cars grew by 10% last year.salecargrowgrow from/toThe number of students at the college has grown from 200 to over 500.numbstudenthavegrowA growing number of people are taking part-time jobs.grownumbbetakejobgrow rapidly/slowly/steadilyThe economy has grown steadily.havegrowFears are growing for the crew’s safety.fearbegrowgrow ina city that is still growing in sizebegrowSkiing has really grown in popularity.skihavegrowThere is growing concern about climate change.begrowmy growing interest in Chinagrow b)[transitive] to make a business or part of a business bigger and more successful: We want to grow the export side of the business.RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say an amount or level goes up rather than grows:Sales went up by 10% last year.salegoThe population of the town has gone up to almost a million.havego2person/animal [intransitive]GROW/GET BIGGER to become bigger, taller etc over a period of time in the process of becoming an adult OPP shrink: You’ve really grown since I last saw you.growseeVictor seemed to grow taller every day.seemtallgrow 2 inches/5 cm etcStan grew two inches in six months.growinchmonth3plants a)[intransitive]GROW/GET BIGGER if plants grow, they exist and develop in a natural way: a tree which will grow well in most types of soiltypeThe plants grow wild (=grow without anyone looking after them) by the river.plant b)[transitive]GROW PLANTS, VEGETABLES ETC to make plants or crops develop and produce fruit or flowers → raise: Many families own plots of land to grow food.familyplotBritain grows 6,000,000 tonnes of potatoes a year.growtonnepotatoThe growing season is from April to September.growbe4hair/nails a)[transitive]INCREASE IN NUMBER OR AMOUNT if you grow your hair or nails, you do not cut them: I’ve decided to grow my hair long.decidegrow a beard/moustache b)[intransitive]INCREASE IN NUMBER OR AMOUNT when hair or nails grow, they become longer5BECOMEbecome a)[I always + adj] to change and become different quite slowly: The sound was growing louder.begrowloudHer tastes have changed as she’s grown older.tastechangegrowoldDonna has grown tired of being a model.havegrowtirebeGradually, Fiona’s eyes grew used to the darkness (=she gradually became able to see a little better).eyegrowuse b)[intransitive] to gradually change your opinions and have a feeling that you did not have beforegrow to like/hate/respect etcAfter a while the kids grew to like Mr Cox.kidgrowthe city he had grown to lovehavegrowRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say get older/tired/angry etc rather than grow older/tired/angry etc, which sounds rather literary:The sound was getting louder.begetloud6improve [intransitive]IMPROVE to gradually become better, bigger etcgrow asShe’s grown tremendously as a musician.grow7it/money doesn’t grow on trees spokenMONEY used to say that you should not waste moneygrow apart phrasal verb SEPARATEif two people grow apart, their relationship becomes less close: The couple had been growing apart for years.havebegrowyeargrow into somebody/something phrasal verb1BECOMEto develop over time and become a particular kind of person or thing: Sue grew into a lovely young woman.growThe two-part show has grown into a full-fledged series.havegrowfledge2LEARNto gradually learn how to do a job or deal with a situation successfully: She will grow into her new role over the next few months.month3FIT/BE THE RIGHT SIZEif a child grows into clothes, he or she becomes big enough to wear themgrow on somebody phrasal verb LIKE SB OR STHif something grows on you, you gradually like it more and more: I hated his music at first, but it grows on you.hategrowgrow out phrasal verb if you grow out a hairstyle, or if it grows out, you gradually grow your hair until the style disappearsgrow something ↔ outI’m growing my fringe out.growgrow out of something phrasal verb1GROW/GET BIGGERif a child grows out of clothes, he or she becomes too big to wear them SYN outgrow2STOP DOING STHif someone grows out of something, they stop doing it as they get older SYN outgrow: Mike finally seems to be growing out of his rebelliousness.seemgrow3COME FROM/ORIGINATEto develop or happen as a result of something else that happened or existed: His art grew out of his love of nature.growlegislation which grew out of concern over the increasing crime rategrowincreasegrow up phrasal verb1ADULTto develop from being a child to being an adult: What do you want to be when you grow up?I grew up in Chicago.grow2grow up! spoken used to tell someone to behave in a more responsible way, like an adult3GROUP OF PEOPLEto start to exist or develop gradually: Trading settlements grew up by the river.tradesettlementgrow
verbWord familyDate: 1300-1400Language: French
Origin: continuer, from Latin continuare, from continuus; → CONTINUOUS Verb form1[intransitive and transitive]CONTINUE/NOT STOP to not stop happening, existing, or doing something → continuous, continual, discontinuecontinue to do something
Sheila continued to work after she had her baby.continuehaveHe will be continuing his education in the US.continueI felt too sick to continue.feelcontinue unabated/apace/unchecked (=continue at the same high speed or level)The flood of refugees continued unabated.refugeecontinuecontinue withHe was permitted to continue with his work while in prison.bepermitcontinue forThe strike continued for another four weeks.continueweekcontinue doing somethingMost elderly people want to continue living at home for as long as they can.live2[intransitive and transitive]CONTINUE/START AGAIN to start again, or start doing something again, after an interruption SYN resume: After a brief ceasefire, fighting continued.fightcontinueRescue teams will continue the search tomorrow.teamcontinue doing somethingHe picked up his book and continued reading.pickcontinueread3[intransitive]TRAVEL to go further in the same directioncontinue down/along/into etcWe continued along the road for some time.continueThe road continues northwards to the border.continue4[intransitive] to stay in the same job, situation etccontinue asMiss Silva will continue as publishing director.publish5[intransitive and transitive]CONTINUE/START AGAIN to say more after an interruption: ‘And so,’ he continued, ‘we will try harder next time.’continuehard6to be continued used at the end of part of a story, a television show etc to tell people that the story has not finished yetTHESAURUSto continue doing somethingcontinue to not stop doing something that you are already doing: We need the money to continue our work. | They continued arguing for a long time.continueargue | Despite all the warnings, many people continue to smoke.warning | Sometimes she just couldn’t see the point of continuing.continue | My teacher advised me to continue with my studies.advisestudygo on (also carry on especially British English) to continue doing something. Go on is less formal than continue, and is the phrase that people usually use in everyday English: Dan went on talking but she was no longer listening.gotalkbelonglisten | He carried on with his day job.carry | Sheehan has carried on with her campaign.havecarrykeep (on) doing something [not in progressive] to continue doing something for a long time – especially so that you feel tired or annoyed: We kept on walking until we got to the top of the hill.keepwalkget | The man kept staring at me.keepstarepersevere /ˌpɜːsəˈvɪə, ˌpɜːsɪˈvɪə $ ˌpɜːrsəˈvɪr/ to continue trying to do something in a very patient and determined way, in spite of difficulties. Persevere sounds rather formal: He didn’t know any English, but he persevered and became a good student.perseverebecome | Her health was rapidly declining but she persevered with her duties.bedeclinepersevereduty | Stevenson persevered in his efforts to discover what had really happened.persevereefforthavehappen | Children today seem less willing to seek out challenges and persevere in the face of adversity.childlittlewillchallengeto continue to happencontinue to happen without stopping: The good weather seems likely to continue.seem | Unless there are serious negotiations, the fighting will continue.benegotiationfight | Some people have lost work, and this will continue to happen until the computer system is fixed.losebefix | The review process is expected to continue for several weeks.beexpectweeklast to continue – use this to say how long something continues for: I know my good luck won’t last forever.win | It’s not certain how long the ceasefire will last. | The trial lasted for six days.lastday | The meeting lasted until lunchtime.meetlast | The training period lasted from July 2 to August 25.trainlastgo on to continue, especially for a long time: Disputes between neighbours can go on for years.disputeneighbouryearcarry on British English to continue, especially when there are problems: The game carried on despite the injury of two players.carryplayerdrag on to continue for much longer than necessary or for longer than you want: The meeting dragged on for another hour.meetdrag | The talks dragged on, with no apparent hope of achieving a peaceful solution.talkdragachievepersist formal if something bad persists, it continues to exist or happen: See your doctor if the symptoms persist.symptom | If adverse weather conditions persist, the game will be cancelled.conditioncancel
adverb1AFTERafter the time you are talking about or after the present time: I’m going out for a bit – I’ll see you later.gobitelatetwo years/three weeks etc laterHe became Senator two years later.becomeyearlatelater that day/morning/week etcThe baby died later that night.dielatelater in the day/week/yearThe dentist could fit you in later in the week.canlate2later onAFTER at some time after the present time: I can’t eat all of this – I’ll finish it later on.late3not later than somethingBEFORE used to say that something must be done by a particular time in the future: Completed entry forms should arrive not later than 31st July.completeformshalllateTHESAURUSafter preposition after something happens, or after a period of time has passed. After is used especially when taking about the past: We went for a walk after lunch.go | After an hour, we got tired of waiting and went home.gettirewaitgo | They got married just after Christmas.getmarryin preposition after a particular period of time. In is used especially when talking about the future, especially the next few minutes, hours, days etc: The concert’s due to start in a few minutes.minute | I’ll come back in an hour. | In a few years’ time, this place will look completely different.yearwithin preposition after less than a month, two weeks etc has passed – used especially when the time seems surprisingly short: within a month/two weeks etc: He developed a headache at lunchtime, and within two hours he was dead.develophourbe | Within two days of arriving she had managed to upset everyone.dayarrivehavemanage24 hours/a year etc from now at a time 24 hours, a year etc after now: A week from now we’ll be in Paris.afterwards (also afterward especially American English) adverb after an event or time you have mentioned: Jones admitted afterwards that she had been very nervous during the game.admithavebe | Speaking to reporters afterward, he said the operation had been a success.speakreportersayhavebe | He moved to Belgium, and soon afterwards he met Angela.movemeetlater adverb some time after now or after the time you are talking about: I’ll tell you about it later when I’m less busy.latelittle | two months/three years etc later: James went off, and came back ten minutes later with some food.gocomeminutelatesubsequently adverb formal after something had happened in the past: The book was published in 1954 and was subsequently translated into fifteen languages.bepublishbetranslatelanguage
lateradjectiveCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleslaterlaterlater2 adjective [only before noun]1AFTERcoming in the future or after something else OPP earlier: The role of marketing is dealt with in a later chapter.marketbedeallateThe launch was postponed to a later date.bepostponelate2NEWmore recent OPP earlier: The engine has been greatly improved in later models.havebeimprovelatemodel3in later years/lifeLATE when someone is older: Using a sunscreen when you are young helps you to have healthy skin in later years.usebehelplateyearTHESAURUSlater happening or existing at some time in the future after something or someone else: We will discuss this at a later time.late | Later historians have cast doubt on the truth of his story.latehistorian | They say that they may need to review the case at a later stage.latefollowing happening or coming immediately after something – used about periods of time, or parts of a piece of writing: He resigned the following year.resignfollow | The following day he was back to normal.followbe | Gandhi 's attitude to religion is dealt with in the following chapter.bedealfollowfuture likely to happen or exist at some time in the future: What influence will this have on future developments?developmentsubsequent formal happening or coming at some time after something else: a subsequent decision by the Supreme Court | Subsequent events proved him wrong.eventprove | In subsequent years, the number of patients became smaller and smaller.yearnumbpatientbecomesmallsmallsucceeding coming after someone or something else - used about a series of groups of people, periods of time, or parts of a book: His work was admired by succeeding generations.beadmiresucceedgeneration | Over the succeeding months, the stitches were carefully removed.succeedmonthstitchberemove | These problems are further discussed in the succeeding chapters.problembefardiscusssucceedchapter
noun [countable]Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: brothor 1FAMILYa male who has the same parents as you → sister:
I have two brothers, William and Mark.brotherelder/older/younger etc brotherMy younger brother is a doctor.youngbelittle/kid brother (=younger brother)I have to take my little brother to school.My big brother (=older brother) has always looked after me.havelookmy twin brother2spoken informal a word meaning a black man, used especially by other black men3TALK TO SBMEMBERa male member of a group with the same interests, religion, profession etc as you4 (plural brothers or brethren) a male member of a religious group, especially a monk: Brother Justin5American English a member of a fraternity (=a club of male university students)6brothers in armsARMY literary soldiers who have fought together in a war → big brother, blood brother, half brother, stepbrotherCOLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + brother an older/elder brother I have two older brothers.oldbrothera big brother (=older brother - used especially by or to children) Jake was my big brother and I admired him.beadmirea younger brother Do you have any younger brothers?youngbrothera little brother (also a kid brother American English) (=younger brother) My kid brother was always annoying me.beannoya baby brother (=brother who is still a baby) Mum let me hold my new baby brother.a twin brother Luke and his twin brother Sam went everywhere together.goa half-brother (=brother with only one parent the same as yours) I never really liked my half-brother.likea step-brother (=the son of your stepfather or stepmother) His dad’s new wife brought him two step-brothers.bringbrother
brotherinterjectionCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entriesbrotherbrotherbrother2 interjection especially American English ANNOYused to show you are annoyed or surprised: Oh, brother – I really don’t want to deal with this now.
conjunctionDate: 1300-1400Origin: by cause (that) 1BECAUSEused when you are giving the reason for something:
We didn’t enjoy the day because the weather was so awful.be‘Why can’t I go?’ ‘Because you’re not old enough.’Hubert never experienced any fear, and this was partly because he was not particularly intelligent.experiencebebeMany exam candidates lose marks simply because they do not read the questions properly.candidatemarkquestionI decided to go with them, mainly because I had nothing better to do.decidehavewell2just because ... spokenREASON used to say that, although one thing is true, it does not mean that something else is true: Just because you’re my brother doesn’t mean I have to like you!THESAURUSbecause conjunction used when giving the reason for something: I went home because I was tired.gobetire | The streets were flooded because of all the rain.streetbeflooddue to/owing to preposition used to give the reason why something has happened. Due to and owing to are more formal than because: The delay was due to a problem with the ship’s engines.beengine | The parade had to be cancelled owing to bad weather.havecancelowethrough preposition because of something. Through is used especially when saying why someone succeeded or failed to do something: They won the game, more through luck than skill.win | You failed that test through carelessness.failthanks to preposition used when explaining that something good has happened because of someone’s efforts, or because something exists: Thanks to modern medicine, the disease can now be cured.thankcuresince/as conjunction used when giving the reason why someone decides to do something or decides that something is true: We decided to go to the beach since it was a nice day.decidebe | I thought Kevin was out as his car wasn’t there.thinkbeout of preposition because of a particular feeling or quality: He started reading the book out of curiosity.startread | I only asked out of politeness.ask
becauseprepositionCollocations from other entriesPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesbecausebecausebecause2 S1 W1 preposition because of somebody/something used to say who or what causes something to happen or is the reason for something: He had to retire because of ill health.haveWe spent three hours waiting in the rain because of you!spendhourwaitRegisterIn written English, people often prefer to use the expressions due to something, owing to something, or as a result of something, which sound more formal than because of something: Many businesses fail due to cash-flow problems.businessproblem
noun1[countable]COST the amount of money that you have to pay in order to buy, do, or produce somethingcost ofthe cost of accommodationI offered to pay the cost of the taxi.offerInsurance to cover the cost of a funeral is possible.beThis doesn’t include the cost of repairing the damage.repairThe new building’s going up at a cost of $82 million.buildgolow cost housinghousethe high cost of productionA cassette/radio is included at no extra cost.beincludeThe funds will just cover the museum’s running costs.fundruncost → cost of livingRegisterIn everyday English, people usually ask how much did it cost? or how much was it? rather than using the noun cost: What was the cost of the accommodation? ➔ How much did the accommodation cost? | I’ll find out the cost. ➔ I’ll find out how much it costs/is.2costs [plural] a)SPEND MONEYthe money that you must regularly spend in order to run a business, a home, a car etcreduce/cut costsWe have to cut costs in order to remain competitive.costAt this rate we’ll barely cover our costs (=make enough money to pay for the things we have bought).costthe travel costs incurred in attending the meeting (=money you have to spend)costincurattendmeetBecause of the engine’s efficiency the car has very low running costs (=the cost of owning and using a car or machine).haveruncost b)(also court costs) the money that you must pay to lawyers etc if you are involved in a legal case in court, especially if you are found guilty: Bellisario won the case and was awarded costs.winbeawardcostHe was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,200.befineordercost3[uncountable and countable]LOSE/NOT HAVE ANY MORE something that you lose, give away, damage etc in order to achieve somethingat (a) cost to somebodyShe had kept her promise to Christine, but at what cost to herself?havekeepsocial/environmental etc costThey need to weigh up the costs and benefits (=disadvantages and advantages) of regulation.costbenefitHe’s determined to win, whatever the cost (=no matter how much work, money, risk etc is needed).determineWe must avoid a scandal at all costs (=whatever happens).cost4[singular] especially American EnglishCOST the price that someone pays for something that they are going to sell SYN cost priceat costHis uncle’s a car dealer and let him buy the car at cost (=without making a profit).5know/find out/learn etc something to your costSUFFER to realize something is true because you have had a very unpleasant experience: Driving fast in wet conditions is dangerous, as my brother discovered to his cost!driveconditionbediscover → count the cost at count1(10)COLLOCATIONSverbspay the cost of something I’m not sure how I’m going to pay the cost of going to college.gogocover the cost (=pay for something) The money he had saved just covered the cost of the trip.havesavecovermeet/bear the cost of something (=pay for something, especially with difficulty) His family were unable to meet the cost of his operation.beafford the cost of something We can’t afford the cost of a holiday abroad this year.reduce/lower/bring down the cost If you go later in the year, it will bring down the cost of your holiday.latecut the cost (=reduce it) The government has promised to cut the cost of medical care.havepromiseincrease/push up the cost The new tax will increase the cost of owning a car.ownthe cost rises/goes up The cost of electricity has risen again.haverisethe cost falls/goes down Airline costs have fallen considerably.costfalladjectiveshigh/low the high cost of fuelthe average cost What’s the average cost of a wedding in the UK?an extra/additional cost At the campsite, many activities are available at no extra cost.activitybethe full/total cost Experts are still assessing the full cost of the disaster.expertbeassessthe estimated cost (=one that is guessed and may not be exact) The estimated cost was in the region of £3,000.estimatebethe annual/monthly cost This figure represents the annual cost of a loan.representlabour/production/transport etc costs They had to pay £30,000 in legal costs.havecostrunning/operating costs (=the amount it costs to run a business, a machine etc) The new technology is cheaper and the running costs are lower.becheapruncostbelowborrowing costs (=the amount it costs to borrow money from a bank) Interest rates and borrowing costs are likely to be higher next year.rateborrowcostbehighphrasesthe cost of living (=the amount you need to pay for food, clothes etc) People are complaining about the rising cost of living.becomplainriseliveTHESAURUScost the amount of money you need to buy or do something. Cost is usually used when talking in a general way about whether something is expensive or cheap rather than when talking about exact prices: The cost of running a car is increasing.runbeincrease | the cost of raw materialsmaterialprice the amount of money you must pay for something that is for sale: They sell good-quality clothes at reasonable prices.clotheprice | the price of a plane ticket to New Yorkvalue the amount of money that something is worth: A new kitchen can increase the value of your home.charge the amount that you have to pay for a service or to use something: Hotel guests may use the gym for a small charge.guest | bank chargeschargefee the amount you have to pay to enter a place or join a group, or for the services of a professional person such as a lawyer or a doctor: There is no entrance fee.be | The membership fee is £125 a year.be | legal feesfeefare the amount you have to pay to travel somewhere by bus, plane, train etc: I didn’t even have enough money for my bus fare. | fare increasesincreaserent the amount you have to pay to live in or use a place that you do not own: The rent on his apartment is $800 a month.rendberate a charge that is set according to a standard scale: Most TV stations offer special rates to local advertisers.stationrateadvertisertoll the amount you have to pay to travel on some roads or bridges: You have to pay tolls on many French motorways.tollmotorway
costverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplescostcostscostedcostingcostcost2 S1 W2 verbDate: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: coster, from Latin constare ‘to stand firm, cost’; → CONSTANT1 Verb form1 (past tense and past participle cost) [linking verb]COST to have a particular price:
A full day’s activities will cost you £45.activityHis proposals could cost the taxpayer around £8 billion a year.proposalcanHow much would it cost us to replace?willnot cost somebody a penny (=cost nothing)It won’t cost you a penny for the first six months.winmonthcost a (small) fortune/a pretty penny (=have a very high price)It’s costing us a fortune in phone bills.costbillcost a bomb/a packet British English (=have a very high price)What a fantastic dress. It must have cost a bomb!Lighting can change the look of a room and needn’t cost the earth (=have a price which is too high).lightGetting that insured is going to cost you an arm and a leg (=have a very high price).getinsurebego2cost somebody their job/life/marriage etcLOSE/NOT HAVE ANY MORE when something makes you lose your job etc: Joe’s brave action cost him his life.His strong stand on the issue could have cost him his job.canBad management could be costing this club a chance at the title.cancost3cost somebody dear/dearlySUFFER to make someone suffer a lot or to lose something important: A couple of missed chances in the first half cost them dear.misschanceThe scandal has cost Nicholson dearly.have4 (past tense and past participle costed) [transitive usually passive]COUNT/CALCULATE to calculate the total price of something or decide how much the price of something should be: We’ll get the plan costed before presenting it to the board.costpresent5it will cost you spokenEXPENSIVE used to say that something will be expensive: Tickets are available, but they’ll cost you!ticketbeCOLLOCATIONSphrasescost a lot Their hair products are really good but they cost a lot.productbenot cost much Second hand clothes don’t cost much.clothecost something per minute/hour/year etc Calls cost only 2p per minute.callcost something per person There’s a one-day course that costs £80 per person.costcost something per head (=per person) The meal will cost about £20 per head.not cost (somebody) a penny (=cost nothing) Using the Internet, you can make phone calls that don’t cost a penny.usecallcost a fortune/cost the earth (=have a very high price) If you use a lawyer, it will cost you a fortune.cost a bomb/a packet British English (=have a very high price) He has a new sports car that must have cost a bomb.havesportcost an arm and a leg (=have a price that is much too high) A skiing holiday needn’t cost you an arm and a leg.skiTHESAURUScost to have a particular price: The book costs $25.cost | A new kitchen will cost you a lot of money. | It’s a nice dress and it didn’t cost much.be especially spoken to cost a particular amount of money: These shoes were only £5.shoebebe priced at something to have a particular price – used when giving the exact price that a shop or company charges for something: Tickets are priced at $20 for adults and $10 for kids.ticketbepriceadultkidretail at something to be sold in shops at a particular price – used especially in business: The scissors retail at £1.99 in department stores.scissorstoresell/go for something used for saying what people usually pay for something: Houses in this area sell for around £200,000.housefetch used for saying what people pay for something, especially at a public sale: The painting fetched over $8,000 at auction.paintfetch | A sports car built for Mussolini is expected to fetch nearly £1 million at auction.sportbuildbeexpectset somebody back something informal to cost someone a lot of money: A good set of speakers will set you back around £150.speakercome to if a bill comes to a particular amount, it adds up to that amount: The bill came to £100 between four of us.come
verb [transitive]
Word familyDate: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: covrir, from Latin cooperire, from co- ( → CO-) + operire ‘to close, cover’ Verb form1hide/protect (also cover up)COVER to put something over or be over something in order to hide, close, or protect it:
Cover the pot and bake for an hour.She wore a low-cut dress, partly covered by a thin shawl.wearcovercover something with somethingDan covered his face with his hands.coverhand2layer if something covers a surface, it forms a layer over it: Grey mould covered the walls.coverwallMuch of the country is covered by snow.becovercover something with/in somethingThe bulletin board was covered with messages.becovermessageThe eruption of the volcano covered states as far away as Montana in a fine layer of ash.coverstate3DEAL WITH/INCLUDEinclude to include or deal with a particular subject or group of things: a course covering business lawcoverAre there any areas you feel are not covered adequately in the book?beareabecover‘Exercise’ is a word which covers a vast range of activities.becoveractivityWe need more time to cover so much ground (=include so many things).grindpollutants that are not covered by the Kyoto agreementpollutantbecover4distanceTRAVEL to travel a particular distance: They were hoping to cover 40 miles yesterday.behopemilA leopard can cover a lot of ground very quickly.grind5areaCOVER to spread over an area: The city covers 25 square miles.covermil6newsREPORT to report the details of an event for a newspaper or a television or radio programme: I’d just returned from covering the Cambodian war.returncover7moneyENOUGH if a sum of money covers the cost of something, it is enough to pay for it: The award should be enough to cover her tuition fees.shallfeeAirlines are raising fares to cover the rising costs of fuel.airlineberaisefarerisecost8insurance if your insurance covers you or your possessions, it promises to pay you money if you have an accident, something is stolen etc: Most policies cover accidental damage to pipes.policypipeThe treatment wasn’t covered by her health care insurance.covercover somebody against/for somethingAre we covered for theft?becovercover somebody to do somethingHe thought he was covered to drive the vehicle.thinkbecover9guns a)PROTECTSHOOTto protect someone by being ready to shoot anyone who attacks them: I’ll make for the door – cover me, will you? b)SHOOTto aim a gun at a person or a place where people might be, in order to prevent them from moving or escaping: He stepped into the doorway and swung the gun up to cover the corridor.stepswing10sport to stay close to a member of the opposing team or a part of the field in order to prevent your opponents from gaining points11music to perform or record a song that was originally recorded by another artist: They’ve covered several hits from the 1980s.coverhit12cover (all) the basesINCLUDE to make sure you can deal with any situation or problem so that nothing bad happens: Parents are already stressed trying to cover the bases at home and at work.parentbestresstrybasis13cover yourself (against something) (also cover your back, cover your butt/ass American English) to do things in a way that will prevent people from blaming or criticizing you: Doctors are concerned to cover themselves against charges of negligence.doctorbeconcernchargeHe copied Stella in on the email just to cover his back.copy14cover your tracks to try to hide something you have done so that other people do not find out: He started to destroy documents to cover his tracks.startdocumenttrackTHESAURUScover (also cover up) to put something over, on, or around something else, to hide it, protect it, or improve its appearance: Cover the dough, and leave it to rise. | She wears a lot of make-up to cover her spots.wearspotput something over something to put a cloth, blanket etc loosely over the top of something in order to cover it: They gave him a blanket to put over his legs.givelegwrap (also wrap up) to put paper, plastic, cloth etc tightly around something in order to protect, decorate, or post it: I haven’t wrapped her birthday present yet.wrapenvelop literary to surround something completely so that it is difficult to see – used especially about darkness, smoke, and clouds: At sunset, darkness enveloped the town.envelopbe shrouded in mist/darkness/smoke etc literary to be covered and hidden in mist, smoke etc: The mountains were shrouded in mist.mountainbeshroudcover for somebody phrasal verb1WORKERto do the work that someone else usually does, because they are not there: Who’s covering for you while you’re away?cover2PROTECTto prevent someone from getting into trouble by lying for them, especially about where they are or what they are doingcover something ↔ over phrasal verb to put something on top of something else so that it is completely hidden: The female lays a single egg and covers it over.laycovercover up phrasal verb1cover something ↔ upCOVER to put something over something else so that it cannot be seen: Her legs were so swollen she had to cover them up.legbeswellhave2cover something ↔ upHIDE/NOT SHOW to prevent people from discovering mistakes or unpleasant facts → whitewash: The affair was covered up and never reached the papers.becoverreachpaperMum’s worried, but she covers it up by joking.worrycoverjoke → cover-up3cover up for somebodySECRET to protect someone by hiding unpleasant facts about them: They covered up for Kirk by refusing to answer any questions.coverrefusequestion4HIDE/NOT SHOWto put clothes, blankets etc over yourself in order to protect or hide your body, or to keep yourself warm: Cover up, or stay out of the sun.cover yourself upHastily, she covered herself up with the towel.cover
covernounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6Word sets 1 2 3Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplescovercoverscovercover2 S1 W2 noun
Word family1protection [countable]COVER something that is put on top of something else to protect it → lid: a blue duvet covera plastic coverA dust cover (=to keep dirt etc off) hung over the painting.hangpaint2books [countable]READ the outer front or back part of a magazine, book etc: His photo’s on the cover of ‘Newsweek’ again.front/back coveran advertisement on the back coverI read the magazine from cover to cover (=all of it).cover photo/shot/picture (=picture on the front cover)The cover shot was of three guys in army kit.shootbeguy3bed the covers [plural] the sheets etc that you put over yourself when you are in bed: The covers had slipped off in the night.coverhaveslip4shelter [uncountable]PROTECT shelter or protection from bad weather or attackrun/dive for coverHe was shot in the head as he ran for cover.beshootrunWe were forced to take cover in a barn.beforceThree soldiers broke cover (=left the place where they were hiding).soldierbreak5insurance [uncountable] British English the protection insurance gives you, so that it pays you money if you are injured, something is stolen etc SYN coverage American English: medical covercover against/forcover against fire and theft6war [uncountable] military protection and support given to aircraft, ships etc that are likely to be attacked: fighters used as cover for ground troopsfighterusegrindtroop7plants [uncountable] trees and plants that grow in large numbers on a piece of land: Once the forest cover is felled, rains wash away the soil.befellrainWith its spreading stems, ivy makes good ground cover.spreadstemmakegrind8weather [uncountable] clouds, snow etc that partly hide the sky or the groundcloud/snow/fog etc coverCloud cover in the morning should clear later.shalllate9work [uncountable] an arrangement in which people do a job or provide a service, especially because the people who normally do it are not there → backup: It’s your responsibility to arrange adequate cover for holiday periods.periodnight-time ambulance cover10music [countable] (also cover version) a new recording of a song, piece of music etc that was originally recorded by a different artist: She’s opted to do a cover version for her first single.opt11secret [countable usually singular] behaviour or activities that seem normal or honest but are being used to hide something bad or illegalcover forThe gang used the shop as a cover for drug deals.usedealAll that toughness is just a cover for his inability to show affection.be12under cover a)pretending to be someone else in order to do something secretly: She was working under cover to get information on drug gangs.beworkgang b)under a roof or other structure: The aircraft is displayed under cover in the USAF Gallery.bedisplay13under (the) cover of darkness/night literaryHIDE/MAKE IT HARD TO FIND OR SEE hidden by the darkness of night: They escaped under cover of darkness.escape14under plain cover/under separate cover if a letter etc is sent under plain cover or under separate cover, it is sent in a plain envelope or a separate envelope: The bill will be sent to you later under separate cover.sendlateCOLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + cover the front/back cover The price of the book is on the back cover.bea hard/soft cover I never buy books in hard cover – they’re much more expensive.booka book/magazine cover There was a blonde girl on the magazine cover.becover + NOUNa cover story (=the main story on the front of a newspaper or magazine) Last month’s cover story was entitled ‘Your Child’s Brain’.beentitlea cover photo/shot (=picture on the front cover) The picture became the July 4th cover shot.becomeshoota cover design the cover design of the Christmas issuea cover girl (=an attractive girl whose photo is on the front cover) She had always liked the idea of being a cover girl.havelikebephrasesread something from cover to cover (=read a book, magazine etc very thoroughly) He read it from cover to cover in less than three hours.littlehourTHESAURUScover something that is put on or over something else to protect it, for example a piece of metal, plastic, or glass: a manhole cover | the cover that goes over the barbecuegocovering a layer of something, or a sheet of something, that covers something else: There was light covering of snow on the ground.becovergrind | The hard shell acts as a protective covering.actcover | the cloth coverings on the altarcoveringlid a cover for a container such as a pan or a box: the lid of the box | a saucepan lidtop/cap the thing that you put on top of a bottle, tube, or pen, in order to prevent the liquid or other things inside from coming out: I can’t find the cap for the pen. | Put the top back on the milk! | the cap that goes on the toothpastegocork the top part that you put on top of a bottle of wine: Can you take off the cork for me?wrapping (also wrap especially American English) a sheet of paper, plastic etc that is put around something in order to cover or protect it: John tore the wrapping off his presents.tearwrappresent | The lamp was still in its wrapping.bewrapwrapper a piece of paper or plastic that is put around something you buy, especially a small object: Put the candy wrappers in your pocket.wrapper | He took the drinking straw out of its wrapper.takedrink
preposition1ABOUTconcerning or relating to a particular subject: a book about politicsShe said something about leaving town.sayleaveHe lied about his age.lieAbout that car of yours. How much are you selling it for?besellWhat’s he on about (=talking about)?It’s about Tommy, doctor. He’s been sick again.beNaturally, my mother wanted to know all about it (=all the details relating to it).want2used to show why someone is angry, happy, upset etc: I’m really worried about Jack.worryShe’s upset about missing the party.miss3ABOUTin many different directions within a particular place, or in different parts of a place SYN around, round: We spent the whole afternoon walking about town.spendwalkBooks were scattered about the room.bookbescatter4ABOUTin the nature or character of a person or thing: There’s something really strange about Liza.What I like about the job is that it’s never boring.bebore5what/how about somebody/something spoken a)ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STHused to ask a question that directs attention to another person or thing: What about Jack? We can’t just leave him here.I’m feeling hungry. How about you?feel b)SUGGESTused to make a suggestion: How about a salad for lunch?6do something about somethingSTOP STH THAT IS HAPPENING to do something to solve a problem or stop a bad situation: If we don’t do something about it, the problem is going to get worse.begoillWhat can be done about the rising levels of pollution?doriselevel7PURPOSEif an organization, a job, an activity etc is about something, that is its basic purpose: Leadership is all about getting your team to co-operate.beget8it’s all about somebody/something used to say who or what is important in a situation: It’s all about money, and who’s got the most.get9while you’re about it spoken used to tell someone to do something while they are doing something else because it would be easier to do both things at the same time: Go and see what’s the matter, and while you’re about it you can fetch me my sweater.10what was all that about? spoken used to ask the reason for something that has just happened, especially someone’s angry behaviour11literary surrounding a person or thing: Jo sensed fear and jealousy all about her.sense → be quick about it at quick1(5), → go about your business at business(12)THESAURUSabout used when saying what the subject of something is: She’s always talking about you.talk | In her novels she writes about life in South Africa.novelwrite | There’s something I wanted to ask you about.wanton about a particular subject: a book on English grammar | a report on poverty in rural areasareaconcerning/regarding formal about: Prince Saiid answered questions concerning Kuwait’s future.answerquestionconcern | The report raises a number of questions regarding food safety.raisenumbquestionregardwith regard to formal about – used especially when you want to start talking or writing about something: Dear Sir, I’m writing with regard to your advertisement in The Times.writetimere used in business letters and in emails to introduce the subject that you are going to write about: Re: Friday’s meetingmeet
aboutadverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesaboutaboutabout2 S1 W1 adverbLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: abutan, from a- ‘on’ + butan ‘outside’ 1(also round about spoken)APPROXIMATELY a little more or less than a particular number, amount, or size SYN roughly, approximately:
I live about 10 miles away.mila tiny computer about as big as a postcardWe left the restaurant at round about 10.30.leaveRegisterIn written English, people usually prefer to use approximately, as it sounds more technical:The cost to taxpayers is approximately $200 billion.taxpayerbe2ABOUT British English in many different directions within a place or in different parts of a place SYN around: People were rushing about, trying to find the driver.berushtryCushions were scattered about on the chairs.cushionbescatterchair3HEREnear to you or in the same place as you: Is Derek about? There’s a phone call for him.beQuick! Let’s go while there’s no-one about.4British English spokenCOMMON existing or available now: I hope she hasn’t caught flu. There’s a lot of it about.catchShe might get temporary work, but there’s not much about.5informalALMOST almost or probably: I was about ready to leave when somebody rang the doorbell.bering‘Have you finished?’ ‘Just about.’finishIt’s just about the worst mistake anyone could make.illcan6that’s about it/all spokenALL/EVERYTHING a)used to tell someone that you have told them everything you know: He was a quiet chap, married with kids. That’s about it, really.bemarrykid b)used to say that there is nothing else available: There’s some cheese in the fridge and that’s about it.7OPPOSITE/REVERSEso as to face in the opposite direction SYN around: He quickly turned about and walked away.turnwalk
aboutadjectiveCollocations from other entriesThesaurus 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesaboutaboutabout3 adjective1be about to do somethingWILL if someone is about to do something, or if something is about to happen, they will do it or it will happen very soon: We were just about to leave when Jerry arrived.bearriveWork was about to start on a new factory building.bebuild2not be about to do something informalINTEND used to emphasize that you have no intention of doing something: I’ve never smoked in my life and I’m not about to start now.smoke → out and about at out1(3), → be up and about at up1(11)THESAURUSapproximately more or less than a number or amount – used especially in technical or scientific contexts: The company had total revenues of approximately $2 million.haverevenue | The disease affects approximately 10% of the adult population.affectabout more or less than a number or amount. ‘About’ is the usual word to use in everyday English: It costs about $30 to get a visa.cost | There were about 50 people at the meeting.bemeetroughly /ˈrʌfli/ about – used when you are trying to give someone a general idea of the size, amount, or number of something: The two countries are roughly the same size.countrybe | Roughly how many miles do you travel a year?milaround about a number or time – used when you are guessing: I’ll be there around 5 o'clock. | The BBC broadcasts around 2,000 radio dramas every year.broadcastdramasomewhere/something in the region of formal about – used with very large numbers or amounts: Last year he earned something in the region of $60 million.earn | It costs somewhere in the region of £100,000 to train a new doctor.costor so informal about – used after a period of time, a number, or an amount: The journey takes an hour or so.takecirca /ˈsɜːkə $ ˈsɜːr-/ formal about – used with dates a long time ago in the past: The house was built circa 1530.bebuildor more used after a number or amount, when the total may be a lot more: A thirty-second commercial can cost £60,000 or more.upwards of more than a number or amount: The aircraft can carry upwards of 400 passengers.passenger
adverb
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: furthor; related to forth 1moreMORE THAN STH OR SB ELSE more, or to a greater degree:
A spokesman declined to comment until the evidence could be studied further.declinecanstudyfarThe flavour of the wine is further improved during the aging period.befarimproveageWhaling in Australia was stopped. But the Australian government went further (=said or did something more extreme) and proposed a global ban.whalebestopgofarproposefurther into/away etcMarcus sank further and further into debt.sinkfarfar2take something furtherMORE/EXTRA to take action at a more serious or higher level, especially in order to get the result you want: The police do not propose to take the matter further.fartake something a stage/step furtherCritics want the government to take this a stage further and ban the film altogether.criticfar3distance (also farther)FAR a greater distance, or beyond a particular place: They walked a little further.walkfarfurther up/away/along etcHis farm is located further away from Riobamba than his brother’s.belocatefarHis hands moved further down her back.handmovefarThey’ve never been further south than San Diego.befar4timeAFTER into the past or the futurefurther back/on/ahead etcFive years further on, a cure has still not been found.yearfarhavebefindThe records don’t go any further back than 1960.recordfarIt might be a sign, much further down the road (=in the future), of a change in policy.far5in addition [sentence adverb] formalAND/ALSO used to introduce something additional that you want to talk about SYN furthermore: Butter sales have fallen because margarine has improved in flavor. Further, butter consumption has decreased because of links to heart disease.salefallhaveimprovefarhavedecreaselink6further to something written formalAND/ALSO used in letters to mention a previous letter, conversation etc about the same matter SYN following: Further to your letter of February 5th, we can confirm your order.far7nothing could be further from the truthUNTRUE used when you want to say that something is completely untrue: People often described him as a bitter academic, but nothing could be further from the truth.describecanfar8nothing could be/is further from sb’s mind/thoughts used to emphasize that someone is not thinking about or intending something9something must not go any furtherSECRET used to say that something you are telling someone is secret or privateTHESAURUSmore in addition to an amount or number: Can I have some more coffee? | I have one more question. | It only costs a few dollars more.costdollarfurther [only before noun] formal as well as the ones that you have already mentioned: She will remain in hospital for further tests.fartest | They waited for a further two hours.waitfarhoursupplementary formal in addition to the main part of something: Supplementary information is available on request.be | a supplementary question | supplementary incomeextra in addition to the usual or standard cost, time, amount etc: They let the kids stay up an extra hour.kid | Some stores charge extra for delivery.store | Postage is extra.beadditional [only before noun] more than the basic amount or the amount that you expected or agreed. Additional is more formal than extra: An evening job would provide additional income.evenwill | There may be an additional charge for paying bills by credit card.paybill
furtheradjectiveCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesfurtherfurtherfurther2 adjective [only before noun]1MORE/EXTRAmore or additional: Are there any further questions?befarquestionWe have decided to take no further action.decidefarfurther details/information etcVisit our website for further details.fardetaila further 10 miles/5 minutes etcCook gently for a further 10 minutes.farminute2until further noticeAFTER until you are told that something has changed: Lacunza ordered the suspension of the elections until further notice.orderelectionfar
furtherverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesfurtherfurthersfurtheredfurtheringfurtherfurther3 verb [transitive]Verb form SUCCESSFULto help something progress or be successful → promote: He dedicated his life to furthering the cause of world peace.dedicatefurtherAlan had been using her to further his career.havebeusefar
noun
Word familyDate: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: Latin conditio, from condicere ‘to agree’, from com- ( → COM-) + dicere ‘to say’ 1situation conditions [plural] the situation in which people live or work, especially the physical things that affect the quality of their lives:
Conditions in the prison were atrocious.conditionbeliving/working conditionsan attempt to improve living conditions for the working classesliveconditionworkclassPoor working conditions lead to demoralized and unproductive employees.workconditiondemoralizeemployeein appalling/overcrowded/dreadful etc conditionsThese children work 70 metres below ground in appalling conditions.childmetregrindappalconditionIn May, staff went on strike, demanding better pay and conditions.godemandwellcondition2weather conditions [plural] the weather at a particular time, especially when you are considering how this affects people: The conditions during the first half of the match were appalling.conditionbeappalcold/windy/icy etc conditionsIn cold conditions you’ll need a sleeping bag with a hood.conditionsleepthe worsening weather conditionsworsencondition3things affecting situation conditions [plural] all the things that affect the way something happensunder ... conditionsUnder normal conditions, people will usually do what requires least effort.conditionrequirelittleUnder these conditions, the fire can be rapidly controlled.conditioncontrolProfits increased by £1.5m, despite the difficult economic conditions.profitincreaseconditionThe combination of rain and greasy surfaces made driving conditions treacherous.surfacemakedrivecondition4state [singular, uncountable]CONDITION/STATE OF STH the state that something is in, especially how good or bad its physical state isin (a) good/poor/excellent/terrible etc conditionThe car has been well maintained and is in excellent condition.havebemaintainbeThe house was in a terrible condition.becondition ofThe condition of nuclear plants is a matter of great concern.plantbe5health/fitness [singular, uncountable]HEALTHY how healthy or fit you are: She is being treated at Walton Hospital, where her condition is described as ‘satisfactory’.bebetreatbedescribein (a) critical/stable/satisfactory conditionOne of the victims was in a critical condition after suffering severe burns.victimbesufferburnphysical/mental conditionIf you are uncertain about your physical condition, check with your doctor before trying these exercises.betryexercise‘I’m so out of condition (=unfit),’ she panted.pantan athlete in peak conditionin no condition to do something (=too drunk, ill, or upset to be able to do something)I was in no condition to cope with a train journey.beMark can’t possibly drive home in that condition (=when he is so drunk, ill, or upset).6agreement/contract [countable]CONDITION/STH THAT MUST BE DONE something that you must agree to in order for something to happen, especially when this is included in a contract: She laid down only one condition: that her name not be revealed.layrevealcondition forThere were strict conditions for letting us use their information.beconditionletThe bank agreed to extend the loan if certain conditions were met.agreeconditionbemeetA statement of your terms and conditions of employment can be found in the Personnel Handbook.termconditionfindHe was released on bail on condition that he did not go within half a mile of his mother’s address.bereleasedoThe application was approved, subject to certain conditions.beapprovecondition7for something to happen [countable]CONDITION/STH THAT MUST BE DONE something that must exist or happen first, before something else can happencondition for/ofOur goal is to create the conditions for a lasting peace.beconditionlastInvestment is a necessary condition of economic growth.be8illness [countable]ILLNESS/DISEASE an illness or health problem that affects you permanently or for a very long time: People suffering from this condition should not smoke.suffershallheart/lung etc conditionShe has a serious heart condition.haveWas he being treated for any medical condition?bebetreat9situation of group [singular] formalCONDITION/STATE OF STH the situation or state of a particular group of people, especially when they have problems and difficulties: the condition of the poor in our citiescityAll my paintings are ultimately about the human condition.paintingbe10never on no condition never: On no condition should untrained personnel use the equipment.shallCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 6verbslay down/set/impose conditions (=say what somebody must agree to) They laid down certain conditions before agreeing to the ceasefire.layconditionagreeattach a condition (=say that an agreement depends on something) Only one condition was attached to this agreement.beattachaccept/agree to conditions He refused to accept the conditions set by the rebel leader.refuseconditionmeet/satisfy/fulfil a condition (=do what has been agreed) In order to get a state pension, you must satisfy certain conditions.conditioncomply with/observe a condition (=act according to a condition) You must agree to comply with the bank’s conditions before you can get a loan.conditionadjectivesa strict condition The US agreed to give financial aid, with a number of strict conditions.agreenumbconditionphraseson condition that formal (=only if a particular thing is agreed to) The police released him on condition that he return the following week.releasefollowon one condition (=only if one particular thing is agreed to) You can go, but only on one condition - you have to be back by eleven.on certain conditions He said we could rent the house from him on certain conditions.saycanrendconditionterms and conditions (=what a contract says must be done) Before you buy online, make sure you read the terms and conditions.termconditionbe subject to a condition (=depend on a particular thing that must be done) Permission to build on the land will be subject to certain conditions.conditiona breach of (a) condition (=an act of not doing what has been agreed) You can sue the company for a breach of condition.COLLOCATIONSMeaning 8ADJECTIVES/NOUN + conditiona medical condition She has an unusual medical condition.havea heart/lung/skin etc condition I’m taking some medicine for a heart condition.takea chronic condition (=continuing for a long time and not possible to cure) People with chronic medical conditions need long-term care.conditiona common condition Depression is a very common condition.bea rare condition He had a rare condition which made all his hair fall out.havemakea genetic/hereditary condition (=that is passed from parent to child) The disease is a genetic condition that eventually causes blindness.becausea life-threatening condition (=that may cause death) The surgery repaired a potentially life-threatening heart condition.repairthreatenverbshave a condition The baby has a rare skin condition.havesuffer from a condition He has suffered from this condition for many years.havesufferyearTHESAURUSMeaning 4the condition of somethingcondition how something looks and whether it is damaged, working etc or not: The price of used cars varies according to their condition.usecarvaryaccord | How well your plants will grow depends on the quality and condition of the soil.plantdepend | The house is in very good condition.bestate the condition of something at a particular time – use this especially when something is in bad condition because it has not been well looked after: One of the things people complain of most is the state of the sidewalks.thingbesidewalk | When I got back home, I was horrified to see what a terrible state the kitchen was in.getbehorrifybein bad conditionin (a) bad/terrible/awful condition (also in a bad state especially British English) if something is in bad condition, it is damaged, dirty, not working properly, etc: The road was in a very bad condition.be | The inspectors said the bridge was in a bad state and potentially dangerous.inspectorsaybeshabby used especially about clothes, furniture, or buildings that are in bad condition because they are old and have been used a lot: His clothes were shabby and ill-fitting.clothebefit | They lived in a shabby one-room apartment.livetattered used about clothes or books that are old and torn: The old man clutched a tattered copy of ‘War and Peace’.clutch | The shirt was now tattered beyond recognition.bedilapidated used about a building that is in very bad condition because it has not been looked after: He shared a dilapidated house with five other people.share | The hotel looked slightly dilapidated.lookrun-down used about a building or area that is in bad condition, especially because the people who live there do not have enough money to look after it properly: He found lodgings at a run-down motel.findlodging | We lived in a run-down part of the city.livederelict used about something such as a house or piece of land that is in very bad condition, because it has been empty for a very long time: In the middle of town is a derelict building that used to be the school.bebuilduse | The land behind the factory is stony and derelict.bebattered used about something that is old and in bad condition because it has been used a lot and treated roughly: There was nothing in his office except for a few battered chairs.bebatterchair | Alex and Lisa used to drive around town in a battered old Fiat Uno.usebatterrickety used about furniture and other structures that are in such bad condition that they look as if they would break if you tried to use them: The staircase was old and rickety.be | They sat around the card table on rickety old chairs.sitchair | a rickety bamboo fenceclapped-out British English informal, beat-up American English informal [usually before noun] used about a vehicle or machine that is so old that it does not work properly: She drives an old beat-up Ford.drive | He was using a clapped-out old typewriter.beuseclapbe falling apart especially spoken if something is falling apart, it is gradually breaking into pieces, because it is old or badly made: I need some new shoes. These are falling apart.shoebefallbe on its last legs informal if a vehicle or machine is on its last legs, it has been used so much and is in such bad condition that you will soon not be able to use it any more: The washing machine was on its last legs.washbeleghave seen better days informal if something has seen better days, it is not in as good condition as it was: The carpets, curtains, and cushions had all seen better days but still looked quite pretty.carpetcurtaincushionhaveseewelldaylook | She lived in an old Victorian house that had certainly seen better days.livehaveseewelldayin good conditionin good condition something that is in good condition is not broken and has no marks or other things wrong with it: The car hadn’t been used much, and was in very good condition.beusebe | The charity is accepting toys and clothing in good condition.beaccepttoyclothein good shape in good condition – used especially about a person or part of their body, or about something that has had a lot of use or is rather old: Doctor Morrissey told her that her leg was healing well, and was now in very good shape.tellbehealbe | To avoid accidents, it’s important to check that all your tools are in good shape before starting.accidenttoolbestartin perfect/mint condition something that is in perfect or mint condition looks as good or works as well as when it was new, especially because it has not been used or touched very much: The book is over 100 years old, but it’s still in perfect condition.beyear | The car had been kept in the garage for 20 years and was in mint condition.havebekeepyearbeas good as new something that is as good as new is almost as good as when it was new – used about things that have recently been cleaned or repaired: I’ve just had the bike serviced, and it looks as good as new.haveservicelookCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1adjectivesworking conditions An office must be able to provide safe working conditions.workconditionliving conditions Living conditions in the camp were dreadful.liveconditionbephysical conditions Many teachers have to work in poor physical conditions.teacherconditionpoor conditions The refugees are living in camps in very poor conditions.refugeebelivecampconditionappalling/dreadful conditions (=very bad) Some of the animals were being kept in appalling conditions.animalbebekeepappalconditionovercrowded/crowded conditions Families here are living in dirty, overcrowded conditions.familybeliveovercrowdconditioninsanitary/unhygenic conditions (=dirty) Diseases spread quickly among people living in insanitary conditions.diseaseliveconditioncramped conditions (=without enough space) The hostages were held in extremely cramped conditions.hostagebeholdcrampconditioninhumane conditions Live animals were transported under inhumane conditions.animalbetransportcondition
conditionverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Word sets 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesconditionconditionsconditionedconditioningconditioncondition2 verbWord familyVerb form1[transitive]TEACH to make a person or an animal think or behave in a certain way by influencing or training them over a period of time → conditioning: People are conditioned by society.beconditioncondition somebody to do somethingMany women are conditioned from birth to be accepting rather than questioning.womanbeconditionacceptquestion2[transitive] formalDEPEND/IT DEPENDS to control or decide the way in which something can happen or exist SYN determine: What I buy is conditioned by the amount I earn.becondition3[intransitive and transitive] to keep hair or skin healthy by putting a special liquid on it → conditioner: a shampoo that washes and conditions all in onewashcondition
noun [countable]Date: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: drogue 1an illegal substance such as marijuana or cocaine, which some people take in order to feel happy, relaxed, or excited:
A lot of young people start taking drugs at school.takedrugShe always looks as though she’s on drugs (=taking drugs).lookdrugJimi Hendrix died of a drug overdose.die2a medicine, or a substance for making medicines: a drug used in the treatment of cancerusedrug fornew drugs for AIDS-related conditionsdrugaidrelateconditionDrugs prescribed (=ordered for people) by doctors can be extremely hazardous if used in the wrong way.drugprescribedoctoruseThe big drug companies make huge profits.companyprofit3a substance that people doing a sport sometimes take illegally to improve their performance: She was banned from the Olympics after failing a drug test (=a test that shows if you have taken drugs).bebanfailperformance-enhancing drugs4[usually singular] a substance such as tobacco, coffee, or alcohol, that makes you want more and more of it5be (like) a drug if an activity is like a drug, you enjoy it so much that you want to do it more and more: Athletics is like a drug – it keeps dragging you back for more.bekeepdrag → miracle drug at miracle(3)COLLOCATIONSverbstake/use drugs I think I took drugs to escape my problems.takedrugproblemdo drugs informal (=take drugs) All my friends were doing drugs.friendbedodrugbe on drugs (=take drugs regularly) It can be very hard to tell if your teenager is on drugs.bedrugbe addicted to drugs/dependent on drugs (=be unable to stop taking drugs) People who are addicted to drugs need help.bedrugbe/get hooked on drugs informal (=be/get addicted) She got hooked on drugs, and ended up homeless.gethookdrugendexperiment with drugs (=try taking drugs) She admitted that she had experimented with drugs.admithaveexperimentdrugcome off/get off drugs (=stop taking drugs permanently) It was years before I was able to come off drugs.beyearbedrugdeal (in) drugs (also supply drugs formal) (=sell drugs) He’s in jail for dealing drugs.dealdruginject drugs (=use a needle to put drugs into your body) People who share equipment for injecting drugs are at risk of contracting HIV.injectdrugbecontractbe high on drugs (=be experiencing the effects of a drug) He committed the crime while he was high on drugs.commitbedrugdrug + NOUNdrug use/abuse (=taking drugs) She is being treated for drug abuse.bebetreata drug user (=someone who takes drugs) We set up a counselling service for drug users.counseluserdrug addiction (=the problem of not being able to stop taking drugs) his struggles with alcoholism and drug addictionstrugglea drug addict (=someone who cannot stop taking drugs) At 20 Steve was a drug addict, unemployed and lonely.bea drug problem (=the problem of being addicted to drugs) His daughter has a drug problem.havea drug overdose (=taking too much of a drug at one time) She died from a drug overdose.diea drug dealer/pusher (=someone who sells drugs) The city's streets are full of drug dealers.streetbedealera drug trafficker/smuggler (=someone involved in bringing drugs into a country) US efforts against drug traffickersefforttraffickerdrug trafficking/smuggling (=the crime of bringing drugs into a country) The maximum penalty for drug smuggling was 25 years in jail.smugglebeyearthe drug trade the international drug tradethe war on drugs (=a long struggle by the authorities to control drugs) The war on drugs continues.drugcontinuea drug charge (=a legal accusation that someone is guilty of having or selling drugs) He’s awaiting trial on a drug charge.awaita drug offence (=a crime related to having or selling drugs) Luciani is serving 20 years for drug offences.beserveyearoffenceadjectivesillegal drugs A lot of crime is connected to illegal drugs.beconnectdrughard drugs (also class A drugs British English) (=strong drugs such as heroin, cocaine etc) He was in prison for dealing hard drugs.bedealdrugsoft drugs (=less strong drugs such as marijuana) Soft drugs are legal in some countries.drugbecountryrecreational drugs (=taken for pleasure) Ecstasy was first used in Britain as a recreational drug in the 1980s.beusedesigner drugs (=produced artificially from chemicals) Designer drugs are highly addictive and can have unpredictable side effects.drugbeeffectCOMMON ERRORS ► Do not say 'light drugs'. Say soft drugs. Instead of 'heavy drugs', you usually say hard drugs.THESAURUSmedicine noun [uncountable and countable] a substance used for treating illness: Certain medicines should not be taken with alcohol.medicineshalltake | Has he taken his medicine?havetakepill noun [countable] a small piece of medicine that you swallow: She managed to swallow the pill with a sip of water.manage | The doctor gave him some pills.givepill | sleeping pillssleeppill | diet pillspill | contraceptive pillspilltablet noun [countable] especially British English a small piece of solid medicine: She's now on four tablets a day.tablet | a five-day course of tabletstablet | sleeping tabletssleeptablet | anti-malaria tabletstabletantibiotics/aspirin/codeine etc: The doctor put him on a course of antibiotics.antibiotic | Why don’t you take some aspirin? | The tablets contain codeine, which is unsuitable for people with asthma.tabletbecapsule noun [countable] a small tube-shaped container with medicine inside that you swallow whole: a bottle of 500 capsules of vitamin Ccapsule | I advised her to take four to six garlic capsules a day for the duration of the treatment.advisecapsulecaplet noun [countable] a small smooth pill that is slightly longer than it is wide - used especially on bottles and containers: In small type, the consumer is warned not to take more than one caplet per day.bewarneye/ear drops liquid medicine that you put into your eye or ear: Remember — if you 're using eye drops for your hay fever, leave your contact lenses out.usedroplenscream noun [uncountable and countable] especially British English (also lotion especially American English) a thick smooth substance containing medicine, that you put on your skin: an antibiotic cream | antiseptic cream | skin creamdrug noun [countable] a medicine or a substance for making medicines: a drug used to treat malariause | There are a wide range of different drugs on the market.bedrugdosage noun [countable usually singular] the amount of medicine that you should take at one time: The dosage should be reduced to 0.5 mg.shallreduce | It’s important to get the dosage right.medication noun [uncountable and countable] medicine or drugs given to someone who is ill: He takes medication for his diabetes.take | She’s on medication (=taking medication), having suffered from depression for a number of years.havesuffernumbyear
drugverbCollocations from other entriesWord sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesdrugdrugsdruggeddruggingdrugdrug2 verb (past tense and past participle drugged, present participle drugging) [transitive]Verb form1to give a person or animal a drug, especially in order to make them feel tired or go to sleep, or to make them perform well in a race: Johnson drugged and attacked four women.drugattackwomanThere was no evidence that the horse had been drugged.behavebedrug2HARM/BE BAD FORto put drugs in someone’s food or drink in order to make them feel tired or go to sleep SYN spike: The wine had been drugged.havebedrug3be drugged up to the eyeballs especially British English to have taken a lot of illegal drugs, or to have been given a lot of medicine: She was in pain, despite being drugged up to the eyeballs.bebedrugeyeball—druggeddrugged adjective
verbWord familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: hliehhan Verb form1[intransitive]LAUGH to make sounds with your voice, usually while you are smiling, because you think something is funny:
Maria looked at him and laughed.looklaughlaugh at/about‘I didn’t know what I was doing,’ she said, laughing at the memory.bedosaylaughTony was laughing so hard he had to steady himself on the table.belaughhaveNora laughed so much that she nearly cried.laughcrylaugh heartily/uproariously/hysterically etc (=laugh a lot)The kids tumbled around on the floor, laughing hysterically.kidtumblelaughHe couldn’t help it; he burst out laughing (=suddenly started laughing).laughlaugh your head offHe’s one of the few writers who can make me laugh out loud.writer2[transitive]SAY/STATE to say something in a voice that shows you are amused: ‘You look ridiculous!’ Nick laughed.laugh3not know whether to laugh or cryUPSETANNOY to feel upset or annoyed about something bad that has happened, but also able to see that there is something funny about it: And when I couldn’t find the passports – honestly, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!passport4don’t make me laugh spokenNO used when someone has just told you something that is completely untrue, asked for something impossible etc: ‘Can you finish this by tomorrow?’ ‘Don’t make me laugh.’5no laughing matter informalSERIOUS/NOT JOKING something serious that should not be joked about: It’s no laughing matter having to walk by a group of rowdy drunks every night just to get home.laughhavedrunk6be laughed out of court (also be laughed out of town/business etc American English)MAKE FUN OF if a person or idea is laughed out of court etc, the idea is not accepted because people think it is completely stupid: We can’t propose that! We’d be laughed out of court!laugh7you have to laugh spokenFUNNY used to say that, even though a situation is annoying or disappointing, you can also see that there is something funny about it8be laughing all the way to the bank informalRICH to make a lot of money without making much effort9somebody will be laughing on the other side of their face spokenREGRET/FEEL SORRY used to say that although someone is happy or confident now, they will be in trouble later10be laughing British English spoken informalHAPPYSATISFIED to be happy or in a good situation, for example because something has had a successful result for you: Well they paid me, didn’t they, so I’m laughing.paylaugh11laugh in sb’s faceRUDE/IMPOLITE to behave towards someone in a way that shows that you do not respect them: I told my sister what I thought, and she just laughed in my face.tellthinklaugh12laugh up your sleeveRUDE/IMPOLITE to be secretly happy, especially because you have played a trick on someone or criticized them without them knowingCOLLOCATIONSverbsburst out laughing (=suddenly start laughing) She looked at him and burst out laughing.looklaughmake somebody laugh I like Ron, he makes me laugh.makebegin/start to laugh He suddenly began to laugh.beginwant to laugh (=to feel like laughing, even though it might be more polite not to) He was so earnest that I wanted to laugh.bewanttry not to laugh (=to not laugh, even though something is funny, because it would not be polite) ‘Are you all right?’ Amy said, trying not to laugh.besaytryfall about laughing British English (=laugh a lot) He saw the look on my face and he just fell about laughing.seefalllaughadverbslaugh hysterically (=laugh so much that you cannot stop, because you find something extremely funny) The people at the next table were laughing hysterically at us.belaughlaugh heartily especially written (=laugh a lot) Misha laughed heartily throughout the play.laughlaugh out loud/aloud (=laugh so that other people can hear you) Some parts of the book were so funny that they made me laugh out loud.partbemakephraseslaugh your head off (=laugh a lot) The audience laughed its head off all the way through.laughlaugh till you cry/laugh till the tears run down your face He leaned back in his chair and laughed till the tears ran down his face.leanlaughtearrunTHESAURUSlaugh to make sounds with your voice and move your face, because you think that something is funny: He looked so funny that we couldn’t stop laughing.looklaughgiggle to laugh quickly in a high voice, especially in a slightly silly way, or because you are nervous or embarrassed: A group of teenage girls were giggling in a corner.girlbegiggle | She tends to giggle when she meets new people.tendmeetchuckle to laugh quietly, especially because you are thinking about or reading something funny: He was chuckling to himself over an article in the paper.bechuckle | ‘We used to get up to all kinds of mischief.’ She chuckled at the memory.usekindchucklesnigger British English, snicker American English to laugh quietly in an unkind or unpleasant way, for example when someone is hurt or embarrassed: Billy stood up and started to sing, and one or two people sniggered.standstartsniggertitter to laugh quietly in a high voice, especially about something that is rude or about sex, or is embarrassing for someone: As a nation we love to titter over politicians’ sex scandals.politicianscandal | schoolboys tittering over a magazineschoolboytitterroar with laughter to laugh very loudly, especially with a deep voice: I could hear my father roaring with laughter at something on TV.canroarshriek with laughter to laugh very loudly, especially with a high voice: Patsy chased him down the stairs, shrieking with laughter.chasestairshriekhowl with laughter to laugh very loudly – used especially about a group of people laughing together: His plays have made audiences howl with laughter.playmakeaudiencein stitches laughing so much that you cannot stop: It was such a funny film – it had us all in stitches.behavestitchguffaw /ɡəˈfɔː $ -ˈfɒː/ to laugh very loudly and without trying to stop yourself: The audience guffawed at his nonstop jokes.guffawjokecackle to laugh loudly in an unpleasant way: The old woman cackled at the trouble she was causing.cacklebecauselaugh at somebody/something phrasal verb1LAUGHto make unkind or funny remarks about someone, because they have done or said something you think is stupid SYN tease: I’m afraid the other kids will laugh at me because I don’t understand.kid2SERIOUS/NOT JOKINGto seem not to care about something that most people would worry about: Young offenders just laugh at this sort of sentence.offenderlaugh something ↔ off phrasal verb SERIOUS/NOT JOKINGto pretend that something is less serious than it really is by laughing or joking about it: Knox laughed off rumors that he would be running for mayor.laughrumorwillrun
laughnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary exampleslaughlaughslaughlaugh2 S3 nounWord family1LAUGH[countable] the act of laughing or the sound you make when you laugh: He gave a short laugh.givewith a laugh‘What a mess!’ she said, with a laugh.say2[countable] if something is a laugh, you have fun and enjoy yourself when you are doing it: We all went to the beach last night – it was a really good laugh.gobeThe other campers were nice, and we had a great laugh together.camperbehaveIt was a great holiday with lots of laughs.belotlaugh3somebody is a (good) laugh British EnglishFUNNY used to say that someone is amusing and fun to be with: I like Peter – he’s a good laugh.4for laughs (also for a laugh British English) for fun: We took the hot-air balloon ride, just for laughs.takelaugh5that’s a laugh spoken used to say that something is silly or unlikely: Me? Star in a film? That’s a laugh.6have the last laugh to finally be successful, win an argument etc, after other people have earlier criticized you, defeated you etc: Men make jokes about women drivers, but women have the last laugh – their insurance rates are cheaper.manjokewomandriverwomanratebecheap7be a laugh a minute informalFUNNY to be very funny – sometimes used humorously to mean that someone or something is not at all funnyCOLLOCATIONSverbsgive/let out a laugh She gave a loud laugh.giveget a laugh (also draw a laugh British English written) (=be laughed at) Most of his jokes didn’t even get a laugh.jokeget a laugh out of somebody (=make someone laugh) I always managed to get a laugh out of my audience.managehave a laugh about/at/over something (=laugh about something) The farmer had a good laugh at our attempts to catch the horse.haveattemptI could use a laugh (=I want to hear something funny to cheer me up) Tell me what she said - I could use a laugh.saycanADJECTIVES/NOUN + laugha good laugh We all got a good laugh out of it later.getlatea big laugh There was a big laugh from the crowd.bea short/little/small laugh He let out a nervous little laugh.a loud/soft laugh He let out a loud laugh when he heard what had happened.hearhavehappena belly laugh (=a deep loud laugh) It’s the kind of comedy that raises a smile rather than a belly laugh.raisea hearty laugh (=a loud laugh that shows you really enjoyed something) With a hearty laugh, he began to tell the story.begina nervous laugh ‘Don’t be silly,’ she said with a nervous laugh.say
nounLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: husbonda, from Old Norse, from hus ‘house’ + bondi ‘someone who lives in a house’ 1[countable]MARRY the man that a woman is married to → wife:
Have you met my husband Roy?meet2ex-husband a man that a woman used to be married to3husband and wifeMARRY a man and woman who are married to each otherTHESAURUShusband/wife etchusband/wife the man/woman you are married to: My wife’s a teacher.partner the person you live with and have a sexual relationship with. Partner is often used when people are not married, or when you do not know if they are married. It is also used when talking about same-sex couples: He lives with his partner Ruth and their eight-month-old son.livefiancé/fiancée the man/woman you are engaged to: He and fiancée Wendy Hodgson will marry in July.divorcee a woman who is divorced: The Prince announced his intention to marry Mrs Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee.announcewidow/widower a woman or man whose husband or wife has died: Imelda Marcos, the widow of the former Presidentspouse formal your spouse is your husband or wife: The rule applies to spouses and children of military personnel.applyspousechildestranged wife/husband formal someone’s estranged husband or wife is one who they do not live with anymore: She is trying to get her sons back from her estranged husband.betrysonestrange
husbandverbCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleshusbandhusbandshusbandedhusbandinghusbandhusband2 verb [transitive]Verb form formalCAREFUL to be very careful in the way you use your money, supplies etc and not waste any
verbWord familyVerb form [transitive usually passive] to have your main place of work, business etc in a particular place: The paper had intended to base itself in London.haveintendbe based in somethingThe new organization will be based in Dallas.base → basedbase something on/upon something phrasal verb COME FROM/ORIGINATEto use something as the thing from which something else is developed → basis: Their relationship was based upon mutual respect.bebasean economy based on farmingbasefarm
basenounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1Word sets 1 2 3 4 5Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesbasebasesbasebase2 S2 W2 noun
Word familyDate: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: Latin basis; → BASIS 1lowest part [countable usually singular]BOTTOM a)the lowest part or surface of something SYN bottombase of
There is a door at the base of the tower.bethe base of a trianglea frozen dessert with a biscuit basefreezea wine glass with a heavy baseThe leather of his left trainer was coming away from its rubber base.leavebecome b)the lowest point on a plant or part of your body, where it joins another part SYN bottombase ofa hole in the base of the treeHe was killed by an axe blow to the base of his skull.bekill2knowledge/ideas [countable]BASIC the most important part of something, from which new ideas develop SYN foundation: India has a good scientific research base.havebase forThey were laying the base for a new economic recovery.belay3military [countable] a place where people in a military organization live and workmilitary/naval/air base4company/organization [uncountable and countable]COME FROM/ORIGINATE the main place from which a person, company, or organization controls their activitiesbase forHe used the house as a base for his printing business.useprint5people/groups [countable usually singular]ALL/EVERYTHING the people, money, groups etc that form the main part of something: The company has built up a loyal customer base.havebuildBy broadening the tax base (=all the people who pay taxes), he could raise more revenues.broadencanrevenuean attempt to strengthen the city’s economic base (=things that produce jobs and money)The country’s manufacturing base (=all the factories, companies etc that produce goods in a country) has shrunk by 20%.manufacturehaveshrink → power base6substance/mixture [singular, uncountable]MIX the main part of a substance, meal etc to which other things are added: paint with an oil basebase forVodka is the base for many cocktails.becocktail7sport [countable] one of the four places that a player must touch in order to get a point in games such as baseball8be off baseWRONG/INCORRECT American English informal to be completely wrong: His estimate for painting the kitchen seems way off base.paintseem9chemical [countable] technical a chemical substance that combines with an acid to form a salt10numbers [countable usually singular] technical the number in relation to which a number system or mathematical table is built up, for example 10 in the decimal system11touch base (with somebody) to talk to someone to find out what is happening about something—basalbasal adjective → cover (all) the bases at cover1(12)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 2adjectivesa good base This data provided a good base for further research.datumprovidefara solid/firm/strong base A good education should give you a solid base for life.shalla sound/secure base A child needs a responsive mother in order to form a secure base for future development.needa broad base The first year of the course aims to provide students with a broad base of knowledge.aimstudenta knowledge base You’re building up a knowledge base that you’ll be able to use later.buildlateverbshave a base Permanent staff have a better base from which to plan their career development.wellprovide a base It is essential to provide a sound base from which economic progress can be made.bemakebuild a base By concentrating on our core businesses we will build a strong base from which to exploit future opportunities.concentratebusinessopportunitygive somebody a base The training gives you a broad base in actually running an organization.traingiverunTHESAURUSthe bottom the lowest part of something: The house is at the bottom of that hill.be | She scrolled down to the bottom of the screen.scrollthe underneath/the underside the bottom surface on the outside of something: You will find the serial number on the underneath of the vacuum cleaner.numbcleanbase the lowest part or the wide bottom part on which something stands: The lamp has a square base.have | He had broken a bone at the base of his spine.havebreakthe foot literary the bottom of a tree, a hill, or some stairs: There was a small village at the foot of the mountain.bebed the ground at the bottom of a river, a lake, or the sea: the sea bed | They found some interesting stones on the river bed.findintereststonethe foundations the layer of cement and stones that forms the bottom of a building: The builders have begun laying the foundations for the house.builderbeginlayfoundation
baseadjectiveCollocations from other entriesPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesbasebaserbasestbasebase3 adjectiveDate: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: bas, from Medieval Latin bassus ‘short, low’ BADnot having good moral principles:
base attitudes and desiresattitudedesire → base metal
adjectiveWord familyDate: 1300-1400Language: French
Origin: différer; → DIFFER 1DIFFERENTnot like something or someone else, or not like before OPP similardifferent from
Our sons are very different from each other.sonbedifferent toHer jacket’s different to mine.different than American English: He seemed different than he did in New York.seemdoThe place looks completely different now.lookThey decided to try a radically different approach.decideWe found women had significantly different political views from men.findwomanhaveviewmana slightly different way of doing thingsdothingWhat actually happened was subtly different from the PR people’s version.happenbeThe show is refreshingly different from most exhibitions of modern art.beexhibitionThe publishing business is no different from any other business in this respect.publishbeIt’s a different world here in London.GrammarIn spoken British English, different from and different to are both common. Different than is also used in American English and occasionally in British English, especially when it is followed by a clause: He looks no different than when he was 20.lookbe Teachers prefer different from, so from is the preposition to use in writing: Their homes are completely different from ours.homebe ► Do not say 'different of'.2[only before noun]VARIOUS/OF DIFFERENT KINDS used to talk about two or more separate things of the same basic kind SYN various: Different people reacted in different ways.reactwaydifferent types/kinds etcThere are many different types of fabric.betypeI looked in lots of different books but couldn’t find anything about it.looklotbook3[only before noun]DIFFERENT another: I think she’s moved to a different job now.move4spokenUNUSUAL unusual, often in a way that you do not like: ‘What did you think of the film?’ ‘Well, it was certainly different.’dobe—differentlydifferently adverb: I didn’t expect to be treated any differently from anyone else.treatThings could have turned out quite differently.thingcanturnTHESAURUSdifferent if something or someone is different, they are not like something or someone else, or they are not like they were before: You look different. Have you had your hair cut?have | We’ve painted the door a different colour.paint | The cultures of the two countries are very different.culturecountrybeunique very different, special, or unusual and the only one of its kind. Don’t use words such as very before unique: The book is certainly very rare, and possibly unique.be | the unique wildlife of the Galapagos Islandsislanddistinctive having a special feature or appearance that makes something different from other things, and makes it easy to recognize: Male birds have distinctive blue and yellow markings.birdmarkingunlike [prep] completely different from a particular person or thing: In Britain, unlike the United States, the government provides health care.unitestateprovidehave nothing in common if two people have nothing in common, they do not have the same interests or opinions and therefore cannot form a friendly relationship: Apart from the fact that we went to the same school, we have absolutely nothing in common.gothere’s no/little resemblance used when saying that two people or things seem very different: There’s no resemblance between the two sisters at all.sister | The final product bore no resemblance to the original proposal (=it was very different).beardissimilar formal not the same as something else: These four politically dissimilar states have all signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation.statesignbe like chalk and cheese British English informal if two people are like chalk and cheese, they are completely different: It’s hard to believe that they’re brothers – they’re like chalk and cheese!brotherbe (like) apples and oranges American English informal used when saying that two people or things are very different: You can't compare residential and commercial real estate markets. It's apples and oranges.marketappleorange | Obama and Romney are apples and oranges.beappleorange | Comparing homemade soup to canned soup is really comparing apples and oranges.comparecanbecompareappleorange
noun [countable]
Sense 1-3, 6:Date: 1200-1300
Language: Old French
Origin: hoste ‘host, guest’, from Latin hospes, probably from hostis; → HOSTILESense 4:
Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: Latin hostis; → HOSTILESense 5:
Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: hoiste, from Latin hostia ‘sacrifice’ 1at a partyPARTY someone at a party, meal etc who has invited the guests and who provides the food, drink etc → hostess:
Our host greeted us at the door.greet2on television/radioPRESENT/INTRODUCE A SHOW someone who introduces and talks to the guests on a television or radio programme SYN compere British English: a game show host3country/cityARRANGE A MEETING, EVENT ETC a country, city, or organization that provides the necessary space, equipment etc for a special eventhost country/government/city etcthe host city for the next Olympic Gamesgameplay host (to something) (=provide the place, food etc for a special meeting or event)The gallery is playing host to an exhibition of sculpture.beplay4a (whole) host of people/thingsLOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT a large number of people or things: A host of show business celebrities have pledged their support.celebritypledge5in church the Host technical the bread that is used in the Christian ceremony of Communion6animal/plant technical an animal or plant on which a smaller animal or plant is living as a parasite
hostverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2Other dictionary examplesCorpus exampleshosthostshostedhostinghosthost2 verb [transitive]Verb form1ARRANGE A MEETING, EVENT ETCto provide the place and everything that is needed for an organized event: Which country is going to host the next World Cup?bego2PRESENT/INTRODUCE A SHOWto introduce a radio or television programme: Next week’s show will be hosted by Sarah Cox.host
noun [countable]
Sense 1,3,7:Date: 1400-1500
Language: French
Origin: banque, from Old Italian banca ‘long seat, bank’Sense 2,4,6,8:
Date: 1100-1200
Origin: Probably from a Scandinavian language. Sense 5:
Date: 1200-1300
Language: Old French
Origin: banc ‘long seat’ 1MONEYplace for money a)a business that keeps and lends money and provides other financial servicesin the bank
We have very little money in the bank.Barclays Banka bank loan b)a local office of a bank: I have to go to the bank at lunch time. → clearing bank, merchant bank2RIVER/LAKEriver/lake land along the side of a river or lakebank ofthe banks of the River Deebankthe river bank3blood/sperm/organ bank a place where human blood etc is stored until someone needs it4clouds/mist a large mass of clouds, mist etc: a fog bankbank ofbanks of mistbank5PILEraised area a large sloping mass of earth, sand, snow etc: She was sitting on a grassy bank.besitbank ofsteep banks of snowbankbanks of flowersbankflower6machinesLINE a large number of machines, television screens etc arranged close together in a rowbank ofbanks of TV monitorsbankmonitor7GAMEgame a supply of money used to gamble, that people can win → break the bank at break1(24)8be makin' bank American English spoken informal to earn a lot of money for the work that you do: Check out Omar’s new car. The brother must be makin' bank.9ROADroad a slope made at a bend in a road or racetrack to make it safer for cars to go around → bottle bank, food bank, memory bankCOLLOCATIONSverbsgo to the bank I went to the bank and took out $80.gotakeborrow from a bank You may be able to borrow some money from the bank.a bank lends something The bank lent me £10,000 to help me start the business.lendbank + NOUNa bank account How much do you have in your bank account at the moment?your bank balance (=the actual amount that you have in your bank account) I'm just going to check my bank balance online.goa bank card You can withdraw money using your bank card.usebank charges Will I have to pay bank charges on this account?chargea bank clerk (=a junior worker in a bank) He began his career as a bank clerk.begina bank loan What's the interest rate on your bank loan?a bank note (=a piece of paper money) a $10 bank notea bank statement (=a written statement of how much you have in a bank account) I get a written bank statement once a month.writea bank manager Could I make an appointment with the bank manager, please?cana bank robber/robbery The bank robbers were never caught.robberbecatchtypes of banka high street bank (=one of the ordinary banks that most people use) There's a lot of competition between the major high street banks.banka commercial bank (=an ordinary bank, or one that deals with large businesses) the role of UK commercial banks in the debt crisisbankan investment/merchant bank (=one that buys and sells stocks and shares etc) Goldman Sachs, the US investment banka savings bank (=a bank that accepts your savings and provides mortgages)a clearing bank (=one of the banks in Britain that uses a clearing house when dealing with other banks) large commercial customers of the clearing bankscustomerclearbanka central bank (=the main financial authority in a country) The Bundesbank is the central bank of Germany.bethe World Bank (=an international organization providing financial help to developing countries) The road building was funded by the World Bank.buildbefund
bankverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1 2 3Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesbankbanksbankedbankingbankbank2 verb
Verb form1MONEYmoney a)[transitive] to put or keep money in a bank: Did you bank that check?do b)[intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to keep your money in a particular bankbank withWho do you bank with?bank atI’ve always banked at First Interstate.bank2TURNplane [intransitive] if a plane banks, it slopes to one side when turning: The plane banked, and circled back toward us.bankcircle3PILE/ROWSpile/rows (also bank up) [transitive] British EnglishLINE to arrange something into a pile or into rows: Snow was banked up on either side of the road.bebank4CLOUD/MISTcloud/mist (also bank up) [transitive] to form a mass of cloud, mist etc: Banked clouds promised rain.bankcloudpromise5FIREfire (also bank up) [transitive]BURN to cover a fire with wood or coal to keep it going for a long time: Josie banked up the fire to last till morning.bankbank on somebody/something phrasal verb DEPEND ON/RELY ONto depend on something happening or someone doing something SYN count onbank on (somebody) doing somethingI was banking on being able to get some coffee on the train.bebankbe
noun
Word familyDate: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: raison, from Latin ratio; → RATIO 1cause [countable]REASON why something happens, or why someone does somethingreason for
People give different reasons for wanting to change jobs.reasonwantjobreason whyWe’d like to know the reason why she didn’t accept the job.reason (that)The reason I called was to ask about the plans for Saturday.callbeplanreason behindHe explained the reasons behind the decision.explainreasonfor reasons of somethingThe bridge is closed for reasons of safety.beclosereasonreason to do somethingThis work gives me a reason to live.givethere is no reason to do somethingThere is no reason whatsoever to doubt her story.beby reason of something formal (=because of something)a person disqualified by reason of agedisqualify ► Do not say ‘the reason of’ something. Say the reason for something. Do not say ‘the reason because’ something happens. Say the reason why/that something happens. 2good or fair [uncountable]RIGHT/JUSTIFIED a fact that makes it right or fair for someone to do something(no) reason to do somethingThere is no reason to panic.beShe has reason to feel guilty.haveWe have reason to believe that the goods were stolen.goodbestealI know I’m late, but that’s no reason to shout at me.Under the circumstances, we had every reason (=had very good reasons) to be suspicious.circumstancehavewith (good) reason (=based on something sensible)Natalie was alarmed by the news, and with reason.bealarm3all the more reason why/to do something spokenREASON used to say that what has just been mentioned is an additional reason for doing what you have suggested: But surely that’s all the more reason to act quickly.4good judgment [uncountable]SENSIBLE sensible judgment and understanding SYN sense: There’s reason in what he says.sayThey’re not prepared to listen to reason (=be persuaded by someone’s sensible advice).prepareThere’s no way of making my grandfather see reason (=accept advice and make a sensible decision).make5within reasonSENSIBLE within sensible limits: You can go anywhere you want, within reason.6go/be beyond (all) reasonWRONG/UNJUSTIFIED to be more than is acceptable or reasonable: Their demands go beyond all reason.demand7ability to think [uncountable]INTELLIGENT the ability to think, understand, and form judgments that are based on facts: the human power of reasonlose your reason old-fashioned (=become mentally ill)8no reason spokenNONE/NOTHING used when someone asks you why you are doing something and you do not want to tell them: ‘Why d’you want to go that way?‘ ’Oh, no reason.' → no rhyme or reason at rhyme1(4), → it stands to reason at stand1(32)COLLOCATIONSverbshave a reason We had many reasons to celebrate.havereasongive a reason No reason was given for the change.begivethink of a reason/see a reason I see no reason why it shouldn’t work. | I can’t think of any reason why she would want to leave.willexplain the reasons for something Explain the reasons for your choice.reasonadjectivesa good reason There is usually a good reason why the price is so cheap.bebethe main reason The main reason for the decline in the railways is lack of investment.railwaybea major reason (also a big reason informal) His personality was a major reason for his success.be | A big reason for the decrease in smoking is the ban on cigarette advertising.smokebeadvertisethe real reason What do you think was the real reason for their decision?bea valid/legitimate reason (=a good and acceptable reason) An employer can’t fire someone without a valid reason.a compelling reason (=a very good reason for doing something) There are compelling reasons to believe that this is true.becompelreasonbea simple reason (=one that is easy to understand) I hate mobile phones, for the simple reason that it is now impossible to get away from them.phonebea logical reason People don’t always have logical reasons for the things they do.reasonthingthe only reason The only reason he’s coming tonight is that I said you’d be here.comebesayphrasesfor legal/political/medical etc reasons The boy cannot be named for legal reasons.namereasonfor security reasons The road will be closed for security reasons.closereasonfor personal reasons He resigned for personal reasons.resignreasonfor sentimental reasons (=because you like someone or something very much) I wanted to keep the picture for sentimental reasons.wantreasonfor obvious reasons This arrangement must be kept secret, for obvious reasons.keepreasonfor no apparent reason (=for no obvious reason) He tried to kill me for no apparent reason.tryfor some reason (or other) (also for some unknown reason) (=for a reason that you do not know) For some reason she felt like crying.feelcry | For some unknown reason, the curtains were always drawn.curtainbedrawfor reasons best known to somebody (=used when you do not understand someone’s behaviour) For reasons best known to herself, she decided to sell the house.reasonwellknowdecidehave your reasons (=have a secret reason for doing something) ‘Why did he marry her?’ ‘He must have had his reasons.’dohavereasonTHESAURUSreason why something happens, or why someone does something: What was the reason for the delay?be | I don’t know the reason why he left his last job.leaveexplanation a set of reasons that helps you to understand why something happens, especially when it seems difficult to understand: There are various possible explanations for climate change.beexplanation | Is there any explanation for his behavior?bemotive a reason that makes someone decide to do something – often used about crimes: Police say that there is no obvious motive for the attack.bejustification a good reason for doing something that seems wrong: There is never any justification for torture or abuse.be | They try to use the situation in the Middle East as a justification for killing innocent civilians.killcivilian | There’s no justification for this type of behaviour.grounds a reason that makes it right or fair to do something, especially according to legal, official, or moral rules: The court will decide if she has grounds for divorce.haveground | They claim the war is justified on moral grounds (=because of moral reasons).bejustifygroundbasis the main ideas or reasons on which something is based: The doctor makes his decisions purely on the basis of clinical observation.makedecision | What do you think is the basis for this advice?berationale /ˌræʃəˈnɑːl $ -ˈnæl/ formal a set of reasons that are used to explain why someone does something in a particular way: the rationale behind the government’s economic reformsreform | This chapter explains the nature of yearly plans, and provides a rationale for their use.explainplanprovidea reason that does not seem believableexcuse a reason that you give to explain why you have done something bad, or not done something that you should have done – especially one that is not completely true: She said she couldn’t come because she had to work late, but it was just an excuse.sayhavebe | a feeble excuse (=one that is hard to believe)pretext especially written an untrue reason that you give for doing or not doing something, in order to hide the real reason: He would often find some pretext to go out in the evening alone.willeven | They used this as a pretext for taking military action.usetake
reasonverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from other entriesCorpus examplesreasonreasonsreasonedreasoningreasonreason2 verbWord familyVerb form1[transitive]JUDGE to form a particular judgment about a situation after carefully considering the factsreason (that)They reasoned that other businesses would soon copy the idea.reasonbusinesswill2[intransitive]THINK ABOUT to think and make judgments: the ability to reasonreason something ↔ out phrasal verb THINK ABOUTto find an explanation or solution to a problem, by thinking of all the possibilities SYN work outreason with somebody phrasal verb PERSUADEto talk to someone in an attempt to persuade them to be more sensible: I tried to reason with her.try
noun
1of course a)KNOW STHused to show that what you are saying is expected or already known and so not surprising: You can pay by cheque, assuming of course you have a valid cheque card.assumeOf course there are exceptions to every rule.beexception b)AGREE (also course informal) spoken used to say yes or to give permission politely: ‘Can I have a word with you?’ ‘Of course.’‘Can you give me a lift?’ ‘Course, no problem.’ c)(also course informal) spokenEMPHASIZETRUE used to emphasize that what you are saying is true or correct: Of course he’ll come!well/but of courseWell of course I love you.2of course not (also course not informal) spokenUNTRUE used to say very strongly that something is not true or correct: He asked his father if it was true. ‘Of course not,’ Jack said.askbesay‘You don’t mind if I call her?’ ‘No, course not.’3LESSONSeducation [countable] a)a series of lessons in a particular subject SYN class American English: Andy’s doing a one-year journalism course.docourse on/ina course on architectureI’m taking a course in graphic design.take b)British English a period of study in a particular subject, especially at university SYN program American English: a degree course in photography ► Course is never followed by ‘of’. Do not say ‘a course of Business Studies’. Say ‘a course in Business Studies’.4time [singular]PERIOD OF TIME a period of time or process during which something happensduring/in/throughout/over the course of somethingDuring the course of our conversation, it emerged that Bob had been in prison.emergehavebeOver the course of the next few years, the steel industry was reorganized.yearbereorganizein the course of doing somethingIn the course of researching customer needs, we discovered how few families have adequate life insurance.researchneeddiscoverfamily5development [singular]NATURAL the usual or natural way that something changes, develops, or is donecourse offorces that shape the course of evolutionforceMeeting Sally changed the whole course of his life.meetchangein the normal/natural/ordinary course of eventsIn the normal course of events, a son would inherit from his father.eventwilltake/run its course (=develop in the usual way and reach a natural end)Relax and let nature take its course.It seems the boom in World Music has run its course.seemhaveGorbachev changed the course of Soviet history.change6plans [singular, uncountable] the general plans someone has to achieve something or the general way something is happening: They will go to any lengths to get the White House to change course.lengthHe will steer a middle course between pacifism and revolution.As long as the economy stays on course, the future looks rosy.staylook7ACTIONSactions [countable usually singular]DEAL WITH an action or series of actions that you could take in order to deal with a particular situation: I agreed that this was the only sensible course of action.agreebetake/decide on a courseThe judge took the only course of action open to him.take8direction [countable usually singular, uncountable] the planned direction taken by a boat or plane to reach a place: The plane changed course to avoid the storm.changeon/off course (=going in the right or wrong direction)The ship was blown off course.beblowThe aircraft was almost ten miles off course.bemilShe tightened the mainsail while holding the course (=travelling in the same direction as planned).tightenhold9on course likely to achieve something because you have already had some successon course forIf he wins today, he’s on course for the Grand Slam.winon course to do somethingWe’re back on course to qualify for the championship.10meal [countable] one of the separate parts of a mealthree-course/five-course etc mealThe ticket includes entry and a four-course meal.includefirst/second/main etc courseWe had fish for the main course.have11sport [countable] an area of land or water where races are held, or an area of land designed for playing golf: a particularly difficult coursean 18-hole course → assault course, obstacle course(1)12medical treatment [countable] especially British EnglishSERIES an amount of medicine or medical treatment that you have regularly for a specific period of timecourse of injections/drugs/treatment etca course of antibioticsantibiotic13in (the) course of timeEVENTUALLY after some or enough time has passed SYN eventually: She’ll get used to school in the course of time.use14river [countable] the direction a river moves in: The course of the water was shown by a line of trees.beshowtree15wall [countable] a layer of bricks, stone etc in a wall: a damp-proof course → as a matter of course at matter1(20), → par for the course at par(3), → stay the course at stay1(7), → in due course at due1(4)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 3verbstake a course (also do a course British English) I decided to do a course in Italian.decidego on a course British English My company wanted me to go on a course in management skills.wantskillpass/fail a course If you pass the course, you get a diploma in psychology.apply for a course The following year she applied for a nursing course.followapplynurseenrol on a course/put your name down for a course British English (=to arrange to officially join a course) How about enrolling on a sailing course?enrolsailattend a course formal (=take part in a course) You’ll have to attend a course on how to deal with customers on the phone.customerwithdraw from a course/drop out of a course (=leave it without finishing it) She had to withdraw from the course because of illness.haveteach a course She is teaching an introductory course in Russian.beteachrun a course The course is run by the British Council.beoffer a course The course is offered on a part-time basis.beofferchange (your) course (=at university or college) Some students choose to change their course after the first year.studentADJECTIVES/NOUN + course a language/art/design etc course The school runs ten-week language courses three times a year.runcoursetimea full-time/part-time course There are also part-time courses for mature students.becoursestudentan elementary/intermediate/advanced course an advanced course in art and designadvancea one-year/two-year etc course She did a one-year teacher training course.dotraina short course I did a short course on website design.doan intensive course (=in which you learn a lot in a short time) An intensive course in Russian is provided for those who do not already know the language.beprovidea crash course informal (=in which you learn a great deal in a very short time) A husband was given a crash course in how to deliver a baby by a midwife on the phone.begivea training course If you are offered the job, you will attend a two-week training course.beoffertraina vocational course (=that trains you to do a particular job) a vocational course in architecturea college/university course students who fail their college coursesstudentcoursea degree course British English (also an undergraduate course) (=a first course at a university, which usually lasts three years) a three-year degree coursea postgraduate course British English (=one you do after your first degree course)a correspondence course (=in which you work at home, sending work to a teacher by post)an introductory course (=for people who have never done a particular subject or activity before)an induction course (=that you do when you start a new job or position)a refresher course (=short and intended to teach you about new developments in a subject)a foundation course British English (=a general course that students do in the first year at some universities)a sandwich course British English (=that includes periods of work in industry or business)a tailor-made course (=one that is specially designed for someone) a tailor-made course to help senior staff develop their negotiation skillsmakeskillcourse + NOUNa course tutor BrE: I discussed it with my course tutor.discusscourse material Teachers are provided with course material.teacherbeprovidethe course syllabus (=the plan of what is taught on a course) The school has recently introduced a new course syllabus.haveintroduceCOMMON ERRORS ► Do not say 'make a course'. Say do or take a course.COLLOCATIONSMeaning 5verbssomething takes a course (=develops in a particular way) He felt that events were taking the wrong course.feeleventbetakesomething takes/runs its course (=develops in the usual or natural way) There was nothing we could do except watch the illness run its course.becanchange/alter the course of something The incident changed the course of the election.changeinfluence/shape the course of something The result of this battle influenced the whole course of the war.influencedetermine/decide the course of something Don’t let chance decide the course of your career.phrasesin the normal/ordinary course of something His bravery was far more than was required in the normal course of duty.beberequirethe course of history/sb’s life etc Changing conditions shape the course of evolution.changeconditionTHESAURUStypes of mealbreakfast a meal that you eat in the morningbrunch a meal that you eat in the late morning, instead of breakfast or lunchlunch a meal that you eat in the middle of the daytea British English a meal that you eat in the afternoon or eveningdinner the main meal of the day, which most people eat in the eveningsupper a small meal that you eat in the evening, in British English; the main meal that you eat in the evening, in American Englishpicnic a meal that you eat outdoors, consisting of food that you cooked or prepared earlierbarbecue a meal that you cook outdoors over hot coals or wood and eat outdoorssnack a small amount of food that is eaten between main meals or instead of a mealside dish food eaten with the main course, such as vegetables: I’ll have the salad as a side dish.course one of the separate parts of a meal, such as the starter or the dessert: a three-course meal
courseverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusWord sets 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplescoursecoursescoursedcoursingcoursecourse2 verbVerb form1[intransitive always + adverb/preposition] literaryLIQUID if a liquid or electricity courses somewhere, it flows there quickly: Tears coursed down his cheeks.tearcoursecheek2[intransitive always + adverb/preposition] literaryTHINK SO/NOT BE SURE if a feeling courses through you, you feel it suddenly and strongly: His smile sent waves of excitement coursing through her.sendwavecourse3[intransitive and transitive] to chase rabbits with dogs as a sport
verb (past tense and past participle held /held/)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: healdan Verb form
1in your hand/arms a)[transitive]HOLD to have something in your hand, hands, or arms: Could you hold my bag for me?canhold something in your hand/armsHe was holding a knife in one hand.beholdI held the baby in my arms.holdarmhold hands (=hold each other’s hands)They sat holding hands under a tree.sitholdhandhold somebody close/tightly (=with your arms around someone)Max held her close and wiped away her tears.holdwipetear b)[transitive always + adverb/preposition]MOVE STH OR SB to move your hand or something in your hand in a particular directionhold something out/up etcHe held out his hand to help her to her feet.holdfootHold the picture up so we can see it.2event [transitive] to have a meeting, party, election etc in a particular place or at a particular time: This year’s conference will be held at the Hilton Hotel.holdA thanksgiving ceremony was held to mark the occasion.beholdThe funeral was held on a grey day in November.beholdIn April, the President held talks with Chinese leaders.holdtalkleader3keep something in position [transitive] to make something stay in a particular positionhold something open/up etcWe used rolled-up newspapers to hold the windows open.userollnewspaperwindowRemember to hold your head up and keep your back straight.hold something in place/positionA couple of screws should hold it in place.screwshallLift your head off the floor and hold this position for five seconds.second4job/titleJOB/WORK [transitive] a)to have a particular job or position, especially an important one: Do you really think he’s capable of holding such a responsible position?holdhold the post/position/office etc (of something)She was the first woman to hold the office of Australian state premier.beThe governor had held the post since 1989.haveholdWhoever is elected will hold office (=have an important political position) for four years.beelectyear b)to have a particular title or record, because you have won a competition, are the best at something etc: The programme still holds the record for the longest running TV series.holdlongrunThe last Briton to hold the title was Bert Nicholson.be5keep/store [transitive] to keep something to be used when it is needed: Further copies of the book are held in the library.farcopybeholdWeapons were held at various sites.weaponbeholdsite6keep something available for somebody [transitive] to agree not to give something such as a ticket, a place at a restaurant, a job etc to anyone except a particular person: We can hold the reservation for you until next Friday.hold something openYou can’t expect them to hold the job open for much longer – you’ll have to decide whether you want it or not.long7keep somebody somewhere [transitive] to keep someone somewhere, and not allow them to leave: Police are holding two men in connection with the robbery.beholdmanhold somebody prisoner/hostage/captiveA senior army officer was held hostage for four months.beholdmonthhold somebody incommunicado (=keep someone somewhere and not allow them to communicate with anyone)8opinion [transitive not in progressive] to have a particular opinion or belief: Experts hold varying opinions as to the causes of the disease.expertvaryopinioncausebe widely/generally/commonly held (=be the opinion of a lot of people)This view is not widely held.beholdbe held to be somethingShe was held to be one of the most talented actors of her time.beholdactorhold thatThe judge held that the child’s interests in this case must come first.holdinterest9hold somebody responsible/accountable/liable (for something) to say or decide that someone should accept the responsibility for something bad that happens: If anything happens to her, I’ll hold you personally responsible.happenHe may have had a terrible childhood, but he should still be held accountable for his own actions.haveshallholdaction10own something [transitive]OWN to officially own or possess money, a document, a company etc: He holds shares in ICI.holdshareDo you hold a valid passport?a privately held companyhold11contain a particular amount [transitive not in progressive] to have the space to contain a particular amount of something: The movie theater holds 500 people.holdThe tank should hold enough to last us a few days.shallday12support [intransitive and transitive] to be strong enough to support the weight of something or someone: Careful! I’m not sure that branch will hold you.The bridge didn’t look as though it would hold.will13stay at same level [intransitive and transitive] to stay at a particular amount, level, or rate, or to make something do this: The bank is holding interest rates at 4%.beholdrateSince then, the pound has held steady against the dollar.haveholdhold sb’s interest/attention (=make someone stay interested)Colourful pictures help hold the students’ interest.picturestudent14not change [intransitive] to continue to be true, good, available etc: What I said yesterday holds.sayholdDoes your invitation still hold?dohold true/goodTwenty years on, his advice still holds good.yearholdweather/luck holds (out) (=continues to be good)If our luck holds, we could reach the final.holdcan15stop/delay [transitive] spoken used in particular phrases to tell someone to wait or not to do something: I’ll have a tuna fish sandwich please – and hold the mayo (=do not give me any).hold it!Hold it! We’re not quite ready.hold your horses! (=used to tell someone to do something more slowly or carefully)16hold your head up (also hold your head high) to behave as if you are proud of yourself or respect yourself: They may have lost the game, but I still think they’ve earned the right to hold their heads high today.loseearnhead17hold your breath a)to deliberately not breathe out for a short time: Hold your breath and count to ten. b)to not breathe out and try not to make a sound because you do not want to be noticed: Julie shrank back against the wall and held her breath.shrinkhold c)not hold your breath spoken used to say that you do not expect something to happen, even though someone has said it will: He promised he’d phone, but I’m not holding my breath.promisehold18hold (your) fire a)to not shoot at someone when you were going to b)to not criticize, attack, or oppose someone when you were going to: The President urged his party to hold fire on the issue a few days longer.urgedaylong19telephone [intransitive] (also hold the line) spoken to wait until the person you have telephoned is ready to answer: Mr Stevens is busy at the moment – would you like to hold?bewillPlease hold the line while I transfer you.20army [transitive]DEFEND if an army holds a place, it controls it or defends it from attack: The French army held the town for three days.holdday21musical note [transitive]CONTINUE/NOT STOP to make a musical note continue for a particular length of time22future [transitive] formal if the future holds something, that is what may happen: Thousands of workers are waiting to see what the future holds.workerbewaithold23have a quality [transitive] formal to have a particular qualityhold (little) interest/appeal/promise etcMany church services hold little appeal for modern tastes.servicetaste24hold your own (against somebody)GOOD AT to successfully defend yourself or succeed in a difficult situation, competition etc: He was a good enough player to hold his own against the Americans.be25not hold a candle to somebody/something to be much worse than someone or something else26be left holding the baby British English, be left holding the bag American English to be left as the only person responsible for dealing with a difficult situation, especially something someone else started: He was left holding the financial baby when his musical partner joined another band.beleaveholdjoin27hold sway to have a lot of influence or power: Among people here, traditional values still hold sway.value28hold court to get the attention of everyone while you are talking, especially when you are trying to entertain people: Joey would walk into the bar and hold court all night.will29hold your tongue spoken used to tell someone to stop talking or to not tell someone about something: I reckon you’ve just got to learn to hold your tongue.get30hold all the cards to have all the advantages in a situation in which people are competing or arguing: ‘There’s not much we can do. They seem to hold all the cards,’ said Dan gloomily.cardsay31hold fast (to something) to keep believing strongly in something32hold a conversationTALK TO SB to have a conversation33hold the fortRESPONSIBLE to be responsible for something while the person usually responsible for it is not there: She’s holding the fort while the manager’s on holiday.hold34hold the lead/advantage to be winning in a competition, game etc: Celtic held the lead in the first half.hold35there’s no holding somebody (back) spokenENTHUSIASTICENJOY/LIKE DOING STH used to say that someone is so determined to do something that you cannot prevent them from doing it36can hold your drink/liquor/alcohol etcDRUNK to be able to drink a lot of alcohol without getting drunk or ill37not hold waterUNTRUE if an excuse, a statement etc does not hold water, it does not seem to be true or reasonable38hold something/somebody dearIMPORTANT formal to care about something or someone a lot: We were facing the loss of everything we held dear.befacehold39hold the road if a car holds the road well, you can drive it quickly around bends without losing control → hold a course at course1(8)THESAURUShold to have something in your hand, hands, or arms: Maria came in holding a letter.comehold | Can I hold the baby?grip to hold something very tightly and not let it go: He gripped her arm so she couldn’t walk away.grip | Jenny gripped the side of the boat to steady herself.gripclutch to hold something tightly, especially because you do not want to drop or lose it: A businessman hurried past, clutching his briefcase.hurryclutch | The little girl clutched onto his hand.clutchclasp written to hold someone or something tightly, closing your fingers or arms around them: She was clasping a bunch of small summer flowers.beclaspflower | He clasped her in his arms and kissed her.clasparmkissget/take hold of something to take something in your hand or hands and hold it: I took hold of the handle and pulled as hard as I could.takepullcan | Quickly – try and get hold of that frog!grasp written to take hold of something firmly, especially in a determined way: She grasped the lowest branch and pulled herself up into the tree.grasplowpullgrab to take hold of something suddenly and often violently: He grabbed my bag and ran off with it.grabrun | The other man grabbed hold of (=suddenly took hold of ) my arms and threatened me with a knife.grabarmthreatenseize /siːz/ written to take hold of something suddenly and often violently: A police officer ran after him and seized the gun.runseizehang on (to something) to hold on to something or someone tightly to support yourself: He hung on to the rail at the back of the motorbike.hang | Hang on tight!keep hold of something to continue to hold something: Greg was struggling to keep hold of the dog.bestruggle | She tried to take her hand away but he kept hold of it.trykeephold something against somebody phrasal verb FORGIVEto continue to dislike someone or not forgive them because of something bad they have done in the past: You can’t still hold that against him, surely?hold back phrasal verb1hold somebody/something ↔ backSTOP MOVING to make someone or something stop moving forward: Police in riot gear held back the demonstrators.holddemonstrator2hold something ↔ backNOT DO STH to stop yourself from feeling or showing a particular emotion: She struggled to hold back her tears.struggletearAnger flooded through her. She couldn’t hold it back.flood3hold somebody/something ↔ backPREVENT to prevent someone or something from making progress: They felt the British economy was being held back by excessive government controls.feelbebeholdcontrol4hold (somebody) backWILLING to be unwilling to do something, especially because you are being careful, or to make someone unwilling to do something: In the current situation many investors are holding back.investorbeholdShe wanted to tell him but pride held her back.wanthold5hold something ↔ backSECRET to keep something secret: Tell me all about it – don’t hold anything back!hold somebody/something ↔ down phrasal verb1to make someone or something stay on something, and stop them from moving away or escaping: We had to hold the tent down with rocks to stop it blowing away.haverockblowIt took three strong men to hold him down.takeman2PREVENTCONTROLto prevent the level of something such as prices from rising: We will aim to hold down prices.price3JOB/WORKhold down a job to succeed in keeping a job for a period of time: He’s never held down a job for longer than a few weeks.holdlongweek4CONTROLto keep people under control or limit their freedom: The people were held down for centuries by their conquerors.beholdcenturyconquerorhold forth phrasal verb TALK TO SBto give your opinion on a subject, especially for a long timehold forth onThe speaker was holding forth on the collapse of modern society.beholdhold off phrasal verb1WAITto delay doing something: Buyers have been holding off until the price falls.buyerbeholdfallhold off (on) doing somethingHold off making your decision until Monday.make2hold somebody ↔ offDEFEND a)to prevent someone who is trying to attack or defeat you from succeeding: Not even a gun could hold him off forever.can b)to prevent someone from coming towards you or succeeding in speaking to you: There’s already a crowd of reporters outside – I’ll try to hold them off for a while.reporter3if rain or bad weather holds off, it does not start, although it looked as if it would: The rain held off until after the game.holdhold on phrasal verb1spoken a)WAITto wait for a short time: Hold on, I’ll just get my coat. b)SURPRISEDused when you have just noticed, heard, or remembered something interesting or wrong: Hold on a minute! Isn’t that your brother’s car over there? c)WAITused to ask someone on the telephone to wait until the person they want to talk to is available: Can you hold on? I’ll try to find her.2to have your hands or arms tightly around something: Hold on tight!hold on toHold on to my arm.3CONTINUE/NOT STOPto continue doing something that is very difficult to do: San Francisco held on to win 4–2.holdhold on to somebody/something phrasal verb KEEP/CONTINUE TO HAVEto keep something rather than losing it, selling it, or giving it to someone else: The soldiers held on to the bridge for three more days.soldierholddayI think I’ll hold on to these old records for now.recordhold out phrasal verb1HOPEhold out something to think or say that something is possible or likely to happen, especially something goodnot hold out much hope/hold out little hopeNegotiators aren’t holding out much hope of a peaceful settlement.negotiatorholdhold out the prospect/promise of somethingalternative methods which hold out the promise of improved healthmethodimprove2FINISH/USE ALL OF STHif a supply of something holds out, there is still some left: Water supplies won’t hold out much longer.supplywinlong3DEFENDto continue to successfully defend a place that is being attacked: The rebels held out for another night but then fresh forces arrived.rebelholdforcearrive4to try to prevent yourself from doing something that someone is trying to force you to dohold out againstI didn’t know how much longer I could hold out against their relentless questioning.longcanquestionhold out for something phrasal verb ASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STHto not accept anything less than you have asked for: Transport workers are holding out for a 20% pay rise.workerbeholdhold out on somebody phrasal verb informal TELL A SECRETto not tell someone about something important: She must have been holding out on him all these years.beholdyearhold something over phrasal verb1DELAY[usually passive] formal to do or deal with something at a later time: The matter was held over for further review.beholdfar → holdover2THREATENhold something over somebody to use something bad that you know about someone to make them do what you want: He knows I’ve been in prison and is holding it over me.knowbebehold3be held over especially American EnglishCONTINUE/NOT STOPSUCCESSFUL if a play, film, concert etc is held over, it is shown for longer than planned because it is very popularhold to something phrasal verb1if you hold to a belief, principle, promise etc, you believe it or behave according to it: He admitted he did not hold to the traditional view of God.admitdo2PROMISEhold somebody to something to make someone do what they have promised: ‘I’ll ask him tomorrow.’ ‘OK, but I’m going to hold you to that.’go3hold somebody to something British English to prevent your opponent in a sports game from getting more than a particular number of points: Norway held Holland to a 2–2 draw.holdhold together phrasal verb1if a group or an organization holds together, or if something holds it together, it stays strong and does not separate into different parts or groups: Against all expectations, the coalition held together well.expectationholdhold something ↔ togetherIn those days the Church held the community together.dayhold2GOOD ENOUGHto remain whole and good enough to use, or to make something do this: Incredibly, the raft held together till we reached the opposite shore.holdreachhold something ↔ togetherI wondered how the structure was held together.wonderbeholdhold up phrasal verb1SUPPORT/HOLD UPhold something ↔ up to support something and prevent it from falling down: The roof is held up by massive stone pillars.beholdpillar2DELAYhold somebody/something ↔ up [usually passive] to delay someone or something: Sorry I’m late – I was held up at work.behold3hold up somethingSTEAL to rob or try to rob a place or person by using violence: Two armed men held up a downtown liquor store last night.armmanhold → hold-up4SAMEto not become weaker: His physical condition has held up well.haveholdhold somebody/something up as something phrasal verb EXAMPLEto use someone or something as a good example or as proof of something: The school is held up as a model for others.beholdThis incident will be held up as proof that tougher controls are needed.holdtoughcontrolbeneedhold with something phrasal verb AGREEnot hold with something British English used to say that someone does not approve of something: He says he doesn’t hold with all this politically correct stuff.saynot hold with doing somethingI don’t hold with hitting children in any circumstances.hitchildcircumstance
holdnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesholdholdsholdhold2 S2 W3 noun
Word familySense 1-9, 11:Origin: → HOLD1Sense 10:
Origin: hole 1holding something [singular]HOLD the action of holding something with your hands SYN griphold on
She released her tight hold on the dog.releaseHe tightened his hold, refusing to let her go.tightenrefuseMake sure you keep hold of my hand when we cross the road.I took hold of her hand and gently led her away.takeleadGrab hold of the rope and pull yourself up.2get hold of something (also get a hold of something American English) to find or borrow something so that you can use it: I need to get hold of a car.She managed to get a hold of a copy.manage3get hold of somebody (also get a hold of somebody American English) to find and speak to someone about something: I must get hold of Vanessa to see if she can babysit.4control/power [singular] control, power, or influence over something or someoneget/keep a hold on/of somethingHe struggled to get a hold of his emotions.struggleemotionI’ve always kept a tight hold on our finances.keepfinanceI realized that the woman had a hold over my father.realizehave5on holdWAIT a)if something is on hold, it is going to be done or dealt with at a later date rather than now: The plans are on hold until after the election.planbeSince having the kids, my career has been put on hold.havekidhavebe b)if you are on hold, you are waiting to talk to someone on the telephone: We try not to keep people on hold for more than a couple of minutes.minuteThe agent put me on hold while she consulted a colleague.consult6take (a) holdEFFECT/INFLUENCE to start to have a definite effect: The fever was beginning to take hold.bebegin7get hold of an idea/an impression/a story etcLEARNBELIEVE to learn or begin to believe something: Where on earth did you get hold of that idea?do8fight [countable] a particular position that you hold an opponent in, in a fight or a sport such as wrestling9climbing [countable] somewhere you can put your hands or feet to help you climb something: The cliff was steep and it was difficult to find a hold.bebe10ship [countable] the part of a ship below the deck1(1) where goods are stored11no holds barredLIMIT when there are no rules or limits on what you are allowed to do: It seems there are no holds barred when it comes to making a profit.seembeholdbarcomemakeCOLLOCATIONSadjectivesa tight/firm hold Rose had a tight hold of her hand.risehaveverbstighten your hold Maria winced as Luke tightened his hold on her fingers.wincetightenfingerloosen/relax your hold Laughing, he loosened his hold until she could pull her arms free.laughloosencanarmrelease your hold (=stop holding something) As soon as his fingers released their hold, Robyn turned and ran.fingerreleaseturnrunphraseskeep hold of something (=hold something without letting go) I had to run to keep hold of the leather strap.haveget/take hold of something (=start holding something) Wallace took hold of Fred’s jacket and pulled him roughly backwards.takepullcatch/grab/seize etc hold of something (=start holding something quickly and firmly) She grabbed hold of the letter and tore it open.grabtearhave hold of something (=be holding something) Nathan had hold of her hand again.have
noun
Word familyDate: 1300-1400Language: Middle Low German
Origin: ‘course, way, track’ 1buying/selling [uncountable] the activity of buying, selling, or exchanging goods within a country or between countries SYN commercetrade between
There has been a marked increase in trade between East and West.havebemarkinternational trade agreementsagreementunfair trade practicespracticetrade inTrade in ivory has been banned since 1990.havebebanthe arms/drug/slave etc trade (=the buying and selling of weapons, drugs etc) → balance of trade, free trade, → trade war at war(3)2the hotel/tourist etc tradeBUSINESS the business done by companies, hotels etc → industry: Working on Saturdays is usual in the retail trade.workbe3amount of business [uncountable] British EnglishBUSINESS business activity, especially the amount of goods or products that are sold SYN business: A lot of pubs nowadays do most of their trade at lunchtimes.publunchtimepassing trade (=customers who go into a shop when they are passing it, not regular customers)Souvenir shops rely mainly on passing trade.shoppass → do a roaring trade at roaring(3)4an exchange of things [singular] American English a)when you exchange something you have for something that someone else has: Let’s make a trade – my frisbee for your baseball. b)when a player on a sports team is exchanged for a player from another team: The Celtics star demanded a trade after talks with management broke down.demandtalkbreak5the tradeBUSINESS a particular kind of business, and the people who are involved in it: I could get Ron to look at your car for you; he works in the trade.canwork6job/work [uncountable and countable]JOB/WORK a particular job, especially one needing special skill with your hands: Brian insisted that his sons learn a trade.insistsonMy grandfather was a plumber by trade (=that was his job).betools of your trade (=the things that you need to do your job) → stock-in-trade, jack-of-all-trades, → ply your trade at ply1(1), → tricks of the trade at trick1(7)COLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + trade international/foreign trade International trade is essential for long-term economic growth.beglobal/world trade We want the poorer nations to benefit from increased global trade.poornationincreasethe arms/timber/book etc trade Britain is heavily involved in the arms trade.beinvolvearmthe drugs/slave trade the country’s thriving drugs tradethrivedrugthe tourist trade The wildlife and scenery have helped to make the tourist trade Alaska's second industryhelpthe retail trade (=businesses which sell goods in shops to customers) Advertising encourages the retail trade to stock and display the product.advertiseencouragethe wholesale trade (=businesses which sell goods in large quantities at low prices to other businesses, rather than to the general public) In the domestic market, the wholesale trade and retail trade developed rapidly.developtrade + NOUNtrade barriers (also barriers to trade formal) (=things that make trade between two countries more difficult or expensive, such as taxes) The removal of trade barriers will help our trading partnership.barriertradea trade agreement On April 3 a new trade agreement between Romania and the USA was signed.besigna trade embargo (=an official order to stop trade with another country) Delegates urged the US government to lift its trade embargo against Vietnam.delegateurgetrade talks/negotiations A further round of trade talks begins this week in Geneva.fartalkbegina trade deficit (=the amount by which the total goods one country sells to others is less than the amount it buys from them) The foreign trade deficit widened by 42% compared with the previous year.widencomparea trade surplus (=the amount by which the total goods one country sells to others is more than the amount it buys from them) Scotch whisky is a major contributor to the UK trade balance, with a large trade surplus.be
tradeverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplestradetradestradedtradingtradetrade2 S3 W2 verbWord familyVerb form1[intransitive and transitive] to buy and sell goods, services etc as your job or businesstrade withIndia began trading with Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries.begintradecenturytrade inThe company trades in silk, tea, and other items.traditemThey had to travel into town to trade the produce from their farm.have2[intransitive] British English to exist and operate as a business: The firm now trades under the name Lanski and Weber.tradcease trading (=stop being a business because you are bankrupt)3[transitive usually passive] to buy or sell something on the stock exchange: Over a million shares were traded today.sharebetrade4trade insults/blows etcEACH OTHER to insult or hit each other during an argument or fight5[intransitive and transitive] especially American EnglishEXCHANGE to exchange something you have for something someone else has SYN swap British English: We traded necklaces.tradenecklacetrade something with somebodyI wouldn’t mind trading jobs with her.tradejobtrade (somebody) something for somethingI’ll trade you my camera for your drill.trade at something phrasal verb if shares etc trade at a particular price, they cost that amount to buytrade down phrasal verb SELLto replace something you own with something cheaper, or buy a cheaper type of thing than beforetrade down toMany of their customers are trading down to cheaper cigarettes.customerbetradecheapcigarettetrade something ↔ in phrasal verb EXCHANGEto give something such as a car to the person you are buying a new one from, as part of the paymenttrade something ↔ in forHe traded his old car in for a new model.trade → trade-inTHESAURUSexchange to give something to someone, and receive a similar thing from them at the same time. Exchange is often used about people telling each other about their ideas, phone numbers, addresses etc: They exchanged photographs before they met.exchangephotographmeet | a place where people can exchange ideasidea | We exchanged email addresses.exchangeaddress | if you are unhappy with the jacket, you can always take it back and exchange it for another one.be | These coupons can be exchanged for meals and accommodation.couponexchangemealchange to exchange something, especially money. Also used in British English about exchanging something you have bought for something different: I need to change some dollars.dollar | She changed all her money into euros.changeeuro | We thought it was time we changed our car for something more modern.thinkbechangeswap (also do a swap British English) informal to give something to someone, who gives you something similar: The two schools use the Internet to swap pictures, stories, and jokes.schoolpicturestoryjoke | I like your room better – do you want to do a swap?welltrade (also do a trade American English) to exchange something that you have for something that someone else has: The stolen phones are being traded for drugs.stealphonebebetradedrug | The boys trade sports cards on the playground.boysportcard | We've got lots of plants we don't need – do you want to do a trade?getlotplantswitch to change the places of two or more people or things, so that each one is in the place the other was before: Can I switch seats with you?seatreciprocate to do or give something, because someone has done or given something similar to you – a rather formal use: They invited us to dinner a while ago, and I'd like to reciprocate.invitein exchange/return (for something) if you give something in exchange or in return for something else, you give it in order to get something else back: Williams will plead guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence.reducetrade something ↔ off phrasal verb EQUALto balance one situation or quality against another, in order to produce an acceptable resulttrade something ↔ off for/againstCompanies are under pressure to trade off price stability for short-term gains.companybegain → trade-offtrade on/upon something phrasal verb USE A PERSONto use a situation or someone’s kindness in order to get an advantage for yourself: If you ask me, they’re just trading on Sam’s good nature.tradetrade up phrasal verb EXCHANGEto replace something you own with something better, or buy a better type of thing than beforetrade up to/fromIt also encourages existing home owners to trade up to larger accommodation.encourageexistownerlarge
adjective (comparative clearer, superlative clearest)
Word familyDate: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: cler, from Latin clarus ‘clear, bright’ 1easy to understandCLEAR/EASY TO UNDERSTAND expressed in a simple and direct way so that people understand → clarity, clearly:
clear instructionsinstructionThe question wasn’t very clear.It’s the clearest guide I’ve used.clearuseclear aboutThe school is clear about its policy on bullying.bebullyclear about what/when/how etcBe very clear about what jobs should be completed, and by when.jobshallcompleteclear onThe rules are quite clear on the point.rulebeclear toIt was clear to him that Tolkien was a literary genius.bebemake something clearThe bishop made his views clear in a letter to the publisher.makeviewHow can you make the meaning clearer?meanclearmake it clear thatMake it clear that you will not take sides.sideabsolutely/abundantly clearCan I make it absolutely clear that we did not intend this to happen?doPerhaps I tried to cover too much and didn’t make myself clear (=express myself well).tryIf you don’t understand, it’s best to say so and get things clear.wellthingIf I catch you smoking again, you’re grounded. Do I make myself clear (=used when you are angry)?smokegroundclear picture/idea (=a good understanding)The report gave a clear picture of the property’s condition.giveHe writes crystal clear (=very easy to understand) prose.write2impossible to doubtCLEAR/EASY TO UNDERSTAND impossible to doubt, question, or make a mistake about → clearly: clear evidence of guiltThey won by a clear majority.winit is clear whether/why/how etcIt’s not clear whether he shares her views.shareviewit is clear (that)It’s clear that the drug does benefit some patients.dopatientWhen it became clear that I was pregnant, he left me.becomebeleaveclear case/example of somethinga clear case of sexual discrimination3CERTAINsure about somethingCLEAR/EASY TO UNDERSTAND feeling certain that you know or understand something → clearlyclear about/onAre you all clear now about what you have to do?beclear whether/what/how etcI’m still not really clear how this machine works.workLet me get this clear – you hadn’t seen her in three days?seedaya clearer understanding of the issuesclearunderstandissue4thinkingTHINK ABOUT able to think sensibly and quickly → clarity, clearly: She felt that her thinking was clearer now.feelthinkbeclearIn the morning, with a clear head, she’d tackle the problem.5substance/liquid easy to see through, rather than coloured or dirty SYN transparent OPP cloudy, opaque: clear glass bottlesbottlea crystal clear mountain lake6weatherSEE clean and fresh, without clouds or mist: a clear June morningThe skies were clear and blue.skybe7eyesHEALTHY healthy, very pure in colour, and without any redness: clear blue eyeseye8skinHEALTHY smooth and without any red spots: a clear complexion9easy to seeCLEAR/EASY TO SEE having details, edges, lines etc that are easy to see, or shapes that are easy to recognize → clarity: a TV with a clear picture and high-quality sound10easy to hearHEAR easy to hear, and therefore easy to understand → clarity, clearly: a clear speaking voicespeakThe radio reception isn’t very clear.It’s a good recording; the sound is as clear as a bell (=very clear).recordbe11after taxEARN a clear amount of profit, wages etc is what is left after taxes have been paid on it SYN net: I get £200 a week clear.Sam makes a clear $90,000 per year.make12a clear conscienceGUILTY/FEEL GUILTY the knowledge that you have done the right thing and should not feel guilty: I don’t think I could vote for him with a clear conscience.canShe had done what she could and her conscience was clear.havedocanbe13period of timeBUSY/HAVE A LOT TO DO without any planned activities or events: Next Monday is clear; how about ten o'clock?be14not busyCOMPLETE complete or whole: Allow three clear days for delivery.day15not blocked/coveredSEE not covered or blocked by anything that stops you from doing or seeing what you want: The roads were fairly clear this morning.roadbeclear view/lookFrom the top floor you get a clear view of the bay.clear ofTo prevent fires, the sides of the roads are kept clear of underbrush.firesideroadbekeep16see your way clear (to doing something) informalWILLING to have the necessary time or willingness to be able to do something: We expect good results soon, if the board can see its way clear to continuing funding the project.resultcontinuefund17be clear of somethingTOUCH to not be touching something, or to be past someone or something: Wait to cross until the street is clear of cars.becarThe curtains should be a couple of inches clear of the floor.curtainshallinch18as clear as mudCLEAR/EASY TO UNDERSTAND spoken used humorously to say that something is very difficult to understand → all clear, → the coast is clear at coast1(2)—clearnessclearnessesclearness noun [uncountable]COLLOCATIONSverbsmake something clear Children may have difficulty in making their feelings clear.childmakefeelingget something clear (=understand something properly) I was trying to get the idea clear in my mind.betryadverbsabsolutely/perfectly clear His answer was perfectly clear.becrystal clear (=extremely clear) The instructions on the packet are crystal clear.instructionbeabundantly clear formal (=extremely clear) By July the scale of the problem had become abundantly clear.havenot entirely clear Sam’s reasons for leaving were not entirely clear.reasonleavebenounsa clear picture/idea (=a good understanding) Some work experience should give you a clear idea of what the job involves.shallinvolvephrasesmake it clear that The tone of her voice made it clear that she was very angry.makebemake yourself clear (=express yourself in a way that is easy to understand) Please tell me if I’m not making myself clear.makebe far from clear/be by no means clear (=be very unclear) The directions she gave me were far from clear.directiongivebeTHESAURUSMeaning 5easy to see throughclear easy to see through, rather than coloured or dirty: The table top is a piece of clear glass.be | a clear liquid | The water was so clear that you could see down to the bottom of the lake.becantransparent clear - used especially about materials and solid things. Transparent is a little more formal than clear: Fill a transparent plastic bottle with water. | a piece of transparent film | Melt 2 ounces of butter in a large frying pan, and cook the onions until they are almost transparent.ouncefryonionbesee-through made of a very thin material that you can see through - used especially about women’s clothes: She wore a black see-through dress.wearlimpid literary clear - used especially about water or other liquids . This is a very formal word which is used in novels and literature: limpid poolspool | She gave her a golden flask of limpid olive oil.givedifficult to see throughopaque difficult to see through: The shower has an opaque glass door.have
clearverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesclearclearsclearedclearingclearclear2 S1 W2 verb
Word familyVerb form1surface/place [transitive]TIDY to make somewhere emptier or tidier by removing things from it: Snowplows have been out clearing the roads.snowplowbeclearroadclear something of somethingLarge areas of land had been cleared of forest.areahavebeclearclear something from somethingWorkers began clearing wreckage from the tracks.workerbegincleartrackDad cleared a space (=moved things so there was room) in the garage for Jim’s tools.cleartoolIt’s Kelly’s turn to clear the table (=remove the dirty plates, forks etc).2remove people [transitive]REMOVE to make people, cars etc leave a place: Within minutes, police had cleared the area.minutehaveclearclear somebody/something from somethingCrowds of demonstrators were cleared from the streets.crowddemonstratorbeclearstreet3crime/blame etc [transitive usually passive]INNOCENT/NOT GUILTY to prove that someone is not guilty of something: Rawlings was cleared after new evidence was produced.beclearbeproduceclear somebody of (doing) somethingMaya was cleared of manslaughter.becleara long-running legal battle to clear his namerun4permission [transitive] a)LET/ALLOWto give or get official permission for something to be done: He was cleared by doctors to resume skating in August.becleardoctorskateclear something with somebodyDefence policies must often be cleared with NATO allies first.policyclearally b)LET/ALLOWto give official permission for a person, ship, or aircraft to enter or leave a country: The plane took off as soon as it was cleared.takebeclear5clear your throat to cough in order to be able to speak with a clear voice6weather [intransitive] (also clear up) if the weather, sky, mist etc clears, it becomes better and there is more sun: The haze usually clears by lunchtime.clear7liquid [intransitive]SEE if a liquid clears, it becomes more transparent and you can see through it: Wait for the water to clear before adding any fish.add8cheque [intransitive and transitive] if a cheque clears, or if a bank clears it, the bank allows the money to be paid into the account of the person whose name is on the cheque9go over/pastJUMP [transitive] to go over a fence, wall etc without touching it, or to go past or through something and no longer be in it: The plane barely cleared the fence at the end of the runway.clearEdwards cleared 18 feet in the pole vault.clearfootThe plane cleared Chinese airspace.clear10clear a debt/loanPAY FOR to get rid of a debt by paying what you owe11clear your head/mindWORRIED to stop worrying or thinking about something, or get rid of the effects of drinking too much alcohol: A good walk might clear my head.12face/expression [intransitive] literaryWORRIED if your face or expression clears, you stop looking worried or angry: She looked embarrassed, but then her face cleared.lookembarrassclear13clear the way for something writtenPREPARE to make it possible for a process to happen: This agreement will clear the way for further talks.fartalk14skinHEALTHY [intransitive] (also clear up) if your skin clears, red marks on it disappear: The rash has finally cleared.haveclear15clear the airARGUE to do something to end an argument or bad situation, for example discuss a problem calmly16clear (something through) customsLET/ALLOW to be allowed to take things through customs17clear the decksWORK HARD to do all the work that needs to be done before you can do other things: I’m trying to clear the decks before Christmas.trydeck18earn [transitive] informalEARN to earn a particular amount of money after taxes have been paid on it: Diane clears £20,000 a year.clearclear something ↔ away phrasal verb TIDYto make a place look tidier by removing things or putting things back where they belong: When dinner was done and cleared away, Auntie Lou made some tea.bedoclearmakeHomeowners are clearing away brush near their houses to prevent fires.homeownerbeclearhousefireclear off phrasal verb British English informal LEAVE A PLACEto leave a place quickly: They cleared off when they saw the police coming.clearseecomeclear off! (=used to tell someone angrily to go away)clear out phrasal verb1TIDYclear something ↔ out to make a place tidy by removing things from it and getting rid of them: I need to clear out my closet.2LEAVE A PLACEto leave a place or building quickly: Wait to get on the train until the people getting off have cleared out.getclearclear out! British English (=used to tell someone angrily to go away) → clear-outclear up phrasal verb1TIDYto make a place look tidier by putting things back where they belong: I don’t mind you using the kitchen as long as you clear up afterwards.useclear something ↔ upAdam, clear up this mess before your father sees it.seeclear up afterI get really tired of clearing up after you (=tidying places that you have made untidy).tireclear2clear something ↔ upSOLVE/FIND THE ANSWER to explain or solve something, or make it easier to understand: The White House hopes these problems can be cleared up soon.hopeproblemclearThere are a couple of points we need to clear up before the meeting begins.bepointmeetbegin3IMPROVEif the weather clears up, it gets better4RECOVER/GET BETTERif an illness or infection clears up, it disappears
clearadverbCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesclearclearclear3 adverbWord family1ESCAPEaway from something, or out of the way: Firefighters pulled her clear of the wreckage.firefighterpullPlease stand clear of the doors.door2keep/stay/steer clear (of somebody/something)AVOID to avoid someone or something because of possible danger or trouble: If you’re a beginner, steer clear of resorts with reputations for difficult skiing.resortreputationski3especially American English informalSEE used to emphasize a long distance: You can see clear to the hills.hill → loud and clear at loud2(2)
clearnounCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesclearclearsclearclear4 noun in the clear not guilty of something
verb
Verb form1use together [intransitive and transitive]SHARE to have or use something with other people: We don’t have enough books, so you’ll have to share.bookThe three of us shared a taxi.shareshare something with somebodyI have an office that I share with some other teachers.teacher2let somebody use something [transitive]SHARE to let someone have or use something that belongs to you: As a kid, he’d never share his toys.toyshare something with somebodyWill you share your fries with me?fry3divide [transitive] (also share out)SHARE to divide something between two or more peopleshare something between/among somebodyThey shared the cake between them.shareOn his death, his property was shared out between his children.besharechild4responsibility/blame [transitive] to have equal responsibility for doing something, paying for something etc: We share the responsibility for the children.childI own the house, but we share the bills.billWe all share some of the blame for the accident.5same [transitive]BOTH to have the same opinion, quality, or experience as someone elseshare sb’s view/concern/belief etcOther parents share her belief in the importance of reading.parentreadI believe my view is widely shared.beshareshare something with somebodyStubbornness was a characteristic he shared with his mother.beshare6tell somebody something [intransitive and transitive]TELL A SECRET to tell other people about an idea, secret, problem etc: Students were able to share their experiences.studentbeexperienceshare something with somebodyWould you like to share your feelings with the group?willfeeling7share your life with somebody if you share your life with someone, you spend your life together with them as their husband, wife etc: I’m not ready to share my life with anyone.8share and share alike spokenSHARE used to say that you should share things fairly and equally between everyoneCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 5nounsshare a belief/opinion It was clear that the police did not share her opinion.bedoshare a view He shared my view of what had been going on.sharehavebegoshare a feeling I know that many people do not share my feelings.feelingshare sb’s values (=have the same ideas about what is right and wrong) The only way to change things is to elect politicians who share our values.thingbepoliticianvalueshare sb’s concern/enthusiasm etc (=feel the same concern, enthusiasm etc as someone else) I share the concern of parents about the content of some of these computer games.parentgameadverbsbe widely shared (=shared by a lot of people) This view is now widely shared.beshareTHESAURUSto give something to a group of peoplehand something out/give something out to give something to each of the people in a group: The teacher handed out the test papers.handpaper | I’m going to give out some forms for you to fill in.goformdistribute to give things to a large number of people, especially in the streets: Anti-war protesters were distributing leaflets.protesterbedistributeleafletshare (also share something out British English) to divide something into equal parts and give a part to each person: They shared the profits among the staff.shareprofitshare in something phrasal verb if you share in someone’s success, happiness etc, you have it or enjoy it with them: His daughters did not share in his happiness.daughterdo
sharenounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplessharesharesshareshare2 S1 W1 noun
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: scearu ‘cutting, division’ 1in a company [countable] one of the equal parts into which the ownership of a company is dividedshare in
We’ve got shares in Allied Chemicals.getshareallychemical → stock1(2)2part of something [singular]PART the part of something that you own or are responsible forshare of/inI gave them my share of the bill and left.giveleavea share in the profitsprofitI do my share (=do my part) of the housework.3your (fair) share a)SHAREif you have had your share of something, for example problems, success, or adventure, a lot of it has happened to you: You’ve sure had your share of problems, haven’t you?haveproblemHe’d had more than his fair share of adventure.have b)SHAREyour share of something is the amount that you deserve to have: Don’t worry – you’ll get your fair share.4share in somethingSHARE your part in an activity, event etc: Employees are always given a share in decision-making.employeebegivemake5house/flat share British EnglishLIVE WITH SB when people live together in the same house or flat and pay the rent together—sharingsharingssharing noun [uncountable] → the lion’s share at lion(2), → timeshareCOLLOCATIONSverbshave/hold/own shares A lot of the employees own shares in the company.employeesharebuy/invest in shares I bought some shares in British Gas five years ago.buyshareyearsell shares This isn’t a good time to sell shares.sharetrade in/deal in shares (=buy and sell shares as a business) They make their money by trading in stocks and shares.tradestockshareshares rise/go up (=their value increases) The company’s shares rose 5.5p to 103p.shareriseshares fall/go down (=their value decreases) Shares fell sharply on the London Stock Market yesterday.sharefallshare + NOUNshare price The company’s share price has continued to go down.havecontinueshare ownership The government tried to encourage wider share ownership.trywideshare dealing (=buying and selling shares as a business) He was convicted of illegal share dealing.beconvictdeal
verb (past tense and past participle tried, present participle trying, third person singular tries)
Word familyDate: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: trier ‘to pick out, sift’, probably from Late Latin tritare ‘to rub to pieces’, from Latin terere ‘to rub’ Verb form1attempt [intransitive and transitive]TRY TO DO OR GET STH to take action in order to do something that you may not be able to do:
Let’s have a rest and then we’ll try again.try to do somethingHe tried to control his voice.tryShe was trying not to cry.betrytry and do somethingTry and take some form of daily exercise.try hard/desperately (to do something) (=make a lot of effort to do something)She dabbed at her face and tried hard not to sniff.dabtryI tried everything to lose weight with no success.trytry your best/hardest (to do something) (=make as much effort as possible to do something)I tried my best to comfort her.trywellI tried and tried (=kept making an effort) and eventually I was offered a job.trytrybeofferTry as he might (=as hard as he could), he could not get the incident out of his mind.canit wasn’t for lack/want of trying (=used to say that if someone does not achieve something it is not because they have not tried)They didn’t get any goals, but it wasn’t for the lack of trying.goaltryyou couldn’t do something if you tried (=used to say that someone does not have the skill or ability to do something)She couldn’t speak French if she tried.try2test/use [transitive]TRY STH TO SEE IF IT IS GOOD to do or use something for a short while to discover if it is suitable, successful, enjoyable etc: It works really well – you should try it.workshalltry doing somethingThey decided they would try living in America for a while.decidewillliveTry logging off and logging on again.loglogtry something new/different (=do or use something that is different from what you usually do or use)If I'm going out for a meal, I prefer to try something different.gotry something on somebody/somethingWe tried the machine on hardwood and soft wood.trytry somebody on somethingPetra’s trying the baby on solid foods.tryfoodtry something for size (=put on a piece of clothing or test something to find out if it is the correct size or suitable)Always try a sleeping bag for size before you buy it.sleepGrammarIf you try to do something, you attempt to succeed in doing it: We must try to prevent this happening.happenIf you try doing something, you do it in order to find out if it is enjoyable or produces the result you want: Try using margarine instead of butter.use3food/drink [transitive]TASTE OF FOOD OR DRINK to taste food or drink to find out if you like it SYN taste: Would you like to try some crisps?willcrisp4try to find somebody/something [intransitive and transitive]LOOK FOR to go to a place or person, or call them, in order to find something or someone: Sorry, he’s not in. Would you like to try again later?willlateLet’s try Mouncy Street. He could be there.can5door/window [transitive]OPEN to attempt to open a door, window etc in order to see if it is locked: She tried the door and it opened.tryopenHe tried the handle but the door was locked.trybelock6law [transitive usually passive]JUDGE to examine and judge a legal case, or someone who is thought to be guilty of a crime in a court → trialbe tried for somethingHe was tried for attempting to murder his wife.betryattemptThe defence argued that a regional court was not competent to try their case.arguebe7try sb’s patienceFEEL HAPPY/FRIGHTENED/BORED ETC to make someone feel impatient → trying: The programs take too long to load and try the patience of young pupils.programpupil8try your hand at somethingTRY STH TO SEE IF IT IS GOOD to try a new activity in order to see whether it interests you or whether you are good at it: I tried my hand at water-skiing for the first time.tryski9try your luckTRY STH TO SEE IF IT IS GOOD to try to achieve something or get something you want, usually by taking a risk: After the war my father went to Canada to try his luck at farming.gofarm10BEHAVEtry it on (with somebody) British English spoken a)to behave badly in order to find out how bad you can be before people become angry: She is naughty, that one. She tries it on with me sometimes!betry b)to attempt to start a sexual relationship with someone: When I came back in, one of the men was trying it on with my wife!comemanbetryCOLLOCATIONSadverbshard She was trying hard not to show her impatience.betrydesperately They try desperately to please other people.unsuccessfully/in vain He has tried unsuccessfully to quit smoking.havetrysmoketry your best/hardest (=make as much effort as possible) Try your best to block out other distractions.welldistractionTHESAURUStry to take action in order to do something that you may not be able to do: I tried to explain what was wrong.trybe | He tries hard in class, but he’s finding the work difficult.tryfindattempt to try to do something, especially something difficult. Attempt is more formal than try and is used especially in written English: Any prisoner who attempts to escape will be shot.attemptshoot | He was attempting to climb one of the world’s highest mountains.beattempthighmountaindo your best to try as hard as you can to do something: We will do our best to help them.wellmake an effort to do something to try to do something, when you find this difficult: It is worth making an effort to master these skills.bemakeskill | She made a big effort to be nice to him.makestruggle to try very hard to do something that is very difficult, especially for a long time: She’s still struggling to give up smoking.strugglesmoke | Many of these families are struggling to survive.familybestrugglestrive formal to try very hard to achieve something: The company must constantly strive for greater efficiency.greatendeavour British English, endeavor American English /ɪnˈdevə $ -ər/ formal to try hard to do something: Each employee shall endeavour to provide customers with the best service possible.customerwellhave a go/try informal to try to do something, especially when you are not sure that you will succeed: I’m not very good at fixing taps, but I’ll have a go.fixtap | Do you want to have another try?see if you can do something spoken to try to do something – used when offering to do something, or suggesting that someone should do something: I’ll see if I can get you a ticket. | See if you can persuade her to come.try for something phrasal verb British English TRY TO DO OR GET STHto try and get something you really want, such as a job, a prize, or a chance to study somewhere: I decided I must try for some paid work.decidepayWe have been trying for a baby (=trying to have a baby) for nine years.betryyeartry something ↔ on phrasal verb PUT ON CLOTHESto put on a piece of clothing to see if it fits you or if it suits you, especially in a shop: Meg was trying on some red sandals.betrysandaltry something ↔ out phrasal verb1TEST/EXPERIMENTto test something such as a method or a piece of equipment to see if it is effective or works properly → try-out: I’m trying out a new computer.try2TEST/EXPERIMENTto practise a skill in order to improve ittry something ↔ out onShe enjoyed trying her French out on Jean-Pierre.enjoytrytry out for something phrasal verb American English TRY TO DO OR GET STHto try to be chosen as a member of a team, for a part in a play etc SYN audition for → tryout: In high school, I tried out for all the female leads.trylead
trynounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Word sets 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplestrytriestrytry2 S3 noun (plural tries) [countable]Word family1TRY TO DO OR GET STHan attempt to do something: She didn’t manage to break the record, but it was a good try.be‘You really think you can do that?’ ‘I’m going to have a try.’go‘What are the chances for getting tickets now?’ ‘I guess I could give it a try.’bechancegetticketcanIt might sound a ludicrous excuse but he thought it was worth a try.thinkbeon the first/second etc tryOnly half the students passed the test on their first try.studentpass2TRY TO DO OR GET STHa test of something to see if it is suitable or successful or to find out if you like it: I decided to give modelling a try.decidemodelWines from Apulia’s ancient vineyards are well worth a try.winevineyardbe3four points won by putting the ball on the ground behind the opponents’goal line in rugbyCOLLOCATIONSverbshave a try I decided to have one last try.decidegive it a try informal If your instinct is telling you to give it a try, then go ahead.betellbe worth a try (=be worth trying to do because you may succeed) It’s worth a try – we’ve nothing to lose.adjectivesa good try ‘Do you really think you can win?’ ‘I’m going to have a darn good try.’goa nice try (=a good try that is not successful) Nice try, Claudia, but not good enough, I’m afraid.sb’s first/second try This is his first try at directing.bedirect
noun [countable]
Sense 1-2,4,7:Date: 1500-1600
Language: French
Origin: Latin paginaSense 3,5-6:
Date: 1200-1300
Language: Old French
Origin: Old Italian paggio 1paper one side of a piece of paper in a book, newspaper, document etc, or the sheet of paper itself:
The full address is given on page 15.begiveYou will find the answers over the page.answera 400-page novelWe took out a full page advertisement in the ‘Village Voice’.take2computer all the writing etc that you can see at one time on a computer screen: a web page (=a single screen of writing, pictures etc on a website)3young person American English a student or young person who works as a helper to a member of the US Congress4on the same page if a group of people are on the same page, they are working well together and have the same aims: We need to get environmentalists and businesses on the same page to improve things.environmentalistbusinessthing5boy a)a boy who served a knight during the Middle Ages as part of his training b)a pageboy(2)6servantCLASS IN SOCIETY a boy who in the past served a person of high rank7a page in historyIMPORTANT an important event or period of timeCOLLOCATIONSadjectivesthe next/previous page I glanced back to the previous page.glance | What’s on the next page?the opposite/facing page See the diagram on the opposite page.the left-hand/right-hand page The answers are on the right-hand page.answerbethe front/back page (=of a newspaper) Her picture was on the front page of every newspaper.bethe sports/arts/financial etc pages (=the part of a newspaper that deals with sport, art etc) He only ever reads the sports pages.readsportpagea blank page (=with nothing on it) There were a couple of blank pages at the back of the book.bepagea new/fresh page (=which has not yet been written on) Start each section of your essay on a new page.a full page The article went on for a full page.goverbsturn a page I turned the page in order to find out what happened next.turnhappenturn to/see page 22/45 etc Turn to page 8 for more details.detailflick/flip/leaf through the pages of something (=turn them quickly) She was flicking through the pages of a magazine.beflickpagejump/leap off the page (=be very noticeable) One mistake jumped off the page.jumpphrasesthe top of the page Write your name at the top of the page.the bottom/foot of the page See the note at the bottom of page 38.
pageverbCollocations from other entriesWord sets 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplespagepagespagedpagingpagepage2 verb [transitive]Verb form1to call someone’s name out in a public place, especially using a loudspeaker, in order to find them: She hurried to the reception desk and asked the girl to page her husband.hurryask2to send a message to someone’s pager asking them to go somewhere or telephone someone: He was constantly being paged during meetings.bebepagemeetingthe paging networkpagepage down phrasal verb to press a special key on a computer that makes the screen show the page after the one you are reading OPP page up: It’s not there, so page down and see if you can find it.page through something phrasal verb American English to look at a book, magazine etc by turning the pages quicklypage up phrasal verb to press a special key on a computer that makes the screen show the page before the one you are reading OPP page down
noun (plural parties) [countable]
Date: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: partie ‘part, party’, from partir ‘to divide’ 1for fun a social event when a lot of people meet together to enjoy themselves by eating, drinking, dancing etc:
We’re having a small party this evening to celebrate our wedding anniversary.haveeventhrow/give a partyThe university threw a party to welcome them.throwgo/come to a partyAre you going to the party tonight?begoat a partyI met John at a party a couple of months ago.meetmonththe party spirit (=the way someone feels when they are really enjoying a party) → hen party, house party, stag party, party animal2in politics [also + plural verb British English] a political organization with particular beliefs and aims, which you can vote for in elections: I have always voted for the Labour Party.voteHe failed to win the party’s nomination for President.failThe conference is open to all party members.bemember → party line3group of peopleGROUP OF PEOPLE [also + plural verb British English] a group of people who go somewhere together or do a job togetherparty ofa party of touriststouristThere were several students in our party.bestudentA search party was sent out to look for the missing climbers.besendmissclimbera rescue partyAdmission is free for school parties.beparty → working party4in an argument/lawGROUP OF PEOPLE law or formal one of the people or groups who are involved in a legal argument or agreement: helping the two parties to reach an agreementhelppartyguilty/innocent partyHe sees himself as the innocent party in this dispute.see → third party15be (a) party to something formalTAKE PART/BE INVOLVED to be involved in an activity or decision: I was not a party to this discussion.beCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1verbshave a party We’re having a party on Saturday night.havehold a party The party was held at his flat.beholdthrow/give a party (=organize it) Staff threw a party to celebrate the news.throwhost a party (=give a large or formal party) The party was hosted by the Danish ambassador.behostgo to/come to a party (also attend a party formal) Are you going to Tom’s party?bego | About 500 people will attend a party in her honour.invite somebody to a party I’ve been invited to Greg’s party next weekend.beinvitegatecrash a party (=go to it even though you have not been invited) Some older boys tried to gatecrash the party.oldboytrya party is in full swing (=people at a party are having a good time talking, dancing etc) At 3 am, the party was still in full swing.bebethere is a party going on Somewhere near the hotel there was a party going on.begoa party breaks up (=it ends and people go home) The party broke up a little after midnight.breakADJECTIVES/NOUN + partya birthday party They met at her sister’s 18th birthday party.meeta Christmas/Halloween etc party I hope you’re going to the office Christmas party.goa big/small party I don’t really like going to big parties.gopartya dinner party (=one where people are invited to someone’s house for an evening meal) It’s a favorite topic of conversation at fashionable dinner parties these days.partydaya cocktail party (=a fairly formal party, at which alcoholic drinks are served) I first met him at a cocktail party at the American embassy.meeta fancy dress party British English, a costume party American English (=one where people wear unusual clothes, for example so they look like someone from a story) She went to the fancy dress party as Snow White.goan office party I danced with my boss at the office party.dancea surprise party Amy has planned a surprise party for his birthday.haveplana farewell/leaving party You didn’t come to Ken’s farewell party, did you?doa street party (=one held outside in a street) Thousands flocked to the street party on Princess Street to celebrate New Year.flocka lavish party (=one where a lot of money has been spent) He threw lavish parties for his celebrity friends.throwpartyfriendparty + NOUNthe party spirit (=the way people feel when they are really enjoying a party) There’ll be plenty of free champagne to get the party spirit going.gobe in a party mood (=want to enjoy yourself at a party) Kate wasn’t really in a party mood, so she stayed home.stayparty games The children had great fun playing party games.childhaveplaygamea party dress The little girls were wearing white party dresses.girlbeweardressCOMMON ERRORS ► Do not say 'make a party' or 'do a party'. Say have a party.COLLOCATIONSMeaning 2ADJECTIVES/NOUN + partya political party The Labour Party and the Conservative Party are the two main political parties in Britain.bepartythe Labour/Democratic etc Party The leadership race within the Republican Party is almost over.bean opposition party (=a party that is not in power) The tax increase was criticized by opposition parties.becriticizepartythe ruling party (=the party in power) The ruling party’s level of support grew throughout the year.rulegrowa right-wing/left-wing party Support for the right-wing parties was strongest among young working-class men.partybestrongworkmanparty + NOUNa party member He’s been a Conservative party member for 20 years.beyearthe party leader He met with opposition party leaders.meetleadera party candidate (=someone who represents a political party in an election) The seat was won by the Socialist Party candidate with 68% of the vote.bewinthe party faithful (=strong supporters of a party) His policies appeal to the party faithful.policya party activist (=someone who works hard for a party) Campaign literature is distributed by unpaid party activists.bedistributeactivistparty policy (=a political party’s official plan or position on important subjects) There has been a change in party policy.havebea party conference He will give a speech at the Tory party conference this morning.the party chairman British English He resigned as Conservative party chairman.resigna party official The incident has angered senior party officials.haveangerofficialverbsa party wins/loses an election Do you think the Labour Party can win the next election?join a party Bloomfield joined the Communist Party in 1946.joinform/found a party The two politicians broke away from the PDF to form a new political party.politicianbreakphrasesa party is in power From 1945 until 1951 the Labour Party was in power in Britain.bea party comes to power (=begins to be the government) The ruling party came to power in May 2001.rulecomeTHESAURUSparty a social event when a lot of people meet together to enjoy themselves by eating, drinking, dancing etc: We’re having a party for Sarah’s 40th birthday.have | I met my boyfriend at a party.meetget-together an informal party: Christmas is the perfect time for a family get-together.beball a large formal party where people dance: the end of term ballrave a large party which is held outside or in an empty building, where people dance to music and take illegal drugsreception a large formal party, especially one after a wedding or to welcome an important person: The wedding reception is at a nearby hotel.be | a reception for the Thai Foreign Minister | They attended a White House reception to mark the Queen’s visit.attendfunction a large formal or official party: He has been asked to play at many corporate functions (=an official party held by a company).havebeaskfunctioncelebration a party or special event that is organized in order to celebrate something: the country’s 50th anniversary celebrationscelebration | It was a 21st birthday celebration which Mary would never forget.bewillbash informal a party, especially a big one that a lot of famous people go to – used especially in journalism: the star’s birthday bash | a picture of him at a Hollywood bash | a showbiz bashdo British English informal a party: We’re having a do to celebrate Margaret’s birthday.havedinner party a party where people are invited to someone’s house for an evening meal: I met him at a dinner party.meethouse-warming (party) a party that you have when you move into a new house: We’re having a house-warming next week.havewarmcocktail party (also drinks party British English) a party that people go to in order to talk and have a drink together for a few hoursfancy-dress party British English, costume party American English a party where people dress in special clothes, for example to look like a famous person or a character in a storyhen party especially British English a social event just before a wedding, for a woman who is getting married and her female friendsstag night British English, bachelor party American English a social event just before a wedding, for a man who is getting married and his male friendsbaby/wedding shower American English an event at which people give presents to a woman who is going to have a baby or get married
partyverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5Word sets 1Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplespartypartiespartiedpartyingpartyparty2 verb (past tense and past participle partied, present participle partying, third person singular parties) [intransitive]Verb form informal to enjoy yourself with a group of other people by drinking alcohol, eating, dancing etc: Let’s party!
noun [countable]
Word familyDate: 900-1000Language: Old French
Origin: ‘open space’, from Latin platea ‘broad street’, from Greek plateia (hodos), from platys ‘broad, flat’ 1area/space/building etc a space or area, for example a particular point on a surface or in a room, building, town, city etc:
Make sure you keep the key in a safe place.I’ve spent the day dashing about from place to place.spenddashThe place was full of screaming children.bescreamchildHe was threatening to burn the place down.bethreatenShe had never been back to the place where the accident happened.havebehappenThe theatre bar was our usual meeting place.bemeetWe were living then in a place called Alberiga.belivecallThe wall was quite damp in places (=in some places).beplaceplace forThis is a great place for a holiday.bea place to do somethingI couldn’t find a place to park.Did the accident happen at your place of work (=the place where you work)?doThe Great Mosque has been a place of worship for Muslims for centuries.havebecentury2home informalHOME a house or apartment where someone lives: They’ve got quite a big place on the outskirts of Leeds.getsb’s placeDo you want to come back to my place for coffee?It took us ages to find a place to live.takeageHe’s staying with us until he can find a place of his own.stay3take placeHAPPEN to happen, especially after being planned or arranged: The next meeting will take place on Thursday.meetTalks between the two sides are still taking place.talksidebetakeMajor changes are taking place in society.changebetake4space to sit or put something a space where someone can sit, or a space where you can put something: I might arrive a bit late, so could you save me a place?bitecanThere are still a few places left on the coach.beplaceleaveMake sure you put everything back in its proper place.place forCan you find a good place for this vase?5point in book/speech a point that you have reached in a book or a speech: This would be a good place to stop and answer any questions that people have.willquestionI used a bookmark so that I wouldn’t lose my place (=forget the point that I had reached).use6opportunity to do something if someone has a place somewhere, they have the opportunity to go there or join in an activityplace inIf you don’t come to training you might lose your place in the team.trainWe’ve been trying to find her a place in a residential home.betryplace onHe was offered a place on the management committee.beofferThere are still a couple of places left on the course.beplaceleaveplace atI’ve been offered a place at York University.beoffer7role/position the role or important position that someone or something has in a situation or in societysb’s placethe old idea that a woman’s place is in the homebeplace inHe finally reached the summit of Everest and secured his place in history.reachsecureWorking has a very important place in all our lives.workhavelive8in placePLACE a)in the correct position: The chairs for the concert were nearly all in place.chairbeThe glass was held in place by a few pieces of sellotape.beholdpiece b)existing and ready to be used: Funding arrangements are already in place.fundarrangementbe9in place of somebody/something (also in sb’s/sth’s place)INSTEAD instead of someone or something else: In place of our advertised programme, we will have live coverage of the special memorial service.advertiseThe company flag had been taken down and in its place hung the Union Jack.havebetakehangIf I refused to go, they would send someone else in my place.refusewill10take the place of somebody/something (also take sb’s/sth’s place)INSTEAD to exist or be used instead of someone or something else SYN replace: Natural methods of pest control are now taking the place of chemicals.methodbetakechemicalI had to find someone to take Jenny’s place.have11in sb’s place used to talk about what you would do if you were in someone else’s situation: What would you do in my place?willTry to put yourself in my place and think how you would feel.will12be no place for somebodyWRONG/UNSUITABLE to be a completely unsuitable place for someone: This is no place for a child.be13first/second/third etc placeFIRST first, second etc position in a race or competition: He took second place in the long jump.takein first/second etc placeI finished in third place.finish14in the first place a)FIRSTused to introduce a series of points in an argument, discussion etc: In the first place, I’m too busy, and in the second I don’t really want to go. b)BEGINNINGused to talk about what someone did or should have done at the start of a situation: I wish I’d never got involved in the first place!getinvolve15take second place (to somebody/something)IMPORTANT to be less important than someone or something else: She wasn’t prepared to take second place in his life.prepare16take your places used to tell people to go to the correct place or position that they need to be in for an activity: If you would like to take your places, the food will be served shortly.willplaceserve17all over the place informal a)EVERYWHEREeverywhere: There was blood all over the place.be b)UNTIDYin a very untidy state: She came in with her hair all over the place.come18put somebody in their placeREJECT/NOT ACCEPT to show someone that they are not as clever or important as they think they are: I soon put him in his place.19out of place a)WRONG/UNSUITABLEnot suitable for a particular situation or occasion: He never seemed to feel out of place at social functions.seemfunctionThe paintings looked strangely out of place.paintinglook b)PLACEnot in the correct or usual position: The kitchen was spotlessly clean, with nothing out of place.be20RESPONSIBLEit is not sb’s place (to do something) if it is not your place to do something, you do not have the duty or right to do it: It’s not your place to criticize me!21have no place formalREJECT/NOT ACCEPT to be completely unacceptablehave no place inCapital punishment has no place in a modern society.have22fall into place a)REALIZEif things fall into place in your mind, you suddenly realize and understand what is really happening: Things were beginning to fall into place in my mind.thingbebeginEverything suddenly fell into place.fall b)START TO HAPPEN, EXIST ETCif plans or events fall into place, they start to happen in the way that you hoped they would: Eventually I got a job, and my life began to fall into place.getbegin23be going places informalSUCCESSFUL to start becoming successful in your life: William is a young man who is definitely going places.bebegoplace24be in a good/bad etc place American English informal to be in a good, bad etc situation → a/my/your etc happy place at happy(10), → have/take pride of place at pride1(6)COLLOCATIONSphrasesa meeting place The club was a meeting place for musicians.bemeetmusiciana hiding place He had watched the farm workers from his hiding place.havewatchworkerhida resting place (=a place where someone or something stays or is buried) This tomb is the last resting place of the Davison family.berestsb’s place of birth formal I need to know his date of birth, and his place of birth.sb’s place of work/employment formal Please give the address of your place of work.sb’s place of residence formal By law, you must inform us if you change your place of residence.sb’s/sth’s place of origin formal (=the place where someone or something first came from) I believe my mother's place of origin was Sierra Leone.bea place of safety His young son had been sent away to a place of safety.havebesenda place of refuge (=somewhere safe to go or hide) If ever you need a place of refuge, come to us.a place of worship The church is much more than a place of worship.bea place of pilgrimage (=one that people visit because it is special, usually for a religious reason) Her grave became a place of pilgrimage.becomeTHESAURUSplace a point or area, especially one that you visit or use for a particular purpose: He’s been to lots of places.belotplace | a good meeting placemeetposition the exact place where someone or something is, in relation to other things: She showed me the position of the village on the map.show | I changed the position of the mirror slightly.change | Jessica moved to a position where she could see the stage better.movecanwellpoint a particular place on a line or surface: At this point the path gets narrower.getnarrow | No cars are allowed beyond this point.carbeallowspot a place, especially a particular kind of place, or a place where something happens. Spot sounds rather informal: She chose a sunny spot.choose | The area is a favourite spot for windsurfers.be | This is the exact spot where I asked her to marry me.beasklocation a place where someone or something is, or where something happens. Location sounds more formal than place: your exact location | The prisoners were taken to an undisclosed location.prisonerbetake | an ideal location for a winter breaksite a place, especially one that will be used for a particular purpose, or where something important happened: the site of a great battle | There are plans to develop the site for housing.beplanhouse | The area has become a dumping site for nuclear waste.havedumpvenue a place where something such as a meeting, concert, game etc takes place: the venue for the next Olympic Gamesgame | The hotel is a popular wedding venue.bescene the place where something bad such as an accident or crime happened: the scene of the crime | Ambulance crews were at the scene within minutes.crewbeminutesetting the place and the area around it, where something is or where something happens: The hotel is in a beautiful setting.beset | the setting for the film ‘A Room With a View’set | Beautiful gardens provide the perfect setting for outdoor dining.gardensetdinesomewhere used for talking about a place when you are not sure exactly which place: She came from somewhere in London.comewhereabouts the place where someone or something is – used especially when you do not know this or do not want to tell people: The whereabouts of the painting is unknown.paintbe | He refused to disclose his whereabouts.refuse | I’m not sure about her whereabouts.
placeverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Word sets 1Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesplaceplacesplacedplacingplaceplace2 S2 W1 verb
Word familyVerb form1position [transitive always + adverb/preposition]PUT to put something somewhere, especially with care SYN put: She poured the doctor a cup of tea and placed it on the table.pourplaceHe carefully placed the folder back in his desk drawer.place2situation [transitive always + adverb/preposition]CAUSE to put someone or something in a particular situation SYN put: The government is being placed under pressure to give financial help to farmers.bebeplacefarmerChildren must not be placed at risk.childplaceSome areas of the city have been placed under curfew.areabeplaceThis places me in a very difficult position.place3in a job/home [transitive] formalJOB/WORK to find a suitable job or home for someone: Some unemployed people can be very difficult to place.He was later placed with a foster family.belateplace4arrange something [transitive] to arrange for something to be done: He placed an advertisement in the local paper.placeYou can place orders by telephone.orderI had no idea which horse I should place a bet on.haveshall5how good/important [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to say how good or important you think someone or something is: I would place health quite high on my list of priorities.willpriorityplace somebody/something above/before somebody/somethingSome museums seem to place profit above education.museum6place value/importance/emphasis etc on something to decide that something is important: Most people place too much value on money.The company places a lot of emphasis on training.placetrain7can’t place somebodyREMEMBER to recognize someone, but be unable to remember where you have met them before: I’ve seen her somewhere before, but I can’t quite place her.see8be well/ideally etc placedCAN a)to be in a good situation where you have the ability or opportunity to do somethingbe well/ideally placed to do somethingThe company is now well placed to compete in Europe.beplace b)British English to be in a good place or positionbe well/ideally etc placed forThe hotel is well placed for most of London’s theatres.beplacetheatre9races be placed first/second etc to be first, second etc in a race or competitionRegisterPlace is slightly formal in most of its meanings. In everyday English, people usually use put instead:She put the cup on the table.Innocent people were put at risk.beThey put an ad in the paper.THESAURUSput to move something to a particular place: I’ve put the wine in the fridge. | Where have you put my grey shirt?place to put something somewhere carefully: ‘It’s beautiful,’ he said, placing it back on the shelf.sayplacelay to put someone or something down carefully on a flat surface: He laid all the money on the table.lay | She laid the baby on his bed.layposition to carefully put something in a suitable position: Position the microphone to suit your height. | Troops were positioned around the city.troopbepositionslip to put something somewhere with a quick movement: He slipped his arm around her waist.slip | Carrie quickly slipped the money into her bag.slipshove to put something into a space or container quickly or carelessly: Shove anything you don’t want in that sack. | I’ve ironed those shirts so don’t just shove them in a drawer.ironshirtstick (also bung British English) informal to put something somewhere quickly or carelessly: I stuck the address in my pocket and I can’t find it now.stick | Could you bung those clothes in the washing machine?canclothewashdump to put something down somewhere in a careless and untidy way: Don’t just dump all your bags in the kitchen.bag | People shouldn’t dump rubbish at the side of the street.pop informal to quickly put something somewhere, usually for a short time: Pop it in the microwave for a minute.thrust literary to put something somewhere suddenly or forcefully: ‘Hide it,’ he said, thrusting the watch into her hand.saythrust
nounDate: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: Latin causa 1WHAT CAUSES STH[countable]CAUSE a person, event, or thing that makes something happen → effectcause of
Breast cancer is the leading cause of death for American women in their 40s.beleadwomanIt’s our job to establish the cause of the fire. ► Do not say ‘the cause for something’. Say the cause of something.2GOOD REASON[uncountable]REASON a fact that makes it right or reasonable for you to feel or behave in a particular way SYN reasoncause forThere is no cause for alarm.beThe patient’s condition is giving cause for concern.begiveThe present political climate gives little cause for optimism.givehave (good) cause to do somethingHis father has good cause to be proud of him.havewith/without good causeMany people are worried about the economy, and with good cause.beworry3STH YOU SUPPORT[countable] an aim, belief or organization that a group of people support or fight for: My father fought for the Nationalist cause.fightcause ofher lifelong devotion to the cause of women’s rightswomanrightHe has championed the cause of independence (=he has supported it publicly).havechampionYou can get fit, and at the same time raise money for a worthy cause.Please give generously – it’s all in a good cause (=done in order to help people).4have/make common cause (with/against somebody) formalUNITE to join with other people or groups in order to oppose an enemy: U.S. officials expect other Western governments to make common cause with them over the arrests.officialgovernmentarrest5LAW[countable] law a case that is brought to a court of law → lost cause at lost2(12)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 1adjectivesa common cause of something Alcohol is the most common cause of road accidents.beaccidentthe main/primary cause of something Smoking is the main cause of lung disease.smokebea major/leading cause of something In this country, debt is a major cause of homelessness.be | Drug abuse is the leading cause of crime and violence.beleada direct/indirect cause Government policies are the direct cause of the problems facing the economy.policybeproblemfacethe root cause (=the most basic cause) People often deal with the symptoms rather than the root cause of a problem.symptomthe fundamental/underlying cause (=the root cause) The underlying cause of insomnia is often anxiety.underliebethe probable/likely cause The probable cause of the fire was faulty wiring.bewireverbsdiscover/find the cause An investigation has failed to discover the cause of the epidemic.havefaildetermine/establish/identify the cause (=discover definitely what it is) A team of experts is at the scene of the accident, trying to determine the cause.expertbetryinvestigate the cause Police are still investigating the cause of the fire.beinvestigatephrasesthe cause of death A snake bite was the cause of death.bedie of/from natural causes (=die of illness, old age etc, not because of an accident or crime) He died from natural causes, believed to be a heart attack.diecausebelievecause and effect (=the idea that one thing directly causes another) What happened was simply a question of cause and effect.happenbeCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 3adjectivesa good cause (=one that is worth supporting, for example a charity) The money we are raising is for a good cause.beraisebea worthy/deserving cause (=a good cause) The Red Cross is a very worthy cause.bea just cause (=an aim that is fair and right) The rebels believed that they were fighting for a just cause.rebelbelievebefighta noble cause (=an aim that is morally good) He died for a noble cause.diethe Nationalist/Republican etc cause (=their aims and organization) The election results were a serious blow to the Nationalist cause.resultbeverbssupport a cause Giving money is only one way of supporting a good cause.givebesupportfight for a cause (=take action to achieve an aim) Young people often want to fight for a cause.champion a cause (=publicly support an aim) He has championed the cause of renewable energy since the 1980s.havechampionadvance/further/promote a cause (=help to achieve an aim) He did much to advance the cause of freedom.dobe committed to a cause (=believe in an aim very strongly) We are committed to the cause of racial justice.becommitbe sympathetic to a cause (=understand an aim, and possibly support it) They hope the new President will be sympathetic to their cause.
causeverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplescausecausescausedcausingcausecause2 S1 W1 verb [transitive]Verb form CAUSEto make something happen, especially something bad: Heavy traffic is causing delays on the freeway.becausedelayThe fire caused £15,000 worth of damage.causecause something for somebodyThe oil spill is causing problems for coastal fisheries.becauseproblemfisherycause concern/uncertainty/embarrassment etcThe policy changes have caused great uncertainty for the workforce.changecauseI’m sorry if I caused any confusion.causecause somebody trouble/problems etcYou’ve caused us all a lot of unnecessary worry.causeSorry, I didn’t mean to cause offence (=offend you).cause somebody/something to do somethingWhat caused you to change your mind?cause ► Do not say ‘cause that someone does something’. Say cause someone to do something.RegisterIn everyday English, people usually use the expression make somebody do something rather than cause somebody to do something:What made you change your mind?makeCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 1 nounscause a problem The heavy rain has been causing serious problems on the roads.havebecauseproblemroadcause trouble I decided not to complain because I didn’t want to cause trouble.decidecause damage A fire had broken out and caused severe damage to the roof.havebreakcausecause (a) disease Scientists are trying to find out what causes the disease.scientistbetrycausecause injury Rugby is one of the sports that are most likely to cause injury.besportbecause pain The infection can cause severe pain.cause death The famine caused the death of up to 400,000 people.causecause (a) delay Bad weather caused delays at many airports.causedelayairportcause an accident 75% of accidents are caused by speeding.accidentbecausespeedcause chaos/disruption Floods caused chaos across much of the country.floodcausecause concern/alarm Environmental issues are causing widespread concern.issuebecausecause confusion Teachers say the reforms will cause confusion in schools.teacherreformschoolcause offence/embarrassment (=offend/embarrass someone) How can I refuse the invitation without causing offence?causeTHESAURUScause to make something happen, especially something bad: Bad weather has caused a lot of problems on the roads.havecauseproblemroad | The fault caused the whole computer system to shut down.causemake somebody/something do something to cause someone to do something, or cause something to happen. Make is less formal than cause, and is the usual word to use in everyday English: What made you decide to become a teacher?make | I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry. | Gravity is the force which makes the planets move round the Sun.bemakeplanetbe responsible for something if someone or something is responsible for something bad, they caused it to happen: The excessive heat was responsible for their deaths.bedeath | A small militant group was responsible for the bombing.bebombbring about something to make something happen – used especially about changes or improvements: The Internet has brought about enormous changes in society.havebringchange | It’s important that we do everything we can to bring about peace.result in something if an action or event results in something, it makes that thing happen: The fire resulted in the deaths of two children.resultdeathchild | The decision is likely to result in a large number of job losses.benumblosslead to something to cause something to happen eventually after a period of time: The information led to several arrests.leadarrest | A poor diet in childhood can lead to health problems later in life.problemlatetrigger if one event triggers another, it suddenly makes the second event happen: The incident triggered a wave of violence.trigger | An earthquake off Java’s southern coast triggered a tsunami.triggerprecipitate formal to make a very serious event happen very suddenly, which will affect a lot of people: The withdrawal of foreign investment would precipitate an economic crisis.will | The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand precipitated World War I.precipitate
verb (past tense broke /brəʊk $ broʊk/, past participle broken /ˈbrəʊkən $ ˈbroʊ-/)
Word familyLanguage: Old EnglishOrigin: brecan Verb form1IN PIECESseparate into pieces a)[transitive]BREAK if you break something, you make it separate into two or more pieces, for example by hitting it, dropping it, or bending it:
I had to break a window to get into the house.haveDon’t lean on the fence like that – you’ll break it!break something in half/twoHe broke the biscuit in half and handed one piece to me.breakhandBreak the chocolate into small pieces and melt it over a gentle heat.piece b)[intransitive]BREAK if something breaks, it separates into two or more pieces: He kept pulling at the rope until it broke.keeppullbreakThe frames are made of plastic and they tend to break quite easily.framebemake2PART OF YOUR BODYbones [transitive]BREAK to damage a bone in your body by making it crack or split: She fell downstairs and broke her hip.fallbreak3NOT WORKINGmachines a)[transitive]BREAK to damage a machine so that it does not work properly: Don’t mess about with my camera – you’ll break it.Someone’s broken the TV.break b)[intransitive]BREAK if a machine breaks, it stops working properly: The washing machine’s broken again.washbreak4RULE/LAW ETCrules/laws [transitive]DISOBEY to disobey a rule or law: They’re breaking the law by employing such young children.breakemploychildIf you break the rules, you will be punished.rulepunishThe cameras catch motorists who break the speed limit.cameramotorist5PROMISE/AGREEMENTpromise/agreement [transitive]NOT DO STH to not do something that you have promised to do or signed an agreement to do: I never break my promises.promiseYou betrayed me. You broke your word.betraybreakbreak an agreement/contractHe was worried that he might be breaking his contract.beworrybreak6stop/rest [intransitive] to stop for a short time in order to have a rest or eat somethingbreak forShall we break for lunch now?7END A SITUATIONend something [transitive]CHANGE/MAKE STH DIFFERENT to stop something from continuing: We need to break the cycle of poverty and crime in the inner cities.cityWe took turns driving, in order to try and break the monotony.taketurndriveNew talks will begin on Monday in an effort to break the deadlock.talk8FAILdefeat somebody [transitive] to make someone feel that they have been completely defeated and they cannot continue working or living: Losing his business nearly broke him.losebreakI won’t give in. I won’t be broken by him.winwinbreak9destroy an organization [transitive] to damage an organization so badly that it no longer has any power: The government succeeded in breaking the unions.succeedbreakunion10DAY/DAWNday/dawn [intransitive]HAPPEN when the day or the dawn breaks, the sky gets light: Dawn was breaking by the time we arrived home.bebreakarrive11STORMstorm [intransitive]START TO HAPPEN, EXIST ETC if a storm breaks, it begins: We were keen to get back to the hotel before the storm broke.bebreak12WEATHERweather [intransitive]CHANGE/BECOME DIFFERENT if the weather breaks, it suddenly changes and becomes cold or wet: The following day the weather broke and we had ten days of solid rain.followbreakhaveday13WAVEwaves [intransitive]FALL when waves break, they fall onto the land at the edge of the water: We sat and watched the waves breaking on the shoresitwatchwavebreak14VOICEsb’s voice [intransitive]LOW SOUND OR VOICE a)when a boy’s voice breaks, it becomes lower and starts to sound like a man’s voice: He was fifteen, and his voice was just beginning to break.bebebegin b)if your voice breaks, it does not sound smooth because you are feeling strong emotions: Her voice broke as she told us what had happened.breaktellhavehappen15NEWSnews a)[intransitive]NEWS if news about an important event breaks, it becomes known: News of his resignation broke yesterday.breakThe minister has refused to give any interviews since the scandal broke.haverefuseinterviewbreak b)[transitive] if you break unpleasant news to someone, you tell it to them: I didn’t know how I was going to break the news to my mother.begoThe doctor finally broke it to me that there was no cure.breakbe16break a habitSTOP DOING STH to stop doing something that you do regularly, especially something that you should not do: a new drug which helps smokers to break their habithelpsmoker17break a recordBEST to do something even faster or even better than the previous best time, amount etc: an attempt to break the 10,000-metres world recordmetre18break a journey British English to stop somewhere for a short time during a long journey: We decided to break our journey in Oxford.decide19break sb’s heart to make someone very unhappy by ending a relationship with them or doing something that upsets them a lot: He broke my heart when he left me.breakleaveIt’ll break your father’s heart if you tell him you’re giving up college.give20break a strikeSTOP WORKING/GO ON STRIKE to force workers to end a strike: The government has threatened to bring in the army to break the 10-month-old strike.havethreaten21break a link/tie/connectionSTOP DOING STH to end a relationship with a person or organization: The US has now broken all diplomatic links with the regime.havebreaklinkSometimes it is necessary to break family ties in order to protect the child.betie22SURFACE/SKINbreak the skinBREAK to cut the skin on your body: Their teeth are sharp enough to break the skin.toothbe23break the back of somethingFINISH DOING STH to finish the main or worst part of something: I think we’ve broken the back of the job now.break24break the bank to cost a lot of money, or more money than you have: A new hard drive doesn’t have to break the bank.25break sb’s concentrationINTERRUPT to interrupt someone and stop them from being able to continue thinking or talking about something: The slightest sound would break his concentration.slightwill26break the silenceTALK TO SBLOUD/NOISY to end a period of silence by talking or making a noise: The silence was broken by a loud scream.bebreak27break sb’s spiritFORCE SB TO DO STH to destroy someone’s feeling of determination: They could not break her spirit.canThe spirit of our soldiers will never be broken.soldierbreak28break sb’s power to take away someone’s position of power or control: At last the power of the Church was finally broken.bebreak29break the ice informal to make people feel more friendly and willing to talk to each other: Sam’s arrival broke the ice and people began to talk and laugh.breakbegin30CODEUNDERSTANDbreak a code to succeed in understanding something that is written in a secret way: Scientists worked day and night to break the code.scientistwork31break wind to allow gas to escape from your bottom, making a noise and an unpleasant smell32break (sb’s) serve to win a game in tennis when your opponent is starting the game by hitting the ball first: Hewitt broke serve twice in the second set.break33break a leg spoken used to wish someone luck, especially just before they perform on stageCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 5break + NOUNbreak your promise I’ll never forgive him for breaking his promise to me.breakbreak your word (=break your promise) I’ve promised to do it and I never break my word.promisebreak your vow (=break a serious or formal promise) He accused her of breaking her marriage vows.accusebreakvowbreak (off) your engagement In the end she decided to break their engagement.decidebreak a contract He took the company to court for breaking the contract.takebreakbreak an agreement This action broke the international agreement of 1925.breakTHESAURUSto break somethingbreak verb [transitive] to damage something and make it separate into pieces, for example by dropping it or hitting it: Careful you don’t break the chair. | He broke his leg.breaksmash verb [transitive] to break something with a lot of force: A policeman smashed his camera.smashsnap verb [transitive] to break something into two pieces, making a loud noise – used especially about long thin objects: He snapped the sticks in two.snapsticksplit verb [transitive] to separate something into two pieces along a straight line: Using a sharp knife, split the melon in half.usefracture verb [transitive] to damage a bone, especially so that a line appears on the surface: I fell over and fractured my wrist.fallfracturetear /teə $ ter/ verb [transitive] to damage paper or cloth by pulling it so that it separates into pieces: She tore up the letter and put it in the bin.tear | I tore my jacket.tearto become brokenbreak verb [intransitive] to become damaged and separate into pieces: Plastic breaks quite easily.breaksmash verb [intransitive] to break after being hit with a lot of force: The bowl smashed as it hit the floor.smashshatter verb [intransitive] to break into a lot of small pieces: The glass shattered all over the pavement.shattercrack verb [intransitive] if something cracks, a line appears on the surface, which means that it could later break into separate pieces: The ice was starting to crack.bestartburst verb [intransitive] if a tyre, balloon, pipe etc bursts, it gets a hole and air or liquid suddenly comes out of it: She blew up the balloon until it burst.blowsplit verb [intransitive] to break in a straight line: The damp had caused the wood to split.havecausecrumble verb [intransitive] to break into a powder or a lot of small pieces: The cork just crumbled in my hand.crumblebreak away phrasal verb1LEAVE A JOB OR ORGANIZATIONto leave a group or political party and form another group, usually because of a disagreement: More than 30 Labour MPs broke away to form a new left-wing party.breakleavebreak away fromThey broke away from the national union and set up their own local organization.break → breakaway22to leave your home, family, or job and become independentbreak away fromI felt the need to break away from home.feel3MOVE/CHANGE POSITIONto move away from someone who is holding you: She started crying and tried to break away.startcrytrybreak away fromShe broke away from him and ran to the door.breakrun4to move away from other people in a race or game: Radcliffe broke away 200 metres before the finish.breakmetre5to become loose and no longer attached to something: Part of the plane’s wing had broken away.havebreakbreak down phrasal verb1MACHINEBROKENif a car or machine breaks down, it stops working: The car broke down just north of Paris.breakThe printing machines are always breaking down.printmachinebebreak → breakdown2FAILFAILto fail or stop working in a successful way: Negotiations broke down after only two days.negotiationbreakdayI left London when my marriage broke down.leavebreak → breakdown3DOOROPENbreak something ↔ down if you break down a door, you hit it so hard that it breaks and falls to the ground: Police had to break down the door to get into the flat.have4CHANGE FIXED IDEASCHANGE/MAKE STH DIFFERENTbreak something ↔ down to change or remove something that prevents people from working together and having a successful relationship with each other: Getting young people together will help to break down the barriers between them.getbarrierIt takes a long time to break down prejudices.takeprejudice5CHANGE CHEMICALLYCHANGE FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHERif a substance breaks down, or something breaks it down, it changes as a result of a chemical processbreak something ↔ downFood is broken down in the stomach.bebreakBacteria are added to help break down the sewage.beadd6CRYCRYto be unable to stop yourself crying, especially in public: He broke down and cried.breakcryShe broke down in tears when she heard the news.breaktearhear7MAKE STH SIMPLESEPARATEbreak something ↔ down to separate something into smaller parts so that it is easier to do or understand: He showed us the whole dance, then broke it down so that we could learn it more easily.showbreakcanThe question can be broken down into two parts.breakpart → breakdownbreak for something phrasal verb RUNto suddenly run towards something, especially in order to escape from someone: He broke for the door, but the guards got there before he did.breakguardgetdobreak in phrasal verb1ENTERto enter a building by using force, in order to steal something: Thieves broke in and stole £10,000 worth of computer equipment.thievebreaksteal → break-in2INTERRUPTto interrupt someone when they are speakingbreak in onI didn’t want to break in on his telephone conversation.break in withDad would occasionally break in with an amusing comment.willamuse3WEAR CLOTHESbreak something ↔ in to make new shoes or boots less stiff and more comfortable by wearing them: I went for a walk to break in my new boots.goboot4USED TO/ACCUSTOMED TObreak somebody in to help a person get used to a certain way of behaving or working: She’s quite new to the job, so we’re still breaking her in.break5break something ↔ in to teach a young horse to carry people on its back: We break the horses in when they’re about two years old.horseyearbreak into something phrasal verb1STEALENTERto enter a building or car by using force, in order to steal something: Someone broke into my car and stole the radio.breakstealHer house was broken into last week.bebreak2NEW BUSINESS ACTIVITYTAKE PART/BE INVOLVEDto become involved in a new job or business activity: She made an attempt to break into journalism.makeIt’s a profession that is very hard to break into.beMany British firms have failed in their attempts to break into the American market.firmfailattempt3MONEYSPEND MONEYto start to spend money that you did not want to spend: I don’t want to break into my savings unless I have to.saving4break into a run/trot etcSTART DOING STH to suddenly start running: He broke into a run as he came round the corner.breakcome5break into a smile/a song/applause etcSTART DOING STH to suddenly start smiling, singing etc: Her face broke into a smile.breakThe audience broke into loud applause.breakbreak somebody of something phrasal verb STOP DOING STHto make someone stop having a bad habit: Try to break yourself of the habit of eating between meals.eatmealbreak off phrasal verb1PAUSEto suddenly stop talking: She started to speak, then broke off while a waitress served us coffee.startbreakserveHe broke off in mid-sentence to shake hands with the new arrivals.breakhandarrivalbreak something ↔ offI broke off the conversation and answered the phone.breakanswer2RELATIONSHIPbreak something ↔ off to end a relationship: She broke off their engagement only a few weeks before they were due to be married.breakweekbemarryThe US has broken off diplomatic relations with the regime.havebreakrelation3BREAKif something breaks off, or if you break it off, it comes loose and is no longer attached to something else: One of the car’s wing mirrors had broken off.mirrorhavebreakbreak something ↔ offHe broke off a piece of bread.breakbreak out phrasal verb1WAR/FIRE ETCSTART TO HAPPEN, EXIST ETCif something unpleasant such as a fire, fight, or war breaks out, it starts to happen: I was still living in London when the war broke out.belivebreakDoes everyone know what to do if a fire breaks out?dobreakFighting broke out between demonstrators and the police.fightbreakdemonstrator → outbreak2ESCAPEESCAPEto escape from a prisonbreak out ofThree men have broken out of a top-security jail.manbreak → breakout3CHANGE YOUR LIFECHANGE/MAKE STH DIFFERENTto change the way you live because you feel boredbreak out ofShe felt the need to break out of her daily routine.feel4break out in spots/a rash/a sweat etcILLNESS/DISEASE if you break out in spots etc, they appear on your skin: I broke out in a painful rash.breakMy whole body broke out in a sweat.breakbreak through phrasal verb1ATTACKbreak through (something) to manage to get past or through something that is in your way: Several demonstrators broke through the barriers despite warnings from the police.demonstratorbreakbarrierwarningAfter hours of fierce fighting, rebels broke through and captured the capital.hourfightrebelbreakcapture2SHOW/LET SB SEE STHbreak through (something) if the sun breaks through, you can see it when you could not see it before because there were clouds: The sun broke through at around lunch time.breakThe sun soon broke through the mist.break3DEAL WITHto manage to do something successfully when there is a difficulty that is preventing you: He’s a very talented young actor who’s just ready to break through.break through intoIt is possible that at this election some of the minority parties might succeed in breaking through into parliament.bepartybreak → breakthroughbreak up phrasal verb1BREAK INTO PIECESBREAKif something breaks up, or if you break it up, it breaks into a lot of small pieces: It seems that the plane just broke up in the air.seembreakbreak something ↔ upUse a fork to break up the soil.2SEPARATESEPARATEbreak something ↔ up to separate something into several smaller parts: There are plans to break the company up into several smaller independent companies.beplansmallcompanyYou need a few trees and bushes to break up the lawn.treebush3FIGHTSTOP STH THAT IS HAPPENINGbreak something ↔ up to stop a fight: Three policemen were needed to break up the fight.policemanbeneed4break something ↔ up to make people leave a place where they have been meeting or protesting: Government soldiers broke up the demonstration.soldierbreakPolice moved in to break up the meeting.movemeet5MARRIAGE/ORGANIZATIONFINISH/COME TO AN ENDif a marriage, group of people, or relationship breaks up, the people in it separate and do not live or work together any more: He lost his job and his marriage broke up.losebreakThe couple broke up last year.breakMany bands break up because of personality clashes between the musicians.bandclashmusicianbreak up withHas Sam really broken up with Lucy?havebreak → breakup6CROWDCROWDif a meeting or party breaks up, people start to leave: The party didn’t break up until after midnight.The meeting broke up without any agreement.meetbreak7SCHOOL British EnglishFINISH/COME TO AN END when a school breaks up, it closes for a holiday: School breaks up next week.breakbreak up forWhen do you break up for Easter?8MAKE SB LAUGHbreak somebody up American English informalFUNNY to make someone laugh by saying or doing something funny: He breaks me up!breakbreak with somebody/something phrasal verb1LEAVE A JOB OR ORGANIZATIONto leave a group of people or an organization, especially because you have had a disagreement with them: She had broken with her family years ago.havebreakyearThey broke with the Communist Party and set up a new party.break2break with tradition/the pastTRADITION to stop following old customs and do something in a completely different way: Now is the time to break with the past.beHis work broke with tradition in many ways.breakway
breaknounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Word sets 1 2Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesbreakbreaksbreakbreak2 S2 W2 noun
Word family1stop working [countable] a period of time when you stop working in order to rest, eat etc: We’ll have a short break for lunch, then start again at two o'clock.Let’s take a ten-minute break.We’d worked for ten hours without a break.workhourI’ll go shopping during my lunch break.shop2stop doing something [countable] a period of time when you stop doing something before you start againbreak fromI wanted a break from university life.wantShe decided to take a career break when she had children.decidehavechildbreak ina welcome break in my normal routine3holiday [countable] a short holiday: I was beginning to feel that I needed a break.bebeginneedWe flew off for a week’s break in Spain.flyThey’re offering weekend breaks in Paris for only £100.offerbreakthe Easter/Christmas etc breakAre you looking forward to the summer break?belook4at school [uncountable] the time during the school day when classes stop and teachers and students can rest, eat, play etcat breakI’ll speak to you at break.They get together with their friends at break time.friend5on tv [countable] a pause for advertisements during a television or radio programme: Join us again after the break.We’ll be back with more after a short break.6something stops happening [countable] a period of time when something stops happening before it starts againbreak inWe’ll go for a walk if there’s a break in the rain.Latecomers will be admitted at a suitable break in the performance.latecomeradmitShe waited for a break in the conversation.waitThere was no sign of a break in the weather (=an improvement in bad weather).be7END/CHANGEend a relationship [singular]FINISH/COME TO AN END a time when you leave a person or group, or end a relationship with someone: I wanted a clean break so that I could restart my life.wantcanIt was years before I plucked up enough courage to make the break and leave him.beyearpluckbreak withHe was beginning to regret his break with the Labour Party.bebegin8A SPACEspace/hole [countable]SPACE/GAP a space or hole in somethingbreak inWe crawled through a break in the hedge.crawlThe sun shone through a break in the clouds.shinecloud9A CHANCEchance [countable] informalCHANCE/OPPORTUNITY a sudden or unexpected chance to do something that allows you to become successful in your job: There are hundreds of young musicians out there looking for their first break.behundredmusicianlookHe got his first big break in 1998.geta lucky break10BROKEN PLACEbones [countable]INJURE the place where a bone in your body has broken: It’s quite a bad break, which will take several months to heal.month11TENNIStennis [countable] a situation in a game of tennis in which you win a game when your opponent is starting the game by hitting the ball first: She really needs a break of serve now if she wants to win this match.needwant12POINTSsnooker [countable] the number of points that a player wins when it is their turn to hit the ball in a game such as snooker13break with tradition/the past a time when people stop following old customs and do something in a completely different way: It is time for a complete break with the past.be14make a break for somethingESCAPE to suddenly start running towards something in order to escape from a place: As soon as the guard’s back was turned, they made a break for the door.beturnmakeTwo of the prisoners made a break for it but were soon recaptured.prisonermakeberecapture15give me/it a break! spokenSTOP DOING STH used when you want someone to stop doing or saying something that is annoying you16give somebody a break spoken to stop being strict with someone so that a situation becomes easier for them: Give the kid a break. It’s only his second day on the job.17the break of day literaryEARLY the time early in the morning when it starts getting lightCOLLOCATIONSverbshave/take a break After two hours, she took a break and switched on the radio.hourtakeswitchneed a break I’m sorry, I can’t do any more - I need a break.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + break a short/quick break Shall we have a quick five-minute break?a lunch break What time’s your lunch break?a coffee/tea break How about a coffee break?a morning/afternoon break I don’t usually have time for a morning break.a well-earned break (=one that you deserve) Everyone’s looking forward to a well-earned break when the exams are over.lookearnexambeTHESAURUSvacation especially American English, holiday especially British English time you spend away from school or work: Are you taking a vacation this summer?betake | We met on holiday in Cyprus.meet | What are you doing in the school holidays?bedoholidayholiday a day that is set by law, when no one has to go to work or school: the Thanksgiving holiday | New Year's Day is a national holiday.be | In 2002, there was an extra public holiday to mark the Queen's golden jubilee.be | the August bank holiday (=day when all the banks and shops are closed – used in British English)break a time when you stop working or studying in order to rest, or a short vacation from school: a ten-minute coffee break | Lots of college kids come to the beaches during the spring break.lotkidbeachleave a time when you are allowed not to work: We get four weeks' annual leave (=paid time off work each year).week | He has been taking a lot of sick leave (=time off work because you are ill) recently.havebetake | Angela is on maternity leave (= time off work when having a baby).be | He was given compassionate leave (=time off work because someone close to you has died, is very ill etc) to go to his father's funeral.begivesabbatical [usually singular] a period when someone, especially a teacher, stops doing their usual work in order to study or travel: She was on sabbatical for six months.bemonth | I'm thinking of taking a sabbatical.thinktakefurlough a period of time when a soldier or someone working in another country can return to their own country as a holiday: While on furlough, he and his girlfriend got married.getmarryR & R (rest and relaxation) a holiday, especially one given to people in the army, navy etc after a long period of hard work or during a war: Soldiers in Vietnam were taken to Hawaii for R & R.soldierbetake
noun
Date: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: Latin cohors; → COHORT 1for deciding about a legal case [uncountable and countable] the place where a trial is held, or the people there, especially the judge and the jury who examine the evidence and decide whether someone is guilty or not guilty:
It could not be proved in a court of law.canproveThe court case lasted six weeks.lastweekFour people will appear in court today, charged with fraud.chargeThe court ruled that no compensation was due.rulebeShe threatened to take the magazine to court (=take legal action against them) if they didn’t publish an immediate apology.threaten2for playing a sport [countable] an area made for playing games such as tennis → field, pitchsquash/tennis/basketball etc courtCan you book a squash court for tomorrow?on courtThe players are due on court in an hour.playerbe3king/queen a)[countable] the place where a king or queen lives and works: the royal courts of Europecourt b)the court the king, queen, their family, and their friends, advisers etc: Several members of the court were under suspicion.memberbeThere was a taste in court circles for romantic verse.becircleCourt officials denied the rumours.officialdenyrumour4hold court formalTALK/MAKE A SPEECH to speak in an interesting, amusing, or forceful way so that people gather to listenhold court toDylan was holding court upstairs to a group of fans.beholdfan5pay court to somebodyATTENTION old-fashioned to give someone a lot of attention to try and make them like you6area next to a building [countable] a courtyard → the ball is in sb’s court at ball1(7), → be laughed out of court at laugh1(6), → food courtCOLLOCATIONSphrasesa court of law You may be asked to give evidence before a court of law.askcourt + NOUNa court case (=a problem or crime that is dealt with in a court of law) a recent court case involving the death of a babyinvolvea court order (=an instruction that someone must do something) A court order specified that the money must be paid back over six months.specifypaymontha court ruling (=an official decision) The company appealed against the court ruling.appealrulecourt action (=a court case) He was threatened with court action.bethreatencourt proceedings (=the processes that are part of a court case) The court proceedings were over in a day.proceedingbeverbsgo to court (=take legal action) The costs of going to court are very high.costgobetake somebody to court (=take legal action against someone) She took the company to court for sex discrimination.takebring somebody/something to court (also bring somebody/something before a court) Three teenage girls were brought before the court for robbing an elderly woman.girlbebringrobappear in court A man has appeared in court charged with cruelty to animals.haveappearchargeanimala case comes to court/comes before the court The case came to court 21 months later.comemonthlatea court hears a case The county court will hear the case next month.settle something out of court (=reach an agreement without using a court) The matter was finally settled out of court.besettlea court rules/orders/holds something The court ruled that the penalty was not excessive.rulebea court clears/acquits somebody (=says that they are not guilty) A US court cleared him of bribery allegations.clearallegationa court convicts somebody (=says that they are guilty) A New York court convicted her as a tax cheat.convicta court upholds something (=says that an earlier decision was right) It seems likely that the court will uphold his conviction.seema court quashes/overturns something (=says that an earlier decision was wrong) A Brazilian court has quashed a 19-year jail sentence.havequasha court adjourns a case/trial etc (=stops dealing with it for a period of time) The court adjourned the trial until June 21st.adjourna court dismisses/throws out something (=refuses to allow or consider something) The court dismissed his appeal against conviction.dismissADJECTIVES/NOUN + courta criminal court (=for cases about crime) Two French magistrates ruled that he should stand trial in a criminal court.magistrateruleshalla civil court (=for cases about disagreements) Eviction proceedings take place in a civil court.proceedinga Crown Court (=a British court for cases about serious crimes) The defendant went to the Crown Court for sentencing.gosentencea High Court (=an important court, with more power than an ordinary court) Their convictions were upheld in the High Court.convictionbeupholdan appeals court/court of appeal (=dealing with cases in which people are not satisfied with a decision) The appeals court rejected the defence’s argument.appealrejectthe Supreme Court (=the most important court in some countries or US states) Thomas was the only African-American justice on the Supreme Court.bea federal court (=a national court rather than a state court)a county court (=a local court)a magistrates’ court (=a court in each area in England and Wales that deals with less serious crimes)a kangaroo court (=an unofficial court that punishes people unfairly) The army reportedly held kangaroo courts and executed alleged rebels.holdcourtexecuteallegerebelTHESAURUSIn a courtdefendant the person who is on trial for a crimethe defence British English, the defense American English the lawyers who are working for the defendantthe prosecution the lawyers who are trying to prove that the defendant is guiltyjudge the official in charge of a court who decides how criminals should be punishedjury a group of people, usually 12 people, who listen to the facts and decide whether the defendant is guilty or not guiltywitness someone who describes in a court of law what he or she knows about a crimetestimony a formal statement made in a court of law about a particular situation or actionverdict the decision of the jury as to whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty
courtverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusPhrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplescourtcourtscourtedcourtingcourtcourt2 verb [transitive]Verb form1TRY TO DO OR GET STHto try hard to please someone, especially because you want something from them: His campaign team have assiduously courted the media.courtmedium2court danger/death etc formalRISK to behave in a way that makes danger etc more likely: To have admitted this would have courted political disaster.admitwillcourt3be courting old-fashioned if a man and a woman are courting, they are having a romantic relationship and may get married: That was back in the 1960s when we were courting.bebecourt4RELATIONSHIP old-fashioned if a man courts a woman, he spends time being nice to her because he hopes to marry her
noun [countable]
1description a written or spoken description that says what happens in an event or processaccount ofHe was too shocked to give an account of what had happened.beshockhavehappenblow-by-blow account (=a description of all the details of an event in the order that they happened)a blow-by-blow account of how England lost to PortugalloseChomsky’s account of how children learn their first languagechildeye-witness/first-hand account (=a description of events by someone who saw them)Eye-witness accounts told of the unprovoked shooting of civilians.accounttellshootcivilianThis gives a first-hand account of the war.give2at a bank (written abbreviation a/c or acct.) an arrangement in which a bank keeps your money safe so that you can pay more in or take money out: My salary is paid into my bank account.bepayI’ve opened an account with Barclay’s Bank.openMy husband and I have a joint account (=one that is shared between two people). → bank account, checking account, current account, deposit account, profit and loss account, savings account3take account of something (also take something into account)THINK ABOUT to consider or include particular facts or details when making a decision or judgment about something: These figures do not take account of changes in the rate of inflation.figurechange4on account of somethingBECAUSE because of something else, especially a problem or difficulty: She was told to wear flat shoes, on account of her back problem.betellshoe5accounts a)[plural] an exact record of the money that a company has received and the money it has spent: The accounts for last year showed a profit of $2 million.accountshow b)[uncountable] a department in a company that is responsible for keeping records of the amount of money spent and received: Eileen works in accounts.workaccount6on accountPAY FOR if you buy goods on account, you take them away with you and pay for them later7PAY FORwith a shop/company an arrangement that you have with a shop or company, which allows you to buy goods or use a service now and pay for them later SYN credit account: Can you charge this to my account please?an unlimited-use Internet account8bill a statement that shows how much money you owe for things you have bought from a shop SYN billpay/settle your account (=pay what you owe)James left the restaurant, settling his account by credit card.leavesettle9arrangement to sell goods an arrangement to sell goods and services to another company over a period of time: Our sales manager has secured several big accounts recently.salehavesecureaccount10by/from all accountsSAY/STATE according to what a lot of people say: It has, from all accounts, been a successful marriage.haveaccountbe11on sb’s accountBECAUSE if you do something on someone’s account, you do it because you think they want you to: Please don’t change your plans on my account.plan12on your own accountINDEPENDENT PERSON by yourself or for yourself: Carrie decided to do a little research on her own account.decide13on no account/not on any accountADVISE used when saying that someone must not, for any reason, do something: On no account must you disturb me.14by sb’s own accountSAY/STATE according to what you have said, especially when you have admitted doing something wrong: Bentley was, by his own account, over-sensitive to criticism.be15on that account/on this accountABOUT concerning a particular situation: There needn’t be any more worries on that account.worry16give a good/poor account of yourselfPERFORM to do something or perform very well or very badly: Kevin gave a good account of himself in today’s game.give17bring/call somebody to account formal to force someone who is responsible for a mistake or a crime to explain publicly why they did it and punish them for it if necessary: The people responsible for the accident have never been brought to account.bebring18put/turn something to good account formal to use something for a good purpose: Perhaps she could put some of her talents to good account by helping us.cantalenthelp19of no/little account formal not important: As she grew up, her father was of no account to her.growbeCOLLOCATIONSverbsgive an account Marshall gave the police his account of how the fight started.givestartprovide an account Freud has provided an account of the human psyche’s stages of development.haveprovidestagewrite an account He later wrote an account of his experiences during the war.latewriteexperienceread an account Have you read his account of the journey?ADJECTIVES/NOUN + accounta detailed account She gave me a detailed account of what happened at the meeting.givedetailhappenmeeta full account It is not possible to give a full account of what we discussed.bediscussa short account What follows is a short account of the legal procedure.followbea brief account The class were asked to write a brief account of their holidays.beaskholidaya clear account I’ve tried to write a clear account of the incident.tryan accurate account Both newspapers gave fairly accurate accounts of what had happened.newspapergiveaccounthavehappena true account The book is a true account of his life and death.bea blow-by-blow account (=very detailed) Rosemary gave me a blow-by-blow account of their trip.givea graphic account (=very clear with a lot of details, especially unpleasant details) He wrote a graphic account of his time in jail.writea vivid account (=so clear that it seems real or like real life) I read a vivid account of his experiences in Egypt.experiencean eye-witness account (=an account of an event, given by the person who saw it happen) an eye-witness account of the attacka first-hand account (=an account of a situation, given by the person who experienced it) a first-hand account of life in the refugee campscampconflicting accounts (=different accounts of the same event, that cannot both be true) There were conflicting accounts of what actually happened.beconflictaccounthappenTHESAURUSaccount a written or spoken description that says what happens in an event or process: He provided the police with a detailed account of what he saw.providedetailseedescription something you say or write that gives details about what something or someone is like: The report gave a brief description of the problem.givestory an account of something that has happened which may not be true – used especially when people are telling each other about something: I don’t think he was honest enough to tell us the full story.be | Her parents did not believe her story.parentdoreport a written or spoken account of a situation or event, giving people the information they need, especially after studying something as part of your job: The UN will issue a report on the incident. | Initial police reports suggest she was murdered.reportbemurderversion a particular person’s account of an event, which is different from the account that another person gives: Her version of events has been contradicted by other witnesses.eventhavebecontradictwitness
accountverbCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3Phrases from other entriesCorpus examplesaccountaccountsaccountedaccountingaccountaccount2 S3 W2 verbDate: 1300-1400Language: Old French
Origin: acompter, from compter ‘to count’ Verb formaccount for something phrasal verb1BEto form a particular amount or part of something:
Afro-Americans account for 12% of the US population.2REASONto be the reason why something happens SYN explain: Recent pressure at work may account for his behavior.3REASONto give a satisfactory explanation of why something has happened or why you did something SYN explain: Can you account for your movements on that night?movement4HEREto say where all the members of a group of people or things are, especially because you are worried that some of them may be lost: Three days after the earthquake, more than 150 people had still to be accounted for.dayhaveaccount
noun
Date: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: Vulgar Latin cadentia ‘fall’, from Latin cadere ‘to fall’ 1possibility [uncountable and countable]PROBABLY the possibility that something will happen, especially something you want:
There’s always the chance that something will go wrong.chance ofWhat are the team’s chances of success?bechanceIf we did move to London, I’d stand a much better chance (=have a much better chance) of getting a job.dowellgetThere is little chance of her being found alive.bebefindChances are (=it is likely that) you’ll be fine.chancebe2opportunity [countable]CHANCE/OPPORTUNITY a time or situation which you can use to do something that you want to do SYN opportunitychance to do somethingRalph was waiting for a chance to introduce himself.bewaitchance ofour only chance of escapeI’m sorry, I haven’t had a chance to look at it yet.haveIf someone invited me over to Florida, I’d jump at the chance (=use the opportunity eagerly).invite3risk take a chanceRISK to do something that involves risks: The rope might break, but that’s a chance we’ll have to take.After losing $20,000 on my last business venture, I’m not taking any chances this time.losetakechancetake a chance onHe was taking a chance on a relatively new young actor.betakeHe decided to take his chances in the boat.decidechance4likely to succeed sb’s chancesPROBABLY how likely it is that someone will succeed: Ryan will be a candidate in next month’s elections, but his chances are not good.electionchancebesb’s chances of doing somethingEngland’s chances of winning the series have all but disappeared.chancewindisappearnot fancy/not rate sb’s chances British English (=think someone is unlikely to succeed)I don’t fancy their chances against Brazil.chance ► Do not say ‘someone’s chances to do something’. Say someone’s chances of doing something. 5luck [uncountable]CHANCE/BY CHANCE the way some things happen without being planned or caused by people → fateby chanceI bumped into her quite by chance in Oxford Street.bumpleave something to chance (=to not plan something but just hope that everything will happen as intended)Dave had thought of every possibility, he was leaving nothing to chance.havethinkbeleavepure/sheer/blind chance (=not at all planned)It was pure chance that they ended up working in the same office in the same town.beendworkAs chance would have it, the one time I wanted to see her, she wasn’t in.willwant6by any chance spokenTRUE used to ask politely whether something is true: Are you Mrs Grant, by any chance?be7any chance of ...? spokenASK FOR STH/ASK SB TO DO STH used to ask whether you can have something or whether something is possible: Any chance of a cup of coffee?Any chance of you coming to the party on Saturday?come8be in with a chancePROBABLY if a competitor is in with a chance, it is possible that they will win: I think we’re in with a good chance of beating them.beat9no chance!/fat chance! spokenNO used to emphasize that you are sure something could never happen: ‘Maybe your brother would lend you the money?’ ‘Huh, fat chance!’will10on the off chanceHOPE if you do something on the off chance, you do it hoping for a particular result, although you know it is not likely: I didn’t really expect her to be at home. I just called on the off chance.call → off-chance11chance would be a fine thing! British English spokenPROBABLY used to mean that the thing you want to happen is very unlikely: ‘Do you think you’ll get married?’ ‘Chance would be a fine thing!’marrywill → game of chance at game1(15)COLLOCATIONSMeaning 1verbshave/stand a chance (of something) (=it is possible you will do it) I think you have a good chance of getting the job.getgive somebody a chance of doing something (=say how likely it is that they will do it) He has been given a fifty-fifty chance of being fit for Sunday’s match.havebegivebeincrease the chance of something Certain foods increase the chance of heart disease.foodimprove the chance of something The book shows you how to improve your chance of success.showreduce/lessen the chance of something The talks were aimed at reducing the chance of war.talkbeaimreduceruin any chance of something (=make it impossible for something to happen) Drinking alcohol can ruin any chance of weight loss.drinkjeopardize any chance of something (=make something less likely to happen) This could jeopardize any chance of a ceasefire.canadjectivesa good chance (=when something is likely) I think there is a good chance that he will say yes.beevery chance (=a good chance) There’s every chance that the baby will survive.some chance There’s some chance of snow later this week.latea small/slight/slim chance He only has a very small chance of being elected.havebeelect | There’s a slight chance of some sunshine in the west.no/little/not much chance The prisoners knew there was little chance of escape.prisonerknowbea one in three/four/ten etc chance (=used to say how likely something is) People in their 30s have a one in 3,000 chance of getting the disease.geta fair chance (=a fairly good chance) If you work, you have a fair chance of passing the test.passa sporting chance (=a fairly good chance) The proposals had at least a sporting chance of being accepted.proposalhavelittlesportbeaccepta fighting chance (=a small but real chance) The Republican Party has a fighting chance at the next election.havefighta fifty-fifty chance (=an equal chance that something will or will not happen) I’d say there is a 50–50 chance that the deal will go through.bean outside/a remote chance (=a very small chance) He still has an outside chance of winning the championship.havewina million-to-one chance/a one in a million chance (=when something is extremely unlikely) It must have been a million-to-one chance that we’d meet.beCOLLOCATIONSMeaning 2verbsget/have a chance to do something I’d like a job in which I get the chance to travel.give somebody/offer/provide a chance I was given the chance to play the main part in the play.begive | Sport provides a chance for you to get outside with friends.providefriendtake a chance (=accept an opportunity) If I was offered the chance to be in the team, I’d take it.beofferjump at a chance (=use an opportunity eagerly) Ed jumped at the chance to earn some extra money.jumpgrab/seize a chance (=quickly use an opportunity) As soon as she stopped speaking, I grabbed the chance to leave.stopspeakgrabmiss/lose a chance (=not use an opportunity) He missed a chance to score just before half time.missthrow away/pass up/turn down a chance (=not accept or use an opportunity) Imagine throwing up a chance to go to America!throwwelcome the chance to do something I’d welcome the chance to discuss the problem with someone.deserve a chance Every kid deserves a chance in life.deserveblow a chance informal (=have a special opportunity and fail to use it) He thought he’d blown his chance of happiness.thinkblowadjectivesa second chance/another chance The interview went badly, so I didn’t think they would give me a second chance.gowillsb’s last chance This is my last chance to try and pass the exam.bephrasesthe chance of a lifetime (=one that you are very unlikely to have again) If you don’t decide soon, you’ll have missed the chance of a lifetime.missnow’s your chance spoken (=you have the opportunity to do something now) You’re not working so now’s your chance to write a book.workgiven the chance/given half a chance (=if there is an opportunity to do something) Goats will eat anything, given half a chance.goatgiveTHESAURUSluck noun [uncountable] when good or bad things happen to people by chance: The game involves an element of luck as well as skill.involvechance noun [uncountable] the way that some things happen without being planned or caused by people: I met her by chance on a plane to Tokyo.meet | Like all top athletes, he leaves nothing to chance, and trains harder than anybody.athleteleavetrainhardfortune noun [uncountable] luck and the effect it has on your life: I had the good fortune to work with some great people.have | The tour was dogged by ill fortune (=it had a lot of bad luck) from the start.bedog | Fortune has shone on the team so far this season (=they have been lucky).haveshinefate noun [uncountable] a power that some people believe controls what happens to people and which cannot be changed or stopped: Fate dealt him a cruel blow with the death of his wife at the age of 32.deal | It must have been fate that brought them together, and fate that tore them apart.bebringtear | We can’t just leave it to fate.providence noun [uncountable] a power which some people believe controls what happens in our lives and protects us: Do you believe in divine providence (=God’s power to make things happen)? | Her life was mapped out for her by providence.bemapfluke noun [countable usually singular] informal something good that happens because of luck: Their second goal was a fluke.be | They won by a fluke.win
chanceverbCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Phrases from other entriesCorpus exampleschancechanceschancedchancingchancechance2 verbVerb form1RISK[transitive] to do something that you know involves a risk: I wasn’t sure if I’d got quite enough petrol to get me home, but I decided to chance it.getdecideWe decided not to chance our luck in the storm.decideShe’d never played before, but she was ready to chance her arm (=take a risk by doing something which may fail).playbechance doing somethingI decided to stay where I was. I couldn’t chance being seen.decidebebesee2[intransitive] literaryCHANCE/BY CHANCE to happen in a way which is not expected and not plannedchance to do somethingShe chanced to be passing when I came out of the house.chancepasscomeIt chanced that we both went to Paris that year.chancegochance on/upon/across somebody/something phrasal verb formal CHANCE/BY CHANCEto find something or meet someone when you are not expecting to: Henry chanced upon some valuable coins in the attic.chancecoin
chanceadjectiveCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4 5 6Phrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus exampleschancechancechance3 adjective [only before noun] CHANCE/BY CHANCEnot planned or expected SYN accidentalchance meeting/encounter/event etcA chance meeting with a journalist changed everything.meetchangeA chance remark by one of his colleagues got him thinking.colleaguegetthink
verb (past tense fell /fel/, past participle fallen /ˈfɔːlən $ ˈfɒːl-/)
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: feallan Verb form1move downwards [intransitive]FALL to move or drop down from a higher position to a lower position:
The tree was about to fall.beThe book fell from his hands.fallhandEnough rain had fallen to flood the grounds.havefallgroundfall downRob fell down the stairs.fallstairShe flushed and her eyes fell (=she looked down).flusheyefall2stop standing/walking etc [intransitive]FALL to suddenly go down onto the ground after you have been standing, walking, or running, especially without intending to: I fell and hit my head.fallslip/stumble/trip etc and fallHe slipped and fell on the ice.slipfallfall downLizzie fell down and hurt her knee.fallPeter was playing by the river when he fell in (=fell into the water).beplayfallfall to/on your knees (=move down to the ground so that your body is resting on your knees)She fell to her knees beside his body.fallknee → fall flat on your face at flat3(5)3decrease [intransitive]LESS to go down to a lower level, amount, price etc, especially a much lower one OPP rise: The rate of inflation was falling.befallThe island is warm all year round and winter temperatures never fall below 10 degrees.betemperaturedegreeHe believes that educational standards are falling.believestandardbefallfall fromAdvertising revenue fell from $98.5 million to $93.3 million.advertisefallfall toThe number of subscribers had fallen to 1,000.numbsubscriberhavefallfall sharply/steeply (=by a large amount)London share prices fell sharply yesterday.pricefallRegisterIn everyday English, people often say an amount or level goes down rather than falls:House prices have gone down again.pricego4become [intransitive, linking verb]BECOME to start to be in a new or different statefall adjI’ll stay with her until she falls asleep.fallI think that I’ve fallen in love with Angela.fallShe fell ill with flu.fallAlbert fell silent and turned his attention to his food.fallturnfall intoThe house was empty for many years and fell into disrepair.beyearfallOne false step can mean falling into debt.fallHe fell into despair.fall5belong to a group [intransitive always + preposition]LIKE/SIMILAR to belong to or be part of a particular group, area of responsibility, range of things, or type of thingsfall intoMany illnesses fall into the category of stress-related illnesses.illnessrelateillnessLeaders fall into two categories.leadercategoryfall withinThe judge said that this matter did not fall within the scope of the auditor’s duties.saydodutyfall underThe job falls under the heading of ‘sales and marketing’.fallheadsalemarketMeat production falls under the control of the Agriculture Department.fall6fall short of somethingLESS to be less than the amount or standard that is needed or that you want: This year’s profit will fall short of 13%.He would sack any of his staff who fell short of his high standards.willfallstandard7fall victim/prey to something/somebodyGET to get a very serious illness or be attacked or deceived by someone: Breastfed babies are less likely to fall victim to stomach disorders.babybelittledisorderpeople who fall victim to violence8night/darkness/dusk fallsDARK if night etc falls, it starts to become dark at the beginning of the night: It grew colder as night fell.growcoldfallDarkness had fallen by the time we reached home.havefallreach9silence/a hush/sadness etc falls literaryBECOME used to say that a person, group, or place becomes quiet, sad etc: A long silence fell between us.fall10START DOING STHstart doing something [intransitive] to start doing something or being involved with something, often without intending to: I fell into conversation with some guys from New York.fallguyHe had fallen into the habit of having a coffee every time he passed the coffee machine.havefallhavepass11fall into place a)UNDERSTANDif parts of a situation that you have been trying to understand fall into place, you start to understand how they are connected with each other: Suddenly, all the details started falling into place.detailstartfall b)START TO HAPPEN, EXIST ETCif the parts of something that you want to happen fall into place, they start to happen in the way that you want: I was lucky because everything fell into place at exactly the right time.befall12fall to pieces/bits a)BREAKto break into many pieces SYN fall apart: The book had been well used and finally fell to pieces.havebeusefallpiece b)STOP HAPPENINGif something such as a plan or a relationship falls to pieces, it stops working properly SYN fall apart: The family is falling to pieces.befallpiece13be falling to pieces/bitsBREAK if something is falling to pieces, it is in very bad condition, especially because it is very old SYN be falling apart: The house is falling to pieces.befallpiece14fall flatFUNNY if a joke, remark, or performance falls flat, it fails to interest or amuse people: Marlow’s attempts at jokes fell flat.attemptjokefall15fall foul of somebody/somethingANGRYILLEGAL to do something which makes someone angry or which breaks a rule, with the result that you are punished: He is worried that his teenage kids will fall foul of the law.beworrykid16fall by the waysideSUCCESSFUL to fail, or to stop being done, used, or made: Health reform was one of his goals that fell by the wayside.begoalfallLuxury items fall by the wayside during a recession.item17fall from grace/favourLIKE SB OR STH to stop being liked by people in authority: He fell from grace for the first time when he was convicted of drink-driving.fallbeconvictdrive18fall from a great height to be forced to leave an important job or position, or lose the respect that people had for you19CATCHfall into the hands/clutches of somebody if something or someone falls into the hands of an enemy or dangerous person, the enemy etc gets control or possession of them: He wants to prevent the business falling into the hands of a competitor.wantfallhandWe must not let these documents fall into the wrong hands.documenthand20fall into a trap/pitfallMISTAKE to make a mistake that many people make: Don’t fall into the trap of feeling guilty.feel21fall into step a)WALKto start to walk next to someone else, at the same speed as themfall into step beside/withHolly slowed her pace and fell into step with the old man.slowfall b)START DOING STHto start doing something in the same way as the other members of a groupfall into step withThe other countries on the Council are expected to fall into step with the US.countrybeexpect22fall into lineOBEY to obey someone or do what other people want you to do, especially when you do not want to do it at first: Most countries have signed the treaty but some are reluctant to fall into line.countrysignbe23hang down [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]DOWN to hang down looselyfall overHis dark hair fell over his face.fall24light/shadow [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]LIGHT to shine on a surface or go onto a surface: The last rays of sunlight were falling on the fields.raybefallfieldArthur’s shadow fell across the doorway.fall25special event/celebration [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]HAPPEN to happen on a particular day or at a particular time: I’d like to dedicate this record to all whose anniversaries fall at this time of year.anniversaryfall onHer birthday will fall on a Friday this year.26lose power [intransitive] if a leader or a government falls, they lose their position of power: The previous government fell after only 6 months in office.fallmonth27be taken by an enemy [intransitive] if a place falls in a war or an election, a group of soldiers or a political party takes control of itfall toThe city fell to the advancing Russian armies.falladvancearmy28be killed [intransitive]DIE to be killed in a war SYN die29hit [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]HIT to hit a particular place or a particular part of someone’s bodyfall onThe first punch fell on his nose.fall30voice/sound [intransitive]QUIET if someone’s voice or a sound falls, it becomes quieter or lower OPP rise31it’s as easy as falling off a log spokenEASY used to say that something is very easy to do32fall between two stools British EnglishCHOOSE to be neither one type of thing nor another, or be unable to choose between two ways of doing something33fall on stony ground British English if a request, suggestion, joke etc falls on stony ground, it is ignored or people do not like it34fall from sb’s lips literarySAY if words fall from someone’s lips, they say them35fall into sb’s lap if an opportunity falls into someone’s lap, they get it without having made any effort to get it36the stress/accent/beat falls on something used to say that a particular part of a word, phrase, or piece of music is emphasized or is played more loudly than the rest: In the word ‘report’, the stress falls on the second syllable.fall → be/fall under a spell at spell2(3), → fall on your feet at foot1(19), → sb’s face fell at face1(2), → stand or fall by/on at stand1(33)THESAURUSfall (also fall over, fall down) to suddenly go down onto the floor when standing, walking, or running: She fell on the stairs and broke her ankle.fallstairbreak | Children are always falling over.childbefalltrip on/over something to fall or almost fall when you hit your foot against something: Someone might trip over those toys.toy | I tripped on a piece of wood.tripslip to fall or almost fall when you are walking on a wet or very smooth surface: She slipped and hurt her ankle.slip | I was scared I would slip on the highly polished floor.bescarewillpolishstumble to almost fall when you put your foot down in an awkward way: He stumbled and almost fell.stumblefall | One of our porters stumbled on the rough ground.porterstumblegrindcollapse to fall suddenly and heavily to the ground, especially when you become unconscious: One of the runners collapsed halfway through the race.runnercollapselose your balance to become unsteady so that you start to fall over: She lost her balance on the first step and fell down the stairs.losefallstair | Have something to hold onto, in case you lose your balance.fall flat on your face to fall forwards so you are lying on your front on the ground: She fell flat on her face getting out of the car.fallgetfall about phrasal verb British English LAUGHto laugh a lot about something: It was so funny everyone just fell about laughing.befalllaughfall apart phrasal verb1EFFECTIVEif an organization, system, relationship etc falls apart, it stops being effective or successful: Don’t be reckless or your plans may fall apart.planThe health service is falling apart at the seams.befallseam2be falling apartCONDITION/STATE OF STH to be in very bad condition: Tommy’s old bicycle was rusty and falling apart.befall3BREAKto break into pieces: The book fell apart in my hands.fallhand4FAILto be unable to deal with your personal or emotional problems: She had to get some rest or she was going to fall apart.havebego5sb’s world/life falls apart if someone’s world or life falls apart, something very bad and serious happens which changes their life: When his wife left him, his world fell apart.leavefallfall away phrasal verb1HORIZONTALto slope down: From where we stood, the ground fell away sharply to the valley floor.standgrindfall2ATTACHto become separated from something after being fixed to it: The paint was falling away in patches.befallpatch3QUIETif a feeling falls away, you stop having it, usually suddenly: The view from the top was wonderful and our tiredness fell away.befall4British English to decrease SYN fall OPP rise: Demand for our more theoretical courses has fallen away.coursehavefallfall back phrasal verb1if soldiers fall back, they move back because they are being attacked SYN retreat: He yelled for his men to fall back.yellman2MOVE/CHANGE POSITIONto move backwards because you are very surprised, frightened etc: Scott fell back a pace in astonishment.fall3British English to decrease SYN fall OPP rise: When inflation started to rise, house prices fell back.startpricefallfall back into something phrasal verb to go back to doing something or behaving in a way which you did before: I was amazed at how easily I fell back into the old routine.beamazefallfall back on somebody/something phrasal verb DEPEND ON/RELY ONto use something or depend on someone’s help when dealing with a difficult situation, especially after other methods have failedhave somebody/something to fall back onShe has no relatives to fall back on.haverelativeWhere negotiation fails, they must fall back on the law.fail → fallbackfall behind (somebody/something) phrasal verb1SLOWto go more slowly than other people so that they gradually move further ahead of you: His mother was chatting and didn’t notice that he had fallen behind.bechathavefallShe hurt her ankle and had fallen behind the others.havefall2EFFECTIVEto become less successful than other people, companies, countries etc: After her time in hospital, Jenny’s parents are afraid she has fallen behind educationally.parentbehavefallCompanies that are not market-driven risk falling behind the competition.companybedrivefall3LATEto fail to finish a piece of work or pay someone money that you owe them at the right timefall behind (somebody/something) with/onAfter losing his job, he fell behind with his mortgage payments.losefallpaymentThe project has fallen behind schedule.havefallfall down phrasal verb1be falling downCONDITION/STATE OF STH if a building is falling down, it is in very bad condition: The bridge is falling down and will need a million dollars to repair it.befalldollar2FAILto fail because of a particular reason or in a particular way: That’s where the whole argument falls down.fallfall down onHe is falling down on the supervisory aspects of his job.befallaspectThe local authority is falling down on the job of keeping the streets clean.befallkeepstreetfall for somebody/something phrasal verb informal1TRICK/DECEIVEto be tricked into believing something that is not true: He is too smart to fall for that trick.be2LOVEto start to love someone: That was the summer I worked at the fairground, and met and fell for Lucy.beworkmeetfall3to like a place as soon as you see itfall in phrasal verb1FALLif the roof, ceiling etc falls in, it falls onto the ground SYN collapse2LINEto start walking or forming a line of people behind someone elsefall in behindHis men fell in behind him.manfallfall into something phrasal verb1to move somewhere quickly by relaxing your body and letting it fall on something: She turned and fell into his arms.turnfallarmWe fell into bed, exhausted.fallexhaust2to start doing something by chance: I fell into the job really.fallfall in with somebody/something phrasal verb1ACCEPTto accept someone’s ideas, decisions etc and not disagree with them: Once she explained her problem, he was happy to fall in with her plans.explainbeplan2to become friendly with a person or group of people after meeting them by chance SYN get in with: She fell in with the wrong crowd in her teens.fallteenfall off phrasal verb1fall off (something)SEPARATE if part of something falls off, it becomes separated from the main part: The door handle keeps falling off.keepfallA button had fallen off her jacket.havefall2LESSif the amount, rate, or quality of something falls off, it decreases SYN fall OPP rise: Audience figures fell off during the second series of the programme.figurefall3somebody nearly/almost fell off their chair spokenSURPRISED used to say that someone was very surprised when something happened: When I saw my brother on the stage I nearly fell off my chair.seefall → fall off the back of a lorry at lorryfall on/upon somebody/something phrasal verb1RESPONSIBLEif a duty or job falls on someone, they are responsible for doing it: The responsibility usually falls on the mother.fall2literarySTART DOING STH to eagerly start eating or using something: She fell on the food as if she hadn’t eaten for days.falleatday3literaryATTACK to suddenly attack or get hold of someone: Some of the older boys fell on him and broke his glasses.oldboyfallbreakglass4sb’s eyes/gaze/glance fall(s) on something if your eyes etc fall on something, you notice it: His eyes fell on her bag. ‘Are you going somewhere?’eyefallbego5fall on hard/bad times to experience difficulties and problems in your life such as not having enough money: The aim is to raise money for workers who have fallen on hard times.beworkerfalltime6fall on your sword to leave your job because your organization has done something wrong, and you are taking responsibility for it: It was clear that the Prime Minister wanted her to fall on her sword.bewant → fall on deaf ears at deaf(5)fall out phrasal verb1ARGUEto have a quarrelfall out withCarrie’s always falling out with people.fall2SEPARATEif a tooth or your hair falls out, it is then no longer attached to your body: The drugs made her hair fall out.drugmake3if soldiers fall out, they stop standing in a line and move away to different placesfall over phrasal verb1FALLto fall onto the ground or to fall from an upright position: Tommy fell over and cut his knee badly.fallHer bike fell over.fall2fall over somethingFALL to hit your foot against something by mistake and fall to the ground SYN trip over: She fell over the dog and broke her front teeth.fallbreaktooth3TRY TO DO OR GET STHfall over yourself to do something to be very eager to do something, especially something you do not usually do: People were falling over themselves to help her.befallfall through phrasal verb FAILif an agreement, plan, sale etc falls through, it is not completed successfully: The studio planned to make a movie of the book but the deal fell through.planfallfall to somebody/something phrasal verb1RESPONSIBLEif a duty or job falls to someone, they are responsible for doing it, especially when this is difficult or unpleasant: It fell to me to give her the bad news.fall2writtenSTART DOING STH to start doing something: They fell to work with a will.fallfall to doing somethingHe fell to thinking about how nice a warm bath would be.fallthinkwill
fallnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesCollocations from the corpusThesaurus 1Activator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Word sets 1 2 3Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriesOther dictionary examplesCorpus examplesfallfallsfallfall2 S2 W2 noun
1movement down [countable]FALL movement down towards the ground or towards a lower position: the first fall of autumn leavesleaveThe rise and fall of the dancers’ bodies creates a pattern.dancerbodycreateMrs Evans had a fall (=fell to the ground) and broke her leg.havebreakHe stretched out his hands to break his fall (=prevent himself from falling too quickly and hurting himself).stretchhand2reduction [countable]LESS a reduction in the amount, level, price etc of something OPP risefall inThere has been a fall in oil prices.havebepricesharp/steep fallthe sharp fall in the birth rate in European countriescountryfall ofTheir industrial output went down again in December, which meant a fall of 2.2% over the year.gomean3season [singular] American English the season between summer and winter, when leaves change colour and the weather becomes slightly colder SYN autumn: Eleanor plans to go to Southwestern Community College this fall.planThe area is beautiful in the fall.be4loss of power/success [singular] a situation in which someone or something loses their position of power or becomes unsuccessfulfall fromThe president lived on for twenty years after his fall from power.liveyearthe story of Napoleon’s rise and fall (=period of success followed by failure)Rumours are that the company is heading for a fall (=is likely to fail soon).rumourbebehead5fall from grace a situation in which someone stops being respected by other people or loses their position of authority, especially because they have done something wrong: He was the head of the intelligence service until his fall from grace.be6defeat [singular]BEAT/DEFEAT a situation in which a country, city etc is defeated by an enemyfall ofthe fall of Jerusalem in AD707falls (also Falls) [plural] a place where a river suddenly goes straight down over a cliff: The spray from the falls is so dense that you can hardly see.fallbeNiagara Fallsfall8sport [countable] an act of forcing your opponent onto the ground in wrestling or judo9snow/rocks [countable]FALL an amount of snow, rocks etc that falls onto the groundfall ofFresh falls of snow were forecast.fallbeThe road is blocked by a rock fall.beblock10the Fall (also the fall) the occasion in the Bible when God punished Adam and Eve by making them leave the Garden of EdenTHESAURUSdecrease used when the number, amount, or level of something becomes less than it used to be: There has been a significant decrease in the number of deaths from lung cancer.havebenumbdeath | a 5% decrease in housing priceshousepricereduction used when the price, amount, or level of something is made lower: There will be further price reductions in the sales.farreductionsale | A small reduction in costs can mean a large increase in profits.costprofitcut used when a government or company reduces the price, amount, or level of something: a 1% cut in interest ratesrate | tax cutscut | It is possible that there will be further job cuts.befarcutdrop/fall used when the number, amount, or level of something goes down, especially by a large amount: The figures showed a sharp fall in industrial output.figureshow | There was a dramatic drop in temperature.bedecline used when the number, amount, level, or standard of something goes down, especially gradually: During the 1970s, there was a gradual decline in the birthrate.be | a decline in educational standardsstandard
adjective
Date: 1200-1300Language: Old French
Origin: commun, from Latin communis 1happening oftenCOMMON happening often and to many people or in many places OPP rare:
Heart disease is one of the commonest causes of death.becommoncausecommon amongBad dreams are fairly common among children.dreambechildit’s common for somebody to do somethingIt’s common for new fathers to feel jealous of the baby.father ► Do not say ‘It is common that ... ’ Say ‘It is common for ... ’ : It is common for children to be afraid (NOT It is common that children are afraid) of the dark.bechildbechildbe2a lot existing in large numbers OPP rare: Daisies are very common flowers.daisybeflower3same/similar [usually before noun, no comparative]SAME common aims, beliefs, ideas etc are shared by several people or groups: people working towards a common goalworkcountries that share a common languagecountrycommon toa theme that is common to all her novelsbenovel4common ground facts, features, or beliefs that are shared by people or things that are very differentcommon ground betweenThere is a great deal of common ground between management and trade unions on this issue.begrindunion5shared by everyone [no comparative]EVERYONE belonging to or shared by everyone in a societycommon toThese problems are common to all societies.problembesocietyJoe was chosen as captain by common consent (=with everyone’s agreement).bechoose6common knowledge something everyone knows: It is common knowledge that travel broadens the mind.bebroaden7the common good the advantage of everyone: They work together for the common good.8common practiceUSUALLY a usual or accepted way of doing things: It was common practice for families to attend church together.befamily9ordinary [only before noun, no comparative]ORDINARY ordinary and not special in any way: common saltThe 20th century was called the century of the common man (=ordinary people).becallHe insists that he is a revolutionary, not a common criminal.insistbe10common courtesy/decency/politenessPOLITE a polite way of behaving that you expect from people: It would be common courtesy to return their hospitality.will11common or garden British English ordinary SYN garden-variety American English: a common or garden dispute12make/find common cause (with/against somebody) formal to join with other people or groups in order to achieve something: France and Russia made common cause against Britain.make13common touchORDINARY the ability of someone in a position of power or authority to talk to and understand ordinary people – used to show approval: He’s made it to the top without losing the common touch.makelose14social class British English old-fashioned an offensive word used for describing someone from a low social classTHESAURUScommon if something is common, there are a lot of them: Jones is a very common name in Great Britain.be | Foxes are common in the area.foxbe | Personal computers are nearly as common in American homes as televisions.computerbehometelevisionwidespread happening in a lot of places or done by a lot of people: Racism is much more widespread than people imagine.be | The report claimed that the problem of police brutality was widespread.claimbe | the widespread availability of antibioticsantibioticcommonplace [not before noun] especially written common in a particular place or time – used especially when saying that this seems surprising or unusual: Crimes such as robbery are commonplace in big cities.crimebecity | Expensive foreign cars are commonplace in this Chicago suburb.carbeprevalent formal common in a place or among a group of people – used especially about illnesses, problems, or ideas: Flu is most prevalent during the winter months.bemonth | Depression remains one of the most prevalent health disorders in the US.remaindisorder | This belief is more prevalent among men than women.bemanwomanrife /raɪf/ [not before noun] very common – used about illnesses or problems: AIDS is rife in some parts of the world.aidbepartubiquitous /juːˈbɪkwətəs, juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/ formal very common and seen in many different places – often used humorously in written descriptions: He was carrying the ubiquitous MP3 player.becarry | In Britain, CCTV cameras are ubiquitous.camerabesomething is everywhere especially spoken used when saying that you can see something a lot in many different places: Images of the dictator were everywhere.imagebe | Microchips seem to be everywhere these days – even in washing machines.microchipdaywashmachine | One of the first things you notice in Amsterdam are the bicycles – they’re everywhere.thingbebicycle
commonnounCollocations from this entryCollocations from other entriesActivator 1 2 3 4Phrases from this entryPhrases from other entriescommoncommonscommoncommon2 noun1have something in common (with somebody)SAME to have the same interests, attitudes etc as someone else: I found I had a lot in common with these people.findhavefour women with almost nothing in commonwoman2have something in common (with something)SAME if objects or ideas have something in common, they share the same features: The two games have much in common.game3in common with somebody/somethingSAME in the same way as someone or something else: In common with a lot of other countries, we’re in an economic recession.country4[countable]AREA a large area of open land in a town or village that people walk or play sport on: Boston Common